Systems Microscopy

portrait of Professor Staffan Strömblad

Prof. Staffan Strömblad

Scientific Coordinator of Systems Microscopy, based at the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

Research field

Systems Biology

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Research Profile

Who?

“It is rewarding that the results of our research help cancer patients. More than 90% of cancer deaths are the result of cancer cells spreading through the body (metastasis), so it is important to study the movement of cells”, says Prof. Strömblad, Professor of Clinical Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

Why?

The methods currently used in health research present snapshots of the circumstances at the time of sampling. Biological processes, however, occur over time. With systems microscopy, we are now able to capture the full progression of such processes. This will contribute to a thorough understanding of human diseases.

What?

“We have developed a method called 'systems microscopy'. This makes it possible to record the behaviour of living cells. We can create mathematical models of biological processes in time and space. For instance, we can study how a cancer cell frees itself from the primary tumour and moves away to form metastases.”

How?

"In a novel research field like ours, there is not sufficient expertise in one single country. We need international experts from many different disciplines to collaborate. The Systems Microscopy project allows us to establish an excellent methodology that will be available to the research community", says Prof. Strömblad.

Follow living cells in time and space

In the Picture
In the Picture
Systems Microscopy project website Staffan Strömblad’s Professor page Cell migration gateway Euro bioimaging PDF versionPDF version
Image credits

Background image: Systems Microscopy

Portrait of the project coordinator: Systems Microscopy

Timeline (in chronological order): Systems Microscopy