![Ph.D. student Arianna Ferguson and cancer researcher Dr. Glenn Simmons view GFP-tagged protein expression in lung cancer cells using the EVOS M5000 Imaging System they received from a 2022 Thermo Fisher Scientific Cancer Research Grant.](https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/life-in-the-lab/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/IMG_8111-4-1024x768.jpg)
Ph.D. student Arianna Ferguson and cancer researcher Dr. Glenn Simmons view GFP-tagged protein expression in lung cancer cells using the EVOS M5000 Imaging System they received from a 2022 Thermo Fisher Scientific Cancer Research Grant.
By Carolyn Bernhardt, Freelance Writer
The Simmons’ lab is developing new ways to manipulate cell dynamics, advancing personalized medicine opportunities, and inspiring the next generation of scientists in one fell swoop.
Inside every malignant tumor, a cacophony of cancer cells, stromal cells, and immune cells clamor for survival and replication. Throughout the bedlam, alliances take shape and nemeses compete for resources—all the while oblivious to the researchers who have spent decades keeping a keen eye on their dynamics in order to pinpoint methods for manipulating what unfolds at the molecular level to kill cancer cells.
![10x GFP-RFP test image from colleague using HEK293T cells. HEK293T Cells were labeled with fluorescent tagged proteins miRFP670nano (Far Red) and mVenus-Q69M (YFP/GFP) . Imaging was done to demonstrate that the scope was available to other investigators who had trouble seeing targets in far red range. (Image courtesy of Dr. Glenn Simmons)](https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/life-in-the-lab/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Picture9.png)
10x GFP-RFP test image from colleague using HEK293T cells. HEK293T Cells were labeled with fluorescent tagged proteins miRFP670nano (Far Red) and mVenus-Q69M (YFP/GFP) . Imaging was done to demonstrate that the scope was available to other investigators who had trouble seeing targets in far red range. (Image courtesy of Dr. Glenn Simmons)
Dr. Glenn E. Simmons, Jr., an Assistant Research Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, is one such researcher. Understanding how the presence or absence of certain fats can impact how cells respond to one another can present opportunities for manipulating the lipids that cells can access. Influencing cell dynamics this way can change the expression of molecules that activate the immune system to fight cancer. If Simmons and his team can develop approaches to orchestrate these cellular adjustments, they can develop new cancer therapies customized to each individual patient and cancer type.
The team tests their ideas for manipulating cell dynamics in 3D-printed tumor models they make in the lab. They inject these bioprints with cultured cells and test various therapies to see what works best for each tissue sample. “The goal long-term is to be able to take patient-derived tissue, break that down enough, get rid of the extra stuff we don’t need—like the connective tissue,” Simmons says. “Then, we’d embed those into a 3D bioprint and replicate that across multiple prints to use those as almost avatars for a patient.” In each so-called avatar, the team could test different treatment strategies and see what unfolds within each bioprint. “It’s a version of personalized medicine that we are really hoping to get towards.”
But throughout the process, Simmons and his team need to measure the activity of the different cell types within each bioprint—without having to take the cells back out. The EVOS™ M5000 Imaging System, which the Simmons lab secured through Thermo Fisher’s Cancer Research Grant program, helps the scientists identify the cells in space, as well as generate and organize the data.
![Brightfield 20X feline injection site sarcoma cells. Cells are growing in a monolayer prior to treatment with chemical compounds. (Image courtesy of Dr. Glenn Simmons)](https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/life-in-the-lab/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Picture8.png)
Brightfield 20X feline injection site sarcoma cells. Cells are growing in a monolayer prior to treatment with chemical compounds. (Image courtesy of Dr. Glenn Simmons)
Simmons adds that the system is simple enough for the next generation of scientists to use, which is key for him as he prioritizes inspiring and engaging them at every step of his lab’s research. “You can have students contribute meaningfully to work with systems like the EVOS that are really well put together, have simple controls, and have the ability to do some really fine work without having to train someone for 5-6 hours to learn how to just turn a thing on,” he says. “But if you have technology that you know is pretty difficult to get people up to speed on, as a mentor, you may find yourself saying, ‘Well you’re only here for 6 weeks, we don’t have time to do that so we’ll put you on this thing.’”
As Simmons has long-valued mentorship, he has ensured that such accessible and effective technology is scattered across his lab. He says, “The more technology we have that’s like that, the more we can make science cool, not just something for the so-called ‘eggheads.’”
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