Real-time visualising and modelling of fundamental process in living organoids

OrganVision is a revolutionary technology proposition that will break new grounds in microscopy and develop an ideal imaging solution for organoid research. It will enable life scientists to visualize life unfolding in real-time inside the cells and tissue in an organ-mimicking living tissue environment (called organoid here). It will alter the paradigm in microscopy by converting the central obstacle of light scattering by thick samples into the central opportunity that enables 3D label-free imaging on organoids in real-time with sub-cellular (~200 nm) and inter-cellular resolution (~1 µm) at speeds of >1 volume per second (cube of 100 µm). 

For achieving this unprecedented feat, OrganVision will develop a new multi-physics solver that solves transport of intensity (ToI) and full wave electromagnetic (FWEM) models in a coupled manner. ToI provides 3D image with inter-cellular resolution and generates intensity distribution inside the sample. FWEM uses this intensity distribution to decode the near-field light interaction between the sub-cellular entities for generating 3D sub-cellular image. A novel microscope instrument delivers custom designed 3D illumination patterns at the speed of 200 patterns per second in order to solve the problem of ill-posedness encountered by these solvers. In order to exploit the opportunity thus created, OrganVision will develop an a computational model that models the dynamics and interactions of functional entities recorded by OrganVision imaging solution in order to identify the underlying mechanisms. 

The proof-of-concept will be shown on engineered heart tissue for real-time imaging of cell and tissue activity towards studying injury, repair and regeneration in heart muscle. OrganVision will transform microscopy from a visualization device to a knowledge discovery tool that will change the course of organoid research forever. We believe that OrganVision will lead to better understanding and faster therapy for several diseases.