Name: a protocol for real-time 3d single particle tracking
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This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number R35GM124868 and by Duke University.

1. Setup Layout and Alignment
<ol>
	<li>Installation and collimation of the tracking excitation laser
	<ol>
		<li>Affix the laser to the optical table using a home-built mount. The mount is a simple aluminum plate with mounting holes for the laser head and the optical table. The laser should be firmly attached to a metal mount for stability and heat dissipation. For this work, use a 488 nm solid state laser for illumination (Figure 1), though the wavelength can be selected to suit a partic...

<ol>
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Although many varieties of 3D single particle tracking methods have emerged in recent years, robust real-time tracking of high speed 3D diffusion at low photon count rates with a simple setup is still a challenge, which limits its application to important biological problems. The 3D-DyPLoT method described in this protocol addresses these challenges in a several ways. First, the excitation and detection pathways are simplified greatly compared to other implementations making alignment simple and robust. Secondly, the mov...

The emergence of advanced imaging techniques has opened a window to see ever more detailed structure of cellular phenomena, all the way down to the molecular level. Methods such as stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM)1,2,3, photo-activated localization microscopy (PALM)4,5,6,7, structured illumination microscopy (SIM)8,9,10,11, and stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED)12,13,14 have gone far beyond the diffraction limit to deliver unprecedented detail into the structure and function of live cells. However, full understanding of how these systems behave requires dynamic information as well as structural information. The super-resolution methods listed above involve a trade-off between spatial resolution and temporal resolution, limiting the temporal precision with which dynamic processes can be probed. A method which provides both high spatial precision and temporal resolution is RT-3D-SPT15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29. Here, we draw a distinction between traditional 3D-SPT30 and RT-3D-SPT. Traditional 3D-SPT simply requires a time series of three-dimensional image data (which can be acquired either using a confocal microscope or an epifluorescence microscope given the right configuration). In traditional 3D-SPT, the coordinates of the particle are determined after data collection by locating the particle in each image stack and concatenating the locations in successive volumes to create a trajectory. For these methods, the ultimate temporal resolution is determined by the volumetric imaging rate. For confocal microscopes, this is easily on the scale of seconds to tens of seconds. For epifluorescence methods, wherein the optical path is manipulated so that the axial location information can be extracted, the temporal resolution is limited by the camera exposure or readout time. These epifluorescent methods are limited in the range over which axial information can be collected, though recent progress in Fourier plane phase masks design and adaptive optics is extending these ranges to 10 &#181;m or more31,32,33,34.
In contrast, RT-3D-SPT does not rely on acquiring a 3D image stack and finding particles after the fact. Instead, real-time location information is extracted via single point detectors and feedback is applied to effectively &#34;lock&#34; the particle in the focal volume of the objective lens through the use of a highspeed piezoelectric stage. This allows continuous measurement of the particle&#39;s position limited only by how many photons can be collected. Moreover, this method enables spectral interrogation of the particle as it moves over long ranges. RT-3D-SPT in effect works akin to a force-free optical trap for nanoscale objects, wherein the particle is continuously probed and measured in real-time without the need for large laser powers or optical forces. Given that RT-3D-SPT provides a means for continuous interrogation of fast diffusive objects (up to 20 &#181;m2/s)25,29 in three dimensions at low photon count rates20,29,35, it should provide a window into fast or transient biological processes such as intracellular cargo transport, ligand-receptor binding, and the extracellular dynamics of single virions. However, to this point, the application of RT-3D-SPT has been limited to the handful of groups working to advance this technology.
One barrier is the complexity of the optical layout required by RT-3D-SPT methods, which are varied. For most methods, the optical feedback is provided by a piezoelectric stage. As the particle makes small movements in X, Y, or Z, readouts from single point detectors are converted to error functions and fed at high-speed to a piezoelectric nanopositioner, which in turn moves the sample to counteract the particle&#39;s motion, effectively locking it in place relative to the objective lens. To measure small positional movements in X, Y, and Z, either multiple detectors (4 or 5 depending on the implementation)15,18,21 or multiple excitation spots (2 - 4, the lower of which can be applied if a lock-in amplifier is used to extract X and Y position using a rotating laser spot)25,28 are applied. The overlap of these multiple detection and emission spots make the systems difficult to align and maintain.
Herein, we present a high-speed target-locked 3D-SPT method with a simplified optical design called 3D-DyPLoT29. 3D-DyPLoT uses a 2D-EOD and a TAG lens36,37,38 to dynamically move a focused laser spot through the objective focal volume at a high rate (50 kHz XY, 70 kHz Z). Combining the laser focus position and the photon arrival time enables the particle&#39;s 3D position to be rapidly obtained even at low photon count rates. The 2D-EOD drives the laser focus in a knight&#39;s tour pattern39 with a square size of 1 x 1 &#181;m in the X-Y plane and the TAG lens moves the laser focus in axial direction with a range of 2 - 4 &#181;m. The 3D particle position is obtained with an optimized position estimation algorithm29,40 in 3D. The control of the 3D dynamically moving laser spot, photon counting from the avalanche photodiode (APD), real-time particle position calculation, piezoelectric stage feedback, and data recording are performed on a field programmable gate array (FPGA). In this protocol, we describe how to build a 3D-DyPLoT microscope step-by-step, including optical alignment, calibration with fixed particles, and finally free particle tracking. As a demonstration, 110 nm fluorescent beads were tracked continuously in water for minutes at a time.
