Video Publication Goes Viral

Newswise — MAYWOOD, Ill. -- A scientific method paper and video by Loyola researchers has gone viral.

The video publication demonstrates a laboratory technique used to study some aspects of mitochondrial dysfunctions in Alzheimer's disease and many other disorders. It has been accessed by more than 14,000 scientists around the world since it was published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments, a peer-reviewed, PubMed indexed journal that publishes biological and other scientific research in a video format.

Senior author is Joanna C. Bakowska, D.V.M., PhD, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. First author is Dinesh Joshi, PhD.

The 10-minute video http://www.jove.com/video/2704/determination-of-mitochondrial-membrane-potential-and-reactive-oxygen-species-in-live-rat-cortical-neurons is accompanied by an article. In it, the researchers detail how to measure the mitochondrial membrane potential -- the electrical potential across the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Mitochondria are the power producers of the cell. They convert energy into forms that are usable by the cell. The mitochondria's production of energy is correlated with the membrane potential. An abnormal membrane potential has been demonstrated in several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). It also is found in many other conditions, including tumors and alcoholic liver disease.

Bakowska and Joshi demonstrated a technique that uses a specific fluorescent dye and live cell imaging to determine the mitochondrial membrane potential. The video provides a step-by-step guide on how to conduct the technique.

"Scientists will be able to do this technique on their own, just after watching the video," Bakowska said.

Their work was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

The Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) has opened a new frontier in scientific publication. It enables scientists to publish experiments in all dimensions, overcoming the limitations of traditional print journals.

This article in JoVE is free with open-access. "We wanted the article and video to be as widely disseminated as possible," Bakowska said.