On September 11, 2019, Professor Jan Ellenberg from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), invited by Professor Dong Li, visited IBP and gave a BEI Shizhang lecture entitled “Imaging technologies that enable Quantitative analysis of cellular processes across scales”.
Professor Jan Ellenberg is senior researcher and head of the Cell Biology & Biophysics Unit. For over 20 years, he has been interested in cell division and nuclear organization, including systematic analysis of mitosis, structure and assembly of nuclear pore complexes, chromatin organization, and chromosome formation and separation in mitosis.
In this report, Professor Jan Ellenberg first introduced the important applications of different microscopic imaging techniques in organelles, cells and individuals across the scale. Using advanced optical imaging techniques and image data analysis methods can help biologists solve important organisms. Then, Professor Jan Ellenberg introduced the process of remodeling the nuclear pore complex in the late stage of cell division by FIB-SEM. In the late stage of mitosis and interphase, the nuclear pore complex has different dynamic assembly mechanisms; Professor Jan Ellenberg observed the nuclear pore complex and found that the nuclear pore complex skeletal protein Nups conformation is flexible by using Single-molecule localized super-resolution microscopy STORM; afterwards, Professor Jan Ellenberg introduced the protein network map during cell division and obtained a dynamic localization network of cell division related proteins, by using 4D imaging of mitotic cells and data reconstruction analysis. Finally, Prof. Jan Ellenberg introduced Lattice Light Sheet Microscopy (LLSM), which can reduce photo toxicity damage to embryos. Using this technique, Professor Jan Ellenberg's team studied embryonic cell division and found that the first cleavage in mammalian fertilized eggs was performed by a dual-spindle. The maternal and paternal genomes were pulled by two spindles. This discovery has changed the perception of mitosis and highlights the importance of advanced optical microscopy imaging for life science research.
Professor Jan Ellenberg's report is vivid, with wonderful content and clear ideas. After the lecture, the participating researchers and students enthusiastically asked questions. All of the audience enjoyed Jan’s lecture a lot, and the lecture ended with warm applause.

Prof. Jan Ellenberg was giving the lecture 

The Audience

Prof.  Jan Ellenberg and  Prof. Dong Li