Investigating the health status of cell populations with light!
Life (Saitama University Research Seed Collection 2025-25 p.119)
Keywords: live imaging, membrane potential, neural network, zebrafish
Within the body, numerous cells are at work, and one of the indicators used to examine their function (health status) is the membrane potential. For example, in the brain, information is transmitted by the firing of nerve cells, during which very small changes in membrane potential, such as 80 millivolts, occur. By capturing these potential changes, we can investigate the state of various organs, such as the brain and heart. Until now, the mainstream method has been to insert thin electrodes into the body to record data, but we are developing "membrane potential imaging" as an effective tool for non-invasive recording in living organisms. In recent years, there has been progress in the development of sensor proteins (membrane potential sensors) that can capture the membrane potential of cells as changes in brightness or color. We are using this novel membrane potential sensor in the transparent and living tropical fish, zebrafish, to investigate cellular activity (whether they are healthy or not) through live imaging.
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Sachiko Tsuda, Associate Professor Graduate School of Science and Technology, Department of Life Sciences, Field of Biological Control 【Recent Research Themes】 ● Dynamics of cerebellar neural networks and their developmental mechanisms ● Mechanisms and formation of social memory and individual recognition ● Mechanisms of group formation in animal collective behavior
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【Appeal Points to the Industry】 ● Non-invasive membrane potential measurement from multiple living cells simultaneously is possible. ● Development of drug discovery and toxicity screening using zebrafish, which have low breeding costs and are easy to rear. 【Examples of Practical Use, Applications, and Utilization】 ● Established a long-term membrane potential imaging system at the cellular and individual levels for zebrafish neural function (Sci Rep, 2018, Dev Growth Differ, 2021) - patent pending.
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Zebrafish adult
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The Saitama University Open Innovation Center is a center that functions as a liaison office for industry-academia-government collaboration. It consists of three departments: the Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Department, the Intellectual Property Department, and the Startup Support Department, each staffed with coordinators well-versed in various fields. The center's activities include solving technical challenges in companies, supporting the implementation of joint research, and conducting technology transfer aimed at introducing and utilizing Saitama University's intellectual property.