Fig. 13: Illustration of the single-cell analysis based on holography.

The physical shape and physicochemical properties of a single cell can be quantitatively reconstructed by holographic imaging, revealing single-cell resolution of subcellular structure behavior and transport. a The imaging of red blood cells by using bright-field microscopy³⁶⁰, phase³⁶¹, and 3D RI tomogram^277,362. b The U2OS growth over 2 days and the corresponding dry mass³⁶⁹. c Phase image of patched HEKGABA (left) and HEKnorm (right), application of GABA (3 mM, 30 s; bar) during a pulse of voltage³⁷⁰. d The 3D internal structure of the sperm cell. Light purple indicates the cell membrane (1.355 ≤ RI < 1.37), green indicates the midpiece (RI = 1.383), yellow indicates the acrosomal vesicle (1.37 ≤ RI < 1.425), red indicates the nucleus (1.425 ≤ RI < 1.465), and dark purple indicates RI ≥ 1.465 (centriole region)³⁷¹. e Segmentation of the LDs within the 3D RI tomograms of THP-1 live cells³⁷². f Quantitative analysis for LD formation in hepatocytes under oleic acid treatment³⁷³