zenCELL owl incubator microscope in the study of Buruli ulcer pathogenesis

9 March 2022

Fast and automated live cell microscopy

The zenCELL owl live cell imager has been used in a recent study of Buruli ulcer (BU) pathogenesis by the Department of Microbial Sciences at the University of Surrey. BU is a tropical disease caused by a subcutaneous infection with Mycobacterium ulcerans and its exotoxin mycolactone, leading to necrotic skin ulcers and soft tissue destruction, which in the most extreme instances can lead to amputation.

The study looked at the effect of mycolactone on the endothelium, the membrane which lines the inside of the heart and blood vessels. A total of 908 individual vessels within contiguous tissue sections from eight BU patient biopsies were tracked and analysed, with their vascular and coagulation biomarker phenotype evaluated.

Consistent, stable imaging

For real-time imaging during the study, endothelial cells were plated onto 24-well plates overnight, treated, and imaged every 30 minutes by the zenCELL owl for 24 hours. The owl’s design allows flexible configurations to guarantee safe and suitable analyses of biological samples, and its stability makes it the ideal incubator microscope, even above room temperature and in humidity.

Reliable digital observations

Time-lapse videos of the endothelial cells were generated by the zenCELL owl software. Integrated image processing algorithms allowed continuous cell culture monitoring, providing fast and accurate information about the samples being observed during the study, including cell count and confluency.

Find out more

You can read the full published research article with its findings in PLoS Pathogens by clicking here.

You can learn more about the zenCELL owl by requesting a free trial or in-person guided session with a product specialist by clicking the button below.

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