MRI: Development of Multiscale Imaging Platform for Quantitative Analysis of Collagen Organization

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

PI: Campagnola, Paul J. Proposal: 1429045 Title: MRI: Development of Multiscale Imaging Platform for Quantitative Analysis of Collagen Organization Significance The equipment and experimental platform will greatly extend the UW-Madison research infrastructure and open up new possibilities for studying a wide range of disease states that have associated collagen alteration, which may have translational possibilities to a variety of clinical applications. The PI developed an optical microscopy graduate course as part of the biomedical engineering curriculum. The PI and co-PIs all lecture in the undergraduate/graduate survey course "the Microscopy of Life" which covers microscopy, biomedical imaging techniques, and bioinformatics. The graduate students will be immersed in a highly interdisciplinary research environment that involves aspects of cancer biology, imaging, optical engineering, and imaging analysis engineering. Their training will also provide exposure to different possible career paths including academia and industry. Undergraduates and high school students will also be involved in the project. Technical Description This collaborative project will develop a "Multiscale Imaging Platform for Quantitative Analysis of Collagen Organization" to interrogate size scales of ~100 nm through several mms of tissues. This system will incorporate Enhanced BackScattering (EBS) for characterization of nanoarchitecture by optical scattering, laser scanning Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy for collagen visualization at the submicron and micron scale, and Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) for quantifying larger aspects of tissue organization. The integration into a single platform affords significant advantages over individual correlated measurements. The instrument will also afford both scientific studies of optical and acoustic scattering and also provide the framework for future clinical diagnostic capabilities. The applications of this instrumentation platform will be focused on investigating collagen and its role and alteration in normal and diseased processes.