Live-cell imaging of bio-metal species.

Abstract

Bioinorganic species play essential roles in living organisms. Figure 1 shows the elements found in living things so far, and most of them are known as essential elements for human beings [1]. In particular, the concentrations of the inorganic species must be controlled within each appropriate range because the dysfunctions of the homeostasis of inorganic species often cause diseases. Revealing the relationship between the dysfunction of inorganic species' homeostasis and diseases must lead to the development of new drugs for the treatment of the diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Live-cell imaging is a powerful method to investigate the alteration of inorganic species in living cells and has contributed to elucidating the roles and functions of inorganic species in living systems. We organized the symposium, “Live-cell Imaging of Bio-metal Species,” at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society of Japan to introduce recent advances in imaging technologies for metal ions and inorganic species. This symposium is co-supported by Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, “Integrated Bio-metal Science” [2]. One of the ultimate goals of this area is to decipher the behaviors of bioinorganic species from whole organisms to molecular levels. In this context, cutting-edge methods to visualize bioinorganic species are required. In this symposium, we invited six upcoming researchers working on imaging of inorganic species to present their recent achievements.