The method described herein is an ideal choice for any application where it is desired to continuously monitor a fast-moving fluorescent probe at low light levels, including viruses, nanoparticles, and vesicles such as endosomes. In contrast to previous methods, there is only a single excitation and single detection pathway, making alignment and maintenance straightforward. Furthermore, the large detection area enables this microscope to easily pick up quickly diffusing particles, while the ability to track at low signal levels (down to 10 kHz) makes this method ideal for low-light applications29.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="1075">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">2D Electro-optic Deflector&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ConOptics</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">M310A</td>
			<td style="width:541px;">2 required</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Power supply for EOD</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ConOptics</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">412</td>
			<td>Converts FPGA ouput to high voltage for EOD</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">TAG&#160; Lens</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">TAG Optics</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">TAG 2.0</td>
			<td>Used to deflect laser along axial direction</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">XY piezoelectric nanopositioner</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">MadCity Labs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">Nano-PDQ275HS</td>
			<td>Used for moving the sample to lock the particle in the objective focal volume in&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Z piezoelectric nanoposiitoner</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">MadCity Labs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">Nano-OP65HS</td>
			<td>Used to move the objective lens to follow the diffusing particle</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Micropositioner</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">MadCity Labs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">MicroDrive</td>
			<td>Used to coarsely position sample and evaluate</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Objective Lens</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Zeiss</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">PlanApo</td>
			<td>High numerical aperture required for best sensitivity. 100X, 1.49 NA, M27, Zeiss</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">sCMOS camera</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">PCO</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">pco.edge 4.2</td>
			<td>Used to monitor the particle&#39;s position</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">APD</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Excelitas</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">SPCM-ARQH-15</td>
			<td>Lower dark counts beneficial</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Field programmable gate array</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">National Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">NI-7852r</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Software</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">National Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">LabVIEW</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Tracking excitation laser</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">JDSU</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">FCD488-30</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Lens</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">AC254-150-A-ML</td>
			<td>L1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Lens</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">AC254-200-A-ML</td>
			<td>L2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Pinhole</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">P75S</td>
			<td>PH</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Glan-Thompson Polarizer</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">GTH5-A</td>
			<td>GT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Half-wave plate</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">WPH05M-488</td>
			<td>WP</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Lens</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">AC254-75-A-ML</td>
			<td>L3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Lens</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">AC254-250-A-ML</td>
			<td>L4</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Lens</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">AC254-200-A-ML</td>
			<td>L5</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Lens</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThorLabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">AC254-200-A-ML</td>
			<td>L6</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Dichroic Mirror</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Chroma</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">ZT405/488/561/640rpc</td>
			<td>DC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Fluorescence Emission Filter</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Chroma</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">D535/40m</td>
			<td>F</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">10/90 beamsplitter</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Chroma</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">21012</td>
			<td>BS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">PBS</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>D8537</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">190 nm fluorescent nanoparticles</td>
			<td>Bangs laboratories</td>
			<td>FC02F/9942</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">110 nm fluorescent nanoparticles</td>
			<td>Bangs laboratories</td>
			<td>FC02F/10617</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Coverslip</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>12-545A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Powermeter</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Thorlabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">PM100D</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">CMOS</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Thorlabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">DCC1545M</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:229px;">Iris</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Thorlabs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">SM1D12D</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Microscope</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Mad City Labs</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">RM21</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

