Abstract

Single-Molecule Imaging of Extracellular Vesicles Below the Diffraction Limit

Dina Sirypangno, Sales Director, USA West Coast, ONI

Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) are membranous particles that enable cell-cell communication via their surface components and cargo which includes proteins, lipids, and genetic material such as DNA, mRNA and miRNA. Understanding the unique molecular signatures of sub-populations of EVs and their association with specific cargo can enhance our understanding of how EVs function in cell signalling pathways and give deeper insights into the phenotypic consequences they enact at their target sites. Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) through the Nanoimager platform offers a means of characterizing heterogeneous populations of EVs with single-molecule sensitivity, overcoming the resolution limits associated with conventional fluorescence microscopy techniques. Furthermore, ONI has developed a novel analysis software termed CODI, a platform which hosts a wide range of advanced image analysis tools that have been designed specifically to aid the characterization of EVs through clustering-based methods. Through this platform users can count and quantify thousands of EVs from a single super-resolution image, assess their morphology with 20 nm resolution and visualize multiple biomarkers with single-molecule sensitivity. This allows EV researchers to unveil previously invisible insights from their sample through this simple, reliable, and easy to use platform.