Abstract

We introduce a random access parallel (RAP) imaging modality that uses a novel design inspired by a Newtonian telescope to image multiple spatially separated samples without moving parts or robotics. This scheme enables near simultaneous image capture of multiple petri dishes and random-access imaging with sub-millisecond switching times at the full resolution of the camera. This enables the RAP system to capture long duration records from different samples in parallel, which is not possible using conventional automated microscopes. The system is demonstrated by continuously imaging multiple cardiac monolayer and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) preparations.

Data availability

All data generated during this study are included in the manuscript and supporting files

Article and author information

Author details

  1. Mishal Ashraf

    Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  2. Mohanan Sharika

    Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  3. Byu Ri Sim

    Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  4. Anthony Tam

    Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  5. Kiamehr Rahemipour

    Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  6. Denis Brousseau

    Department of Physics, Physical Engineering and Optics, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  7. Simon Thibault

    Department of Physics, Physical Engineering and Optics, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  8. Alexander D. Corbett

    Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
    For correspondence
    A.Corbett@exeter.ac.uk
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0003-1645-5475
  9. Gil Bub

    Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
    For correspondence
    gilbub@gmail.com
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-5304-0036

Funding

National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-2018-05346)

  • Gil Bub

National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-2016-05962)

  • Simon Thibault

Funders support enabled acquisition of equipment used in this study and also funded summer student stipends for undergraduate authors.

Copyright

© 2021, Ashraf et al.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

Metrics

  • 4,690
    views
  • 468
    downloads
  • 16
    citations

Views, downloads and citations are aggregated across all versions of this paper published by eLife.

Download links

A two-part list of links to download the article, or parts of the article, in various formats.

Downloads (link to download the article as PDF)

Open citations (links to open the citations from this article in various online reference manager services)

Cite this article (links to download the citations from this article in formats compatible with various reference manager tools)

  1. Mishal Ashraf
  2. Mohanan Sharika
  3. Byu Ri Sim
  4. Anthony Tam
  5. Kiamehr Rahemipour
  6. Denis Brousseau
  7. Simon Thibault
  8. Alexander D. Corbett
  9. Gil Bub
(2021)
Random access parallel microscopy
eLife 10:e56426.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.56426

Share this article

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.56426