Holly Durst, MSc Candidate

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

CHEMISTRY 603

PHYSICAL SECTION

SPEAKER:            Holly Durst, MSc Candidate.

DATE:                     Thursday, January 26, 2012.

TIME:                      12:30 pm

PLACE:                  SB 324

TITLE:                    “Pump-Probe Transient Absorption Microscopy and its Application in Red Blood Cell Oxygenation Imaging”.

ABSTRACT:           

The study of oxygenation levels of the microvasculature in tumor development is very important, as tumors undergo the formation of new blood vessels in order to maintain a supply of oxygen and nutrients. The ability to perform high-resolution imaging in these blood vessels to determine oxygenation levels provides a more comprehensive understanding of tumor growth.

Over the past two decades, pump-probe transient absorption microscopy has been developed to overcome the scattering problem in thick tissue imaging. This technique utilizes two laser beams to probe the transient states of a material, which provides novel contrast mechanisms and molecular specificity. Owing to its increased imaging depth and high spatial resolution, pump-probe transient absorption microscopy is a technique that allows imaging of haemoglobin and deoxyhaemoglobin directly ex vivo and in vivo, by following the transient states of the molecules.

References:

Fu, D., Matthews, T. E., Ye T., Piletic, I. R., & Warren, W.S. J. Biomed. Opt. 13, 0405031-0405033 (2008).

Fu, D., Ye T., Matthews, T. E., Chen B. J., Yurtserver, G., & Warren, W.S. Opt. Lett. 32, 2641-2643 (2007).

Ye, T., Fu, D., Warren, W.S. Photochem. Photobiol. 85, 631-645 (2009).