CAREER: Instrument Development for Biological Imaging

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

This CAREER award is for the development of a new generation of multiphoton microscopes to image deep and fast in scattering biological tissues. Specifically, three approaches will be used to improve the imaging depth and speed: (1) A longer wavelength spectral window will be used for multiphoton excitation with reduced scattering. (2) A new multiphoton imaging method will be developed, based on sum-frequency generation and non-degenerate two-beam, two-color fluorescence excitation to eliminate or reduce the excitation background in a scattering tissue, thus improving the penetration depth. (3) Sub-carrier modulation will be applied to multiphoton imaging and will be used to develop a new fast imaging technique that is compatible with deep imaging in a scattering environment. The instruments to be developed will significantly extend the capability of multiphoton microscopy in biological research. Multiphoton microscopy is already an indispensable tool in biological imaging, and this research will help to solve the following two difficulties so that this microscopy can reach its full potential: (1) How to see deeper into tissues and (2) How to image faster. This research is interdisciplinary and will help to train students who will become interdisciplinary scientists. In addition, the principal investigator and his students will participate in outreach activities via various programs such as the GK-12 fellowship programs to promote physics teaching at the high school level.