Manipulating cell networks with light – new frontiers in optical microscopy

A new optical microscope system called stimulation and imaging-based functional optical microscopy (SIFOM) can stimulate multiple cells simultaneously via a holographic method and monitor cell activity after the stimulation using 3-D measurements based on fluorescence holography. This system has potential applications as a tool for the reconstruction of lost nerve pathways, constructing artificial neural networks, and food resources development. The concept of SIFOM and the feasibility check were published on November 1 in Optics Letters.