An optical imaging system for in vivo bioluminescent and fluorescent imaging in small laboratory animals.

Molecular imaging allows to visualize, characterize and quantify biological processes in living organisms. This facilitates early follow-up of disease processes and therapeutic interventions in individual animals. It also reduces variability, the number of animals and hence the costs. This application concerns an optical imaging system for small laboratory animals based on bioluminescence imaging (BLI) (light produced by the luciferase enzyme, for example derived from the firefly) and fluorescent imaging (FLI) (based on fluorescent molecules). Both imaging modalities are complementary with specific advantages concerning quantifications, tissue penetration, 3D information, etc. Our applications fits within the imaging platform MoSAIC (Molecular Small Animal Imaging Center) of the KULeuven, which is unique in Flanders because it combines all major imaging facilities for small laboratory animals in a setting with all necessary expertise and infrastructural support. The current BLI system (purchased in 2004 as the first in Belgium) urgently needs to be replaced in order to be able to keep our pole position in imaging research.

Keywords:Luciferase, Facilitates

Disciplines:Neurosciences, Biological and physiological psychology, Cognitive science and intelligent systems, Developmental psychology and ageing