Abstract: Series 105, Lecture 2
The Harvey Lectures Series 105 (2009—2010)
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Lecture #2: Thursday, November 12, 2009 — Time and Location
Imaging the Processes that Build Embryos and Organs
Scott E Fraser, PhD
Anna L Rosen Professor of Biology
Professor of Engineering and Applied Science
Director, Biological Imaging Center
Director, Rosen Center for Biological Engineering
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California
The genomic revolution in biomedical research has yielded unprecedented knowledge of the components involved biological processes, and poses the challenge of integrating this knowledge into a complete understanding. For example, recent results offer dramatic insights into the genes and gene products that might guide embryonic development, but we must determine how these varied processes are integrated to generate a functional organism. Modern imaging technologies provide powerful solutions to such challenges, but must resolve several competing demands, including: the high resolution needed to track single cells, the high sensitivity needed to follow a handful of molecules, the high speed needed to capture the events as they happen, and the depth of penetration required to image cells in their normal positions in vivo. The emerging solutions to these challenges are providing both unexpected scientific insights and power new tools for clinical applications.