MRI Consortium: Acquisition of a Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting System for Multidisciplinary Research and Education

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This Major Research Instrumentation consortium grant will allow for the purchase of a time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) system to support active scientific research, training and educational programs in Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, and Photovoltaic technology. This TCSPC system has the capability to measure critical information on the transient lifetime of electrical charges at the picosecond to microsecond time-scale, while providing the ability to visualize the physical and chemical processes of polymers, nanoparticles, cells and semiconductors in a controlled atmosphere and at varying temperatures. These crucial functions will enable faculty and students to collect critical scientific data and provide key insights into nanoscale level of understanding of physical and chemical processes. These insights will be used for the development of new neural sensors, biomedical imaging tools, drug delivery agents, and new energy conversion/storage technologies for a sustainable future. The acquisition of this system will significantly enhance research and educational collaboration in the Hampton Roads area, VA. In addition, this system will be used to promote research and learning experiences for students, particularly assisting underrepresented minority groups to pursue advanced degrees in Science and Engineering. The acquisition of a state-of-the-art TCSPC system aims to greatly broaden the scope of research and foster multidisciplinary research collaborations in many different research areas, while promoting student training programs. The TCSPC offers advanced features including: i) in-situ time-resolved lifetime, ii) temperature control from -25 to 150 aC, iii) 2D time-resolved fluorescence images with extremely high-resolution morphologies, and iv) the low excitation levels required to maintain bio-cell viability and avoid photo-bleaching. These enhanced capabilities will revolutionize our understanding and advance dynamic characteristics of a wide range of applications used for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research. In particular, the acquisition of this TCSPC system will greatly enhance our core research areas of 1) Biotechnology, 2) Nanofabrication and technology, and 3) Photovoltaic Technology. The system will be housed and regularly maintained at the Applied Research Center (ARC) of ODU, and open to all of the research community, fulfilling a critical and growing need for both education and research in Virginia¡¦s Hampton Roads area. The easy access to this instrument will contribute not only to research in the areas of nanotechnology, biology and energy but also to the training of graduate and undergraduate students. To promote teaching, training, and learning, this instrument will effectively be used to enhance the scope of several courses, by adding hands-on experiences on biomaterials, nanomaterials, semiconductor process/characterization and photovoltaics.