Amyloid Fibrils play a role in a number of neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as Type 2 diabetes. They are tiny and the ones that seem to be associated with disease are so small that an optical microscope can’t resolve them. Expensive equipment has therefore been used in labs that have access to neutron and fluorescence scattering tech**logy, and the rest have had to focus on something else.***w researchers at the University of Chicago are Using Liquid crystals, the stuff inside most of today’s televisions and computer monitors, to image even the smallest Amyloid Fibrils without the huge cost.
The team first made a Liquid crystal film that doesn’t let light through. On top they placed a membrane resembling that of living cells, which they covered with water and molecules that form Amyloid fibrils. As these molecules group up and form aggregates, they push into the crystal creating a mold of their shape. This slight bending of the crystal film reverts the process that made the film opaque, letting light pass through where the Fibrils formed and revealing their structure. Because the Liquid crystal magnifies this effect, the resulting slides*are large e**ugh to be viewed under a microscope.
09-25-2015, 09:06 PM
New Imaging Technique Using Liquid Crystals Lets Scientists Study Amyloid Fibrils
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