Advancing 3D Chemical Imaging: FTIR Spectro-microtomography, FTIR Spectro-microlaminography and Hyperspectral Data Analysis

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With this award, the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program of the Division of Chemistry is funding Professors Carol Hirschmugl and Sarah Patch of The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to advance three-dimensional (3D) chemical imaging for biologically relevant materials. To meet this challenge, modifications to infrared spectral micro- tomography are to be combined with hyperspectral data analysis tools to evaluate extended two-dimensional samples. The international collaboration between The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wesleyan University, and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences combines novel instrumentation, forefront image reconstruction algorithms, and physically accurate modeling to produce chemically sensitive 3-dimensional images. The project is expected to provide multi-disciplinary disciplinary student training in a collaborative environment with international dimensions. The overall objective of this proposal is to implement Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectro-micro-tomography (SmT) for samples that are extended in two dimensions and to implement limited angle reconstruction algorithms and optimize spectrochemical analysis methods to enhance spectral and image quality. The rationale for this proposal is that data from improved novel chemical imaging techniques combined with advanced data analysis may be able to provide new views of of intact, (bio)chemically complex systems. This project focuses on three-dimensional imaging of biologically relevant samples (e.g, tissues, extended cell cultures, biofilms) or to materials for bioenergy (e.g, algae, wood). FTIR-SmT aims to generate high contrast results through the acquisition of rich IR absorption spectra for organic materials. Such a capability for sensing chemical distributions for intact samples may provide the foundation for fundamentally new approaches in bioanalytical chemistry, well beyond these studies.