Fluorescence microscopy can reveal where molecules are, how cells are organised, and how they change over time. We combine carefully designed imaging experiments with quantitative analysis to turn those images into robust measurements of cell structure, molecular movement, and calcium signalling.
What we can measure
- Cellular structure and organisation. Quantify the size, position, and three-dimensional arrangement of organelles, membranes, and protein clusters in live or fixed cells.
- Molecular movement and concentration. Use fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and raster image correlation spectroscopy (RICS) to measure how quickly labelled molecules move, how much is present, and whether movement differs by direction or location.
- Fast cellular signals. Capture calcium transients and local calcium sparks to investigate the signals that control cell contraction and communication.
- Dynamic cell behaviour. Measure changes in sarcomere length, organelle organisation, or fluorescence intensity while cells contract or respond to treatment.
Imaging and analysis approaches
- Confocal, TIRF, and epifluorescence microscopy
- Super-resolution imaging, including dSTORM and DNA-PAINT
- Three-dimensional image analysis and deconvolution to improve the usable detail in fluorescence images
- Statistical analysis that quantifies uncertainty, helping distinguish a real biological difference from measurement noise
- Open-source, reproducible analysis pipelines tailored to the experimental question
How we work
We start with the biological decision you need to make, then match the imaging setup and analysis to it. Our experience spans sample preparation, acquisition planning, image-quality assessment, and quantitative interpretation. We can work with live-cell time series or fixed-cell images, and provide traceable data, analysis, and a clear explanation of what the measurements mean.
Questions this can answer
- Does a treatment change the organisation of a protein, organelle, or membrane network?
- Do molecules move freely through a cell, or does the cell's internal structure restrict their movement?
- Are calcium signals altered in frequency, size, timing, or spatial spread?
- Can an early change in cell structure or signalling provide a measurable disease or treatment-response marker?
Experience
Our work has shown how quantitative imaging can uncover details that visual inspection alone misses. We developed open-source methods for analysing calcium sparks, three-dimensional mitochondrial organisation, image deconvolution, and molecular diffusion. More recently, we introduced Bayesian analysis of fluorescence intensity traces (FITSA) to obtain reliable diffusion measurements with shorter, gentler live-cell acquisitions, and a unified FCS/RICS platform that maps molecular transport with realistic optical modelling and uncertainty estimates.
Selected publications: Laasmaa et al. (2023), Laasmaa et al. (2019), Laasmaa, Vendelin & Peterson (2011), Vendelin & Birkedal (2008), Birkedal, Shiels & Vendelin (2006), Karimi et al. (2025), and Karimi et al. (2026).