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In research into cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, it is believed that the clarification of abnormalities in mitochondria and other organelles, tiny structures within nerve synapses,² and relationships between disease and the localization and shape of molecules that exist in extremely tiny compartments within cells, could lead to the effective development of new therapeutic drugs and diagnostic methods.

However, to date the diffraction limits of light have made it difficult for fluorescence microscopes to observe structures and proteins smaller than 200nm. Super-resolution fluorescence microscopes can go beyond the diffraction limits of fluorescence microscopes to observe proteins and organelles tens of nanometers across, which are difficult to see using conventional fluorescence microscopes. Such microscopes are expected to contribute to a variety of research fields including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and regenerative medicine. Even so, current super-resolution fluorescence microscopes have failed to proliferate for a variety of reasons, such as their need for dedicated darkrooms and people with specialized skills to perform optical axis adjustments and other complex operations.

The Single Molecule Fluorescence Microscope HM-1000 uses proprietary super-resolution imaging technology, combining molecule detection technology using fluorescent dye with image analysis technology to achieve a high level of spatial resolution (less than 40nm). This super-resolution fluorescence microscope provides an internal darkroom space and is desktop-sized, combining the laser unit and monitor. As the microscope requires no specialized darkroom environment, specimens can be simply set into the microscope to obtain super-resolution images. These features make it possible to introduce such microscopes to a broad range of research facilities that previously found it difficult to use them. Initially, Sysmex plans to target its sales efforts for the HM-1000 at universities, pharmaceutical companies, national R&D centers and other research facilities in Japan. Going forward, we will gradually expand the target market.

In the future, as part of efforts to support the practical realization of new biomarkers that customers are calling for, Sysmex will also consider using the HM-1000 to amass evidence and verify the efficacy of tiny quantities of proteins (including those circulating in the blood) that have been measured by the Company’s Automated High-Sensitive Immunoassay System for Research Applications HI-1000.

Going forward, Sysmex will continue working with customers to support effective R&D toward the development of highly valuable therapeutic drugs and diagnostic methods, thereby contributing to the development of personalized medicine.
 

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