Visualising how molecules interact within their three-dimensional environment is essential in cell and tissue screening procedures used in therapies for cancer treatment. However, most current imaging technologies of this type lack spatial resolution and quantitative molecular profiling capabilities. Moreover, there is no single quantitative tissue imaging instrument today that can perform analysis on several complementary scales, from tissue to molecule, with high levels of speed, throughput and accuracy.
To overcome these limitations, the European nanoSCAN project was set up, coordinated by the French CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), of which Politecnico di Milano is a member via its Department of Physics. The five project partners are developing the innovative SAFe-nSCAN imaging platform, which will combine multi-scale optical microscopy solutions: from structured illumination microscopy for rapid inspection and classification of cells and tissues to single-molecule localisation microscopy techniques for more accurate 3D nanoscopic investigations of pre-selected regions.
The goal is to develop the first platform capable of providing imaging at all scales, from tissue to sub-molecule, via a single machine.
The nanoSCAN project is funded by the EU (European Innovation Council) with EUR 2.49 million.
