Researchers at the University of Adelaide, Centre of Light, looked into the most effective ways to use ultrasensitive camera technology for life sciences, including the newest models that can count individual light energy packets at each pixel. The journal APL: Photonics published their study.
Image of a live mouse embryo with and without optimized capture. Image Credit: University of Adelaide
Academics from the University’s Centre of Light for Life explored how to best use ultrasensitive camera technology, including the latest generation of cameras capable of counting individual packets of light energy at each pixel, for life sciences.
Professor Kishan Dholakia, the center’s director, stated that sensitive detection of tiny packets of light energy, known as photons, is critical for capturing biological processes in their natural state. This allows researchers to illuminate live cells with modest doses of light.
Damage from illumination is a real concern which can often be overlooked. Using the lowest level of light possible, together with these very sensitive cameras, is important for understanding biology in live and developing cells. Modern imaging technology is very exciting with what it enables us to see.
Kishan Dholakia, Center Director and Professor, University of Adelaide
The technology was tested to image embryos as part of a pre-clinical trial by the research team, which also included Admir Bajraktarevic, Dr. Chris Perrella, Dr. Megan Lim, Dr. Ramses Bautista Gonzalez, Dr. Avinash Upadhya, Zane Peterkovic, and Associate Professor Kylie Dunning, who also leads the Reproductive Success Group with the Robinson Research Institute.
“These samples are living, developing specimens that serve as a foundation for studies supporting advancements in clinical IVF,” stated Professor Dholakia.
According to lead author and PhD candidate Mr. Peterkovic, digital camera technology has progressed to the point where basic physics ideas like quantum mechanics become significant and pertinent.
A lot of natural compounds in cells light up when illuminated, and this can tell us a lot about what we are looking at, but unfortunately, the signal is very weak. It is exciting to apply these quantum cameras and use it to get the most out of our microscopes. A large part of the project involved developing a method to fairly compare the image quality across different cameras.
Zane Peterkovic, Lead Author and PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide
A combination of expertise from the fields of optics, biology, laser physics, and microscopy made it possible to analyze the images.
Mr Peterkovic added, “We even explored how AI can be used to remove noise from the captured images, which is essentially static because the camera struggles to capture enough light. These steps go beyond just putting the camera in the microscope to take pictures.”
This study may be extended into quantum imaging in the future, where quantum states of light might be utilized to learn more about the sample.
The Australian Research Council provided funding for the project.
Journal Reference:
Peterkovic, Z., et al. (2025) Optimizing image capture for low-light widefield quantitative fluorescence microscopy. APL Photonics. doi.org/10.1063/5.0245239.