Monolayer cultures of A549, a human lung carcinoma epithelial cell line, were fixed and stained with a fluorophore containing FITC to reveal myosin in the cytoskeletal network.

Incident light fluorescence microscopy is growing rapidly in importance as an investigational tool in the fields of medical and biological research. All photomicrographs in this gallery were taken with Olympus microscopes employing UIS optics and a PM-30 automatic camera system.

The specimen illustrated above is A549 cells grown in tissue culture and stained using an FITC-antibody complex. Photomicrographs were recorded utilizing a UPL 40x apochromatic objective coupled to a WIBA dichroic filter combination. A 3.3x projection photo eyepiece was used to transfer light from the intermediate image plane to the photographic emulsion.

Tissue culture has long been a valuable investigational tool for biochemists and molecular biologists. One of the most important attributes of a successful tissue culture is that the cell line can be reproduced with genetic and metabolic uniformity. Consistency in the growth and metabolism of cell lines is necessary to establish a baseline for subsequent research investigations. By being able to apply different conditions and stimuli to identical cells, scientists can evaluate the efficacy, whether favorable or adverse, of the stimuli (such as a virus) on the cells under a specified set of conditions. Reliability and reproducability is also an important factor in the value of a cell line.

Originally cultivated from human lung carcinoma, the cell line A549 is being used to shed light upon the secrets of certain respiratory ailments. A594 continues to provide investigational scientists with insights into research areas as diverse as tuberculosis interaction, asthma-inducing viral infections (including the rhinovirus), asbestos-related tissue damage, and smoking-related emphysema.