a protocol for real-time 3d single particle tracking

Real-time three-dimensional single particle tracking (RT-3D-SPT) has the potential to shed light on fast, 3D processes in cellular systems. Although various RT-3D-SPT methods have been put forward in recent years, tracking high speed 3D diffusing particles at low photon count rates remains a challenge. Moreover, RT-3D-SPT setups are generally complex and difficult to implement, limiting their widespread application to biological problems. This protocol presents a RT-3D-SPT system named 3D Dynamic Photon Localization Tracking (3D-DyPLoT), which can track particles with high diffusive speed (up to 20 &#181;m2/s) at low photon count rates (down to 10 kHz). 3D-DyPLoT employs a 2D electro-optic deflector (2D-EOD) and a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens to drive a single focused laser spot dynamically in 3D. Combined with an optimized position estimation algorithm, 3D-DyPLoT can lock onto single particles with high tracking speed and high localization precision. Owing to the single excitation and single detection path layout, 3D-DyPLoT is robust and easy to set up. This protocol discusses how to build 3D-DyPLoT step by step. First, the optical layout is described. Next, the system is calibrated and optimized by raster scanning a 190 nm fluorescent bead with the piezoelectric nanopositioner. Finally, to demonstrate real-time 3D tracking ability, 110 nm fluorescent beads are tracked in water.

Fixed particle scanning (Figure 4) and freely diffusing 110 nm fluorescent particle tracking (Figure 5) were performed following the protocol above. The particle scanning was performed by moving the piezoelectric nanopositioner and bin photons while simultaneously calculating the particle&#39;s estimated position at each point in the scan. The scanning image shows a square of even intensity (Figure 4a</strong...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Protocol for Real-time 3D Single Particle Tracking at JoVE.com

A Protocol for Real-time 3D Single Particle Tracking

This protocol details the construction and operation of a real-time 3D single particle tracking microscope capable of tracking nanoscale fluorescent probes at high diffusive speeds and low photon count rates.

Real-time three-dimensional single particle tracking (RT-3D-SPT) has the potential to shed light on fast, 3D processes in cellular systems. Although ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

A Simple Hanging Drop Cell Culture Protocol for Generation of 3D Spheroids

Studies of cell-cell cohesion and cell-substratum adhesion have historically been performed on monolayer cultures adherent to rigid substrates. Cells ...

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3D Orbital Tracking in a Modified Two-photon Microscope: An Application to the Tracking of Intracellular Vesicles

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Ordering Single Cells and Single Embryos in 3D Confinement: A New Device for High Content Screening

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In Situ Mapping of the Mechanical Properties of Biofilms by Particle-tracking Microrheology

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Real Time Monitoring of Intracellular Bile Acid Dynamics Using a Genetically Encoded FRET-based Bile Acid Sensor

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Bioprinting of Cartilage and Skin Tissue Analogs Utilizing a Novel Passive Mixing Unit Technique for Bioink Precellularization

Bioprinting is a powerful technique for the rapid and reproducible fabrication of constructs for tissue engineering applications. In this study, both ...

In Situ Microscopy for Real-time Determination of Single-cell Morphology in Bioprocesses

In Situ Microscopy for Real-time Determination of Single-cell Morphology in Bioprocesses

In situ monitoring in microbial bioprocesses is mostly restricted to chemical and physical properties of the medium (e.g.,pH value and the dissolved ...

Manufacturing of a Nafion-coated, Reduced Graphene Oxide/Polyaniline Chemiresistive Sensor to Monitor pH in Real-time During Microbial Fermentation

Here, we report the engineering of a solid-state micro pH sensor based on polyaniline-functionalized, electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO-PA). ...

Uptake of New Lipid-coated Nanoparticles Containing Falcarindiol by Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Nanoparticles are the focus of an increased interest in drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. Lipid-coated nanoparticles are inspired in structure and ...