How to investigate proteins in their cellular environment at scale

Multiple techniques which are used to study molecular dynamics are centered around the principle of monitoring the movement of fluorescent molecules in and out of the imaging volume.

One very interesting technology in this category is Raster Image Correlation Spectroscopy (RICS). What makes RICS particularly useful for studying molecular dynamics is its ability to analyze large numbers of molecules simultaneously. This allows scientists to observe the behavior of complex systems, such as biological membranes or cellular compartments with multiple components. RICS is also a relatively fast and easy technique to implement for users with a ZEISS laser scanning confocal, making it accessible to researchers in a wide range of fields. Spectral RICS combines confocal imaging with information about the behavior of proteins in their cellular environment.

This integrated approach facilitates the identification of regions exhibiting diverse molecular characteristics. Uniquely, through spectral unmixing, Spectral RICS provides an optimal foundation for investigating protein-protein binding behavior.

ZEISS Spectral RICS has been developed in collaboration with Prof. Jelle Hendrix, Hasselt University, Belgium. In this webinar, he introduces the RICS method and the applications it enables.