A 3D image of an islet – a functional unit in the pancreas that releases insulin. The camera under development by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt will enable scientists to view protein molecules in cells such as this.

Camera will be so powerful, it will capture a single photon of light

A device the size of a fingernail that will allow scientists to see in unprecedented detail molecular movement in living cells, is being developed by the University of Edinburgh.

The powerful camera, mounted within a microscope, will  give scientists a fresh understanding of how healthy – and diseased – cells behave.

Conventional cameras capture thousands of photons of light in each pixel. But engineers are working on developing a camera so sensitive, that it will be able to capture a single photon of light –  the smallest unit in which light can exist.

Thousands of light detectors, fast and sensitive enough to capture the short lived photons, will be housed on a microchip, enabling the detailed study of many molecules in a single frame.

Cells can be studied by marking them with fluorescent dye, and capturing microscopic emissions of the light as small changes occur in the cells – typically at a rate of billions of photons per second.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University are working together on the five-year, €2.3 m project.

“This camera will take digital imaging technology to the next level," said Dr Robert Henderson, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering, who is leading the project.

“It will allow us to look at what goes on in living cells, which until now has eluded scientists. This device could be the key to understanding on a molecular level exactly how our cells function, and what happens when this goes wrong.”

Once developed, Dr Colin Rickman at Heriot-Watt University will use the camera to study insulin secretion and how this can change in diabetes. This will test the camera and its capabilities to provide feedback for the next phase of camera development.

“For the first time, this unique camera will allow us to examine in real time, protein interactions in live cells," Dr Rickman said. 

"Initially, we’ll use the camera to study the release of insulin in diabetes, however ultimately it will be used in diverse areas of biomedical research to help scientists gain a deeper understanding of how diseased cells behave in patients living with other long term conditions such as cancer.”

The project is supported by the European Research Council.

Image by Heriot-Watt University.