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Biophotonic techniques for the study of malaria-infected red blood cells

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Abstract

Investigation of the homeostasis of red blood cells upon infection by Plasmodium falciparum poses complex experimental challenges. Changes in red cell shape, volume, protein, and ion balance are difficult to quantify. In this article, we review a wide range of optical techniques for quantitative measurements of critical homeostatic parameters in malaria-infected red blood cells. Fluorescence lifetime imaging and tomographic phase microscopy, quantitative deconvolution microscopy, and X-ray microanalysis, are used to measure haemoglobin concentration, cell volume, and ion contents. Atomic force microscopy is briefly reviewed in the context of these optical methodologies. We also describe how optical tweezers and optical stretchers can be usefully applied to empower basic malaria research to yield diagnostic information on cell compliance changes upon malaria infection. The combined application of these techniques sheds new light on the detailed mechanisms of malaria infection providing potential for new diagnostic or therapeutic approaches.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by funds from the EPSRC (EP/E059384), BBSRC (BB/E008542/1) and by a grant from the Isaac Newton Trust to TT. YZ is supported by the Korea Foundation for International Cooperation of Science & Technology (KICOS) through a grant provided by the Korean Ministry of Education Science & Technology (MEST) in 2009 (No. 2009-00591). AE is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council UK (EP/F044011/1).

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Author notes

  1. Alessandro Esposito

    Present address: MRC Cancer Cell Unit, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB20XZ, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3RA, UK

    Jakob M. A. Mauritz, Alessandro Esposito & Clemens F. Kaminski

  2. Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Jakob M. A. Mauritz, Alessandro Esposito, Teresa Tiffert, Jeremy N. Skepper & Virgilio L. Lew

  3. Centre For Ultrastructural Imaging, King’s College London, London, UK

    Alice Warley

  4. Sector of Biological and Soft Systems, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Young-Zoon Yoon, Pietro Cicuta & Jochen R. Guck

  5. Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Korea

    Young-Zoon Yoon

  6. Nanoscience Center, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Pietro Cicuta

  7. School for Advanced Optical Technologies, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany

    Clemens F. Kaminski

Authors
  1. Jakob M. A. Mauritz
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  2. Alessandro Esposito
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  9. Jochen R. Guck
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  10. Clemens F. Kaminski
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Correspondence to Clemens F. Kaminski.

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Mauritz, J.M.A., Esposito, A., Tiffert, T. et al. Biophotonic techniques for the study of malaria-infected red blood cells. Med Biol Eng Comput 48, 1055–1063 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-010-0668-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-010-0668-0

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