“As for myself, I like only basic problems, and could characterize my own research by telling you that, when I settled in Woods Hole and took up fishing, I always used an enormous hook. I was convinced that I would catch nothing anyway, and I thought it much more exciting not to catch a big fish than not to catch a small one.” —Szent-Györgyi

These drawings depart from classical drawings of cell division in several ways: First, the nucleus, chromosomes, and cell membranes are in grey to highlight the mitotic spindles. Second, centrioles and centromeres were not visible in Inoue’s images, so they are not drawn. Third, the phases that were of particular importance for Inoué are drawn in more detail.

After World War II in Japan, Inoué began assembling a polarizing microscope using surplus materials. He learned through trial and error how to improve his scope to better view spindle birefringence.

Anticipating a visit from the Emperor of Japan, Inoué found a cast away machine gun part to use as a stand for his microscope, tying it together with string. It was the first Shinya-scope. Inoué continued to build and improve polarized light microscopes.

The collaborative atmosphere among faculty, students, and the representatives of relevant industries participating in the courses established Video Microscopy as an important research tool in cell biology. In addition, the course curricula soon included an important next step in image enhancement and quantitation made possible by the availability of desktop computers with video frame grabbers, opening up with the new and vast field of digital imaging and microscopy.

“The occasion was for Katy (Katsuma Dan) and me to try repeating W. J. Schmidt’s observation of the birefringent spindle in dividing sea urchin eggs. Although our observations under air-raid black-out curtains that evening were inconclusive, it triggered my 60+ years’ interest in cell division and how to listen to happy live cells through the light microscope.” -Inoué, on Dan’s impact

Katsuma Dan came to MBL in 1931 while he was a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania with Victor Heilbrunn. He studied fundamental questions in cell biology and embryonic development using a number of marine invertebrates as model organisms.