Drug Discovery & Development and Bioscience Technology magazines asked drug and life science researchers about current practices, trends, and research challenges in cell biology. Their answers and candid comments will be published here and in Drug Discovery & Development magazine.
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View a profile of survey respondents
Why do you study cells?
Technologies and Approaches Used to Study Cells
In this study, 74.7% of the respondents identified microscopy as a tool used to study cells. What types of microscopes and labeling do they use?
Fluorescence microscopes were the most popular choice (84%), followed by confocal (57%).
“Other” types included:
Bright field
Deconvolution
Digital imaging
Image analysis
Inverted
Laser micro-dissection
Light
MRI
Optical
Phase contrast
Photon
How do you label cells for microscopic study?
Antibodies
Bioluminescence
Chemiluminescence
Conjugated antibodies
DNA intercalating stains
DNA/RNA probes
Dye exclusion
Dyes
Enzyme-linked markers
Fluorescence in situ hybridization
Fluorescein isothiocyanate
Fluorescence
Fluorescent antibodies
Fluorescent conjugates
Fluorescent dyes
Fluorescent probes
Fluorescent protein expression
Gold conjugated antibodies
in situ hybridization.
Luciferase
Metabolically-reactive dyes
Mitochondrial markers
Phalloidin
Quantum dots
Trypan Blue
What software is used for imaging in conjunction with cell biology?
Participants listed nearly 100 software programs, ranging from consumer-oriented programs like Adobe Photoshop and Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo—to vendor-provided software tools—to high-end image analysis tools. Participants also listed bioinformatics and statistical analysis programs, showing the need to manage data generated from image analysis.
This article was published in Drug Discovery & Development magazine: Vol. 10, No. 9, September, 2008, pp. 39.
