Lights! Dyes! Action!
In the Spotlight: Carl Boswell
Without the right tools and expertise, attempting to replicate a laboratory process by means of an interactive computer model can be a challenge.
This was the situation facing Dr. Carl Boswell, a staff scientist in Molecular and Cellular Biology and at the Arizona Cancer Center who manages microscopy core facilities at both locations. His research includes looking at hormone receptor movement within cells and changes in the synapse between nerves and muscle associated with genetic changes.
Background
Dr. Boswell works in the lab with fluorescent dyes to study structures and molecules within cells. When the dyes absorb enough light energy of the right wavelength (color), electrons in the dye are raised to a higher energy level, a process termed “excitation.” When the electrons drop back to their native state, both heat and light are released (“emission”). The emitted light is used to track molecules or structures of interest.
Researchers ask, “What is the best fluorescent dye to use for my application?” To answer, Dr. Boswell decided to transfer the lab process to an online model and created his own interactive Web site. That site, however, had limitations with relatively few dyes, filters and light sources. Dr. Boswell eventually decided to make the model more sophisticated and comprehensive.
The Goal
Dr Boswell wanted to build an interactive model replicating the light path of the microscope so that researchers could “play around” with combinations of the various dyes, lamps and filters to determine the efficacy of those combinations before trying it “for real” in the laboratory. This would not only save time but also allow researchers to use the created data to suggest optimizing strategies for their microscope. Through trial and error, a researcher could determine optimum conditions.
He Knew Where to Come for Help
Dr. Boswell was familiar with the LTC from previous visits and when it was time
to develop this interface, he knew it could be done.
Jimmy Reynaert and Amit Gupta, both former programmers in the Center, took on the project, which turned out to be a significant collaborative effort to translate such a highly technical concept into a functional and practical tool.
What was Created & How it Works
Eventually, using Flash movie technology, an online interface was created to replicate much of the normal microscope processes. The interface allows users to better understand how the dyes function under specific hardware configurations.
Data describing the spectra of dyes, filters and lamps are entered in an Access database, which then generates a set of XML files. When a dye is chosen, for instance, the data is read by Flash which then draws the spectrum on a graph. The user simply chooses the combinations they are interested in comparing.
The interface consists of two parts. The first screen allows the user to
combine variations of components (dyes, mirrors, lamps, lasers, filters)
and immediately see the relationships that would be obtained in a real life
situation.
The second part is the calculation screen. When a user has determined some combination of variables that seem worth examining further, he/she can move to the calculation page where several indices of fluorescence performance are determined and specific values are presented as an objective, numerical comparison. The results can then be exported to a text file and printed.
The Future
The database currently includes about 250 different dyes with hopes for more than 350, making it the largest, most comprehensive database of its type ever assembled. This online tool “enlarges the scope of the database and the scope of the user,” according to Dr. Boswell.
The LTC contribution? “I wouldn’t have had a prayer of doing this without their help,” Dr. Boswell said.
It’s always nice to hear the phrase, “I couldn’t have done it without you” and we’re lucky enough here at the Center to hear that often. If you have a technological challenge and think we can help, please contact us for a consultation.
Fluorescent Spectra: An Interactive Exploratory Database http://www.mcb.arizona.edu/IPC/fret_ltc/default.htm
