CAREER: Multiplexing Light-Field Microscopy for Cell Biological Research

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). An award is made to Georgia Institute of Technology to establish integrated research and educational infrastructure innovation in biophotonics and advanced microscopy. This CAREER project will catalyze the discovery of imaging science and technology, the transformation of cross-disciplinary infrastructure for discovery and training, and the broader participation of scientific communities and underrepresented groups in STEM. The project seeks to transform biological investigations relying on conventional biophotonic methods, through technical breakthroughs and new knowledge in fundamental biology and, ultimately, translational research. To broaden the educational impacts of the work, the PI will (1) prioritize and recruit undergraduate and graduate students to work on this project through on-campus or online resources, (2) integrate research and education by organizing an Atlanta international school on biophotonics and advanced optical microscopy, (3) develop innovative teaching and learning methods to enhance problem-based education and improve the public scientific literacy, and (4) engage veteran groups in STEM by enhancing school-lab interactions and through a summer camp on biophotonics. These efforts will impact the training of next-generation biologists, imaging engineers, and professionals and promote cross-fertilization of research and education from diverse disciplines. Over the past decades, fluorescence microscopy has emerged as one of the most vital and informative driving forces for biological research. Infrastructure developments have therefore been increasingly demanded to cope with the unmet needs of biological discovery. In response, this project addresses the critical interface between microscopy innovations and cell biological research. In particular, the research will advance live-cell imaging by developing multiplexing light-field instrumentation and methods – mux-LFM. The mux-LFM platform is being pursued to transform the current cell microscopy infrastructure, realizing functional, structural, and populational live-cell interrogations through a unified architecture. This infrastructural advance will enable broad cell biological research toward a systems-level understanding of molecular, subcellular, and cellular programs. The results will inspire future technology innovations, stimulate significant biological insights, and create methodological pathways for broader science, engineering, and technology breakthroughs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.