How can we watch living cells at work without touching, staining, or damaging them? Optical coherence tomography (OCT) makes this possible. Using near-infrared light, OCT creates high-resolution three-dimensional images deep inside biological samples, in real time and completely label-free. Originally developed for imaging the human eye, where it is now a clinical standard, OCT is increasingly opening up new possibilities far beyond medicine.

In my project, I explore how OCT can be used as a tool for the life sciences. The focus is on modern cell models such as cell monolayers, multicellular spheroids and organoids, which are widely used in biology, drug development and cancer research. OCT allows us to look inside these samples, visualize their structure and follow how they change over time. Beyond static images, the light signal also carries information about tiny movements inside the cells. These fluctuations can reveal whether cells are active, stressed or dying, without adding any dyes or markers.

The project combines optics, experimental work in the lab, signal and image processing, and simulation. Key questions are: What exactly does the OCT signal tell us about living cells? How can we reliably distinguish healthy from damaged tissue? And how can computer models of the imaging process help us interpret real measurements? The long-term goal is to establish OCT as a powerful, non-invasive method for biological and biomedical research.