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Nikon Instruments, Inc. would like to congratulate Dr. Guido Verbeck, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Texas, for his recent winning of a prestigious grant from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).

Dr. Verbeck’s proposal, titled “Single organelle analysis for metabolites in tumor cells using microfluidic devices coupled to direct Nanoextraction-Nanospray,” outlines how he and his team will be studying at the single-cell level, focusing specifically on cancer, metabolic diseases and cell heterogeny.

To win this grant, Dr. Verbeck modified his Nikon Ti-2000U microscope, turning it into what he calls a “nanomanipulator.” These modifications are what allow the team to get down to the single-cell level.

The team’s first order of business is to study pancreatic cells affected with cancer. Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst mortality rates of all cancers, which makes it a point of particular passion for Dr. Verbeck. By the time a patient presents symptoms, it’s often too late for drug therapies to fight the disease. Dr. Verbeck and his team hope that by studying this particular line further, they can help inform the what treatments and processes might improve survival and recovery for patients.

Nikon salutes Dr. Verbeck and his team not only for their grant, but for working to improve the lives of many millions of cancer patients around the world. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of his research!