IDBR: Type A. Far-field optical thermal wave nanoscopy.

University Of Arkansas Medical Sciences Campus, Little Rock AR

Investigators

Abstract

An award is made to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to develop a far-field super resolution photothermal nanoscope (PTN) for three-dimensional, label-free imaging of weakly fluorescent cellular nanostructures and nanoparticles that is currently not possible. Applications of PTN will include high-resolution imaging of molecules in live cells as well as investigating protein misfolding, degradation, and aggregation. PTN can provide control and optimization of biological applications of lasers such as tissue dissection and ablation. PTN would be a valuable alternative or supplement to existing microscopic techniques and, in combination with them, could provide a powerful and versatile tool for biological research with a focus on cells. The project will benefit variety of biological research communities and scientific areas including cell biology, proteomics, neuroscience, nanotechnology, plasmonic nanosensing, gerontology, and cancer therapy. This interdisciplinary research involving physicists, biologists, and computer engineers includes a training program on advanced optical imaging that will train and educate undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups. This project has the following goals: 1) develop a photothermal confocal nanosocopy platform with enhanced sensitivity; 2) explore nonlinear and photoswitching phenomena to improve both spatial and spectral resolution; and 3) explore the unique applications of PTN including label-free and targeted imaging of different nanostructures, protein aggregates and image-guided disaggregation. The intellectual merit of the project lies in the new concept of a far-field microscopy integrating a confocal design, high pulse-rate lasers, high-speed scanning, and time-resolved detection, to significantly improve on current diffraction and spectral limitations. Because many cellular components in the native state have low fluorescence, and are nano-scale in size, there is a clear need for an imaging technique to study them with high resolution, high absorption sensitivity, temporal resolution and fast acquisition time. The proposed PTN will provide unprecedented resolution with enhanced absorption sensitivity, thus opening new windows into unexplored areas of biological research associated with cell metabolic activity, oxidization, endocytosis, phagocytosis, melanogenesis, and apoptosis.