Regensburg 2025 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 22: Bioimaging

BP 22.3: Talk

Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 15:45–16:00, H46

The dynamics of binding and uptake of SARS-CoV-2 viruslike particles investigated by ROCS and fluorescence microscopy — •Alexander Rohrbach and Dominik Huber — Lab for Bio- and Nano-Photonics, University of Freiburg, Germany

Viruses such as coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are challenging to observe during interactions with sales in life-cell imaging to their small size and remarkable speed. Techniques like fluorescence microscopy often struggle to visualize these interactions, especially due to their susceptibility to bleaching and the difficulty to label different structures without altering their function.

In our research we use 200 Hz Rotating Coherent Scattering (ROCS) microscopy in order to visualize the diffusion of 100 nm sized virus-mimicking particles (VLPs) and their interactions with macro*phages or epithelial cells. ROCS is a label-free imaging technique at 160 nm resolution, using coherent backscattering of a rotating laser. By tracking VLPs with ROCS and with fluorescence, we are able to analyze their fluctuations and thereby the dynamics of diffusing VLPs close to A549 lung epithelial cells. Using spatiotemporal and spectral analysis methods, we can investigate for the first time diffusion, binding and uptake events of single VLPs at the cell periphery.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; virus tracking; binding dynamics; ROCS microscopy