We are going to have a seminar on 'Cell imaging with sub-optical resolution' on Wednesday, 27th April 2016, 3:30-4:30pm, given by Prof. Matt Clark, Applied Optics, Nottingham.

Abstract and biography are given below.

Date & Time:  Wednesday, 27th April 2016, 3:30-4:30pm
Venue:           Room 526, James Watt Building South

Tea/coffee/biscuits before the start.

 

 

Abstract

Nano-ultrasonics offers an intriguing route to high resolution imaging. The speed of sound is typically five orders of magnitude lower than the speed of light and, at optical wavelengths, ultrasonic frequencies are in the GHz range (as opposed to 500THz for light) which are directly accessible using RF and pump-probe techniques. At GHz frequencies and above, ultrasound has the potential to provide higher resolution imaging than optical microscopy. Many small-scale biological objects, such as cells, exhibit very little intrinsic optical contrast and without staining look like little more than transparent bags of water in a pool of water. While the intrinsic optical contrast maybe weak, ultrasonic imaging is sensitive to the strongly varying mechanical properties of cellular structures and can produce strong label-free contrast. Imaging of this (elastic) contrast could aid the study of complex cell processes such as mitosis, division, differentiation, migration, force production, mechano-sensitivity and dynamic events. In this paper we present ultrasonic imaging of live cells using sub-optical wavelength elastic waves. We demonstrate the ability to image with resolutions at or beyond the optical Rayleigh limit with good label-free contrast. While the technique is in its infancy it might provide an alternative to optical microscopy as a three dimensional imaging tool for live cells.

Biography

First published: 21 September 2015

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