Complementing our cell biology studies, we also apply our biophotonics technology to studies of disease mechanisms and underlying biology in ex vivo tissue samples. For fluorescence based studies, we work with genetically expressed fluorescent protein-labelled samples, as with the studies of muscle fibres, and also exploit label-free signals such as autofluorescence from tissue matrix components like collagen and elastin. The latter can report on degradation of structural tissues and these signals complement information about metabolic changes that may be obtained from intracellular fluorophores such as NAD(P)H and flavoproteins.
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