Lasers and Detector for Spectroscopy and Imaging

将购买一种基于激光的多光子和荧光寿命光谱系统，用于研究心肌纤维的作用模式、恶性细胞的增殖、蛋白质- dna相互作用、视觉细胞成分的成像，以及在真实组织中对细胞成分进行显微成像的改进光学技术。激光在波长和强度上有很大的变化，可以激发许多生物样品。这种先进的设备将使阿拉巴马大学的许多研究界人士能够积极地获取数据。近期的研究目标包括(i)确定分子“运动”蛋白的运动距离，（ii）测量紫外线和细胞过程引起的DNA结构变化，以及（iii）确定用于显微成像的染料和细胞的激光激发的最佳条件。最终，所要求的仪器将用于发现亚细胞组件如何移动和使用能量在他们的活动作为生物纳米机器。具有宽带光学和双皮秒/飞秒脉宽能力的钛蓝宝石激光器（Mira 900D V10 XW），由10瓦二极管泵浦Nd：钒酸钠激光器（Verdi V10）泵浦，配备所需的谐波发生器（型号9300）和“脉冲拾取器”（型号9200），将从相干激光集团购买。该设备将允许可靠的皮秒时间分辨荧光测量和多光子激发光谱和光谱成像。将增加一个无振动光学表（Newport RPR-410-12/I-2000-428）和超快光电倍增管（Hamamatsu R3809U-50）以及相关的电子设备，以支持激光和探测能力。该奖项支持的教育项目将开发新的研究思路，培养激光和生物技术人员，吸引一流的学生和教师，并培养地区科学家。从教授到前途光明的高中科学家，目前都在伯明翰阿拉巴马大学从事研究和培训工作。学分和非学分研究训练课程向本科生和研究生介绍新激光技术的原理及其在生物物理学和成像中的应用。生物医学学院指导生物学和生物物理学的物理学研究生博士论文。提供这种教育项目的美国主要大学的数量很少，特别是在培训和从高中招聘未来的物理科学家的水平上。阿拉巴马大学伯明翰分校凭借其在主流生物医学研究领域的良好声誉，以及在激光技术和生物物理学领域的快速发展，有机会在培养具有生物系统激光光谱和成像研究专业知识的科学家方面处于领先地位。

A laser-based multiphoton and fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy system will be purchased for research into the mode of action of cardiac muscle fibers, the proliferation of malignant cells, protein-DNA interactions, the imaging of visual cell constituents, and the generation of improved optical techniques to microscopically image cellular components in real tissues. The laser will be broadly variable in wavelength and intensity, allowing excitation of many biological samples. This sophisticated equipment will allow many in the research community at the University of Alabama to actively acquire data. Immediate research goals include (i) determination of distances of movement in molecular "motor" proteins, (ii) measurement of DNA structural changes induced by UV light and cellular processes, and (iii) determination of optimal conditions for laser excitation of dyes and cells for microscopic imaging. Ultimately, the requested instrumentation will be used to discover how subcellular components move and use energy in their activity as biological nanomachines.A titanium:sapphire laser (Mira 900D V10 XW) with wide-band optics and dual picosecond/femtosecond pulsewidth capabilities, pumped by a 10-watt diode-pumped Nd:vanadate laser (Verdi V10), with needed harmonic generator (Model 9300) and "Pulse Picker" (Model 9200) will be purchased from Coherent Laser Group. This equipment will allow reliable picosecond time-resolved fluorescence measurements and multiphoton excitation spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging. A vibration-free optics table (Newport RPR-410-12/I-2000-428) and ultrafast photomultiplier (Hamamatsu R3809U-50) with associated electronics will be added to support the laser and detection capabilities. The educational program supported by this award will develop new research ideas, train personnel in laser and biotechnology, attract top-flight students and faculty, and train regional scientists. Personnel from professors to promising high school scientists are presently involved in research and training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Credit and non-credit research training courses introduce undergraduates and graduate students to principles of new laser technologies and applications in biophysics and imaging. Biomedical faculty supervise physics graduate doctoral dissertations in biology and biophysics. The number of major American universities offering such educational programs, especially at the level of training and recruitment of future physical scientists from high school, is small. Through its strong reputation in mainstream biomedical research and its rapidly-developing reputation in laser technology and biophysics, the University of Alabama at Birmingham has the opportunity to lead in the production of scientists with documented expertise in laser-based spectroscopic and imaging research in biological systems.