Quantitative 3D-imaging for cell biology and ecology of environmental microbial eukaryotes

Elife. 2017 Oct 31:6:e26066. doi: 10.7554/eLife.26066.

Abstract

We present a 3D-fluorescence imaging and classification tool for high throughput analysis of microbial eukaryotes in environmental samples. It entails high-content feature extraction that permits accurate automated taxonomic classification and quantitative data about organism ultrastructures and interactions. Using plankton samples from the Tara Oceans expeditions, we validate its applicability to taxonomic profiling and ecosystem analyses, and discuss its potential for future integration of eukaryotic cell biology into evolutionary and ecological studies.

Keywords: Automated microscopy; Environmental cell biology; Machine learning; Marine plankton biodiversity; Microbial eukaryotes; Symbioses; cell biology; ecology.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Ecosystem*
  • Environmental Microbiology*
  • Eukaryota / classification
  • Eukaryota / cytology*
  • Eukaryota / physiology*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Optical Imaging / methods*

Grants and funding

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.