Yuko Kiyosue, who leads the Cellular Dynamics Analysis Unit at the RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies (CLST) was one of the authors of a paper awarded the AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize, which is given out every year for the best paper published in Science that year. The paper, by a group led by Eric Betzig of the Janelia Research Campus with Bi-Chang Chen as the first author, introduced a new microscopy technique, lattice light-sheet microscopy, which according to the AAAS’s announcement, “dramatically improves upon conventional light-sheet microscopy, allowing for 3-D imaging of single molecules, live cells, and developing embryos.”
According to Kiyosue, “It was a real honor to work with the group on this paper, as with this achievement we were able to fulfill my long-held dream of being able to look at the movements of molecules within live cells in three dimensions. I think the paper was highly evaluated because in addition to the fact that the new instrument is important, we were able to actually image these cellular processes and even tissues, and thus show with dramatic images how the microscope could actually be put into use.”
The AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize, which was established in 1923, is awarded each year to a paper that “includes original research data, theory, or synthesis; is a fundamental contribution to basic knowledge or is a technical achievement of far-reaching consequence.” The award was presented to the authors on February 12 during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. For more information, see the announcement by AAAS. Also, some of the videos showing results of the new technique are on the website of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.