Dresden 2020 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 18: Poster VI

BP 18.13: Poster

Tuesday, March 17, 2020, 14:00–16:00, P2/2OG

Evaluation of cancer spheroid growth in synthetic hydrogels with light sheet microscopy — •Viktoria Zieger, Timo Betz, and Bart E. Vos — Institute of Cell Biology, ZMBE, Münster, Germany

Tumours of cancer cells are in constant interaction with their surroundings, where physical forces are applied to the extracellular matrix (ECM) to eventually allow the cancer cell to migrate and to form metastasis. We evaluate cancer spheroid growth and cell invasion over time as a function of the rigidity of a non-linear ECM. To achieve this, the extracellular matrix is mimicked by a synthetic hydrogel, which is biocompatible, strain-stiffening and can be finely mechanically tuned without affecting the structural properties. This allows control of the physical properties and the mechanoenvironment.

To gain 3D timeseries of spheroid evolution as well as hydrogel deformation, an in-house scanning light-sheet microscope is built, which allows rapid imaging while reducing photo-bleaching for long-time measurements. To avoid sample motion, the set-up combines axial light-sheet movement via a scanning galvanometer mirror system and simultaneous focus adjustment via an electrically tunable lens. This prevents the necessity to move the sample and enables precise time-resolved 3D images of spheroid growth and cell invasion.