Leica X Science - Meet Nathan Asquith

Today we would like to introduce you to the work of Dr. Nathan Asquith , research associate in the Shelton lab at the Joint Biomedical Engineering Department of the 美国北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校 and 美国北卡罗莱纳州立大学 , USA.

Nathan joined Dr Sarah Shelton’s lab in 2024 and supports Dr Shelton’s organ-on-chip research. Dr. Shelton is developing microphysiological systems to decipher how the tissue environment and cellular interactions in 3D in-vitro systems influence cell function. They use vascularized tissue models to explore the immune microenvironment in diseases such as cancer. The Shelton lab is also exploring how platelets and thrombosis influence the process of metastasis. Nathan plans to optimize a 3D bone marrow micro-physiological system to explore the proplatelet-making process in more physiologically representative conditions in health and disease.

Nathan’s post-doctoral training was at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School . He studied how megakaryocytes in the bone marrow generated platelets.

Megakaryocytes reside in the bone marrow and generate up to 1000 platelets each! When megakaryocytes receive physical and chemical cues, they extend long cytosolic extensions termed proplatelets (cyan) and package key proteins that the mature platelets need such as vWF (magenta). Under shear stresses, these proplatelets are released from the megakaryocytes and shatter into mature circulating platelets that we observe in the blood. Image taken on Leica STELLARIS 5.

More about the research: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2023020895

STELLARIS 5 & STELLARIS 8 Confocal Microscope Platform: https://www.leica-microsystems.com/products/confocal-microscopes/p/stellaris-8/