The Confocal Microscopy and Image Analysis Laboratory at CNRC

Every organ in our body is made up of diverse populations of cells. Scientists who want to learn more about how cell interaction relates to organ function can use confocal microscopy to study these different populations. “Confocal microscopy” is an imaging technique which can reconstruct three-dimensional images at the cellular level. At the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center’s Confocal Microscopy and Image Analysis Laboratory, scientists view and analyze both fluorescence and bright-field images from preserved samples of tissue or cells, or from living cells maintained in a culture dish. Computer analysis of the images provide data that describes in numerical terms how the different cell populations within an organ change in response to dietary and/or other environmental conditions.

The core laboratory facility has been in existence for only 2 years, yet the potential impact on the future of child nutrition is great. CNRC’s scientists have already used the laboratory to measure specific cell types within the lactating mammary gland and within the small intestine and within muscle.

Mammary gland: Measuring changes in specialized cells (myoepithelial cells) that are required for milk ejection or letdown.

Small intestine: Studying how diet affects the survival of cells known as enterocytes.

Muscle: Studying the impact of limited protein intake on satellite cells, a type of cell found in muscles which governs muscle growth.

According to Dr. Darryl Hadsell, director of the laboratory and associate professor at the Baylor College of Medicine, “All of these studies are aimed at improving children’s nutrition by providing scientists with a better understanding of how the nutrients in the food we consume influence our body organs. A better understanding of cellular biology can open new horizons in the role of nutrition and organ function.”