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Mike Mitka

JAMA. 2007;298:1630.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

A novel approach to creating 3-dimensional images of living cells and tissues will help scientists better understand how cells work and interact with each other. The technique, invented by researchers affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in Cambridge, and Harvard Medical School, in Boston, also might help the process of drug development by allowing researchers to see how various compounds affect specific cell types and components (Choi W et al. Nat Methods. 2007;4[9]:717-719).

The group's research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Md, and Hamamatsu Corp, in Bridgewater, NJ.

GOING THROUGH A PHASE

Traditional high-resolution light microscopy has important limitations for scientists studying cellular activity because cells do not absorb sufficient light. And adding contrast agents or fixing cells in place creates an unnatural environment that may inadvertently affect normal cell or tissue function.

A new imaging technique can highlight changes in various organelles (such . . . [Full Text of this Article]