MRI: Development of a high-speed, hyperspectral imaging spinning disk confocal microscope

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An award is made to the University of South Alabama to develop a novel high-speed spectral imaging microscope, called the 5-Dimensional Rapid Hyperspectral Imaging Platform (RHIP-5D). The RHIP-5D system will provide a novel capability for rapid hyperspectral imaging. The RHIP-5D will be implemented on a confocal microscope and will allow imaging of organelles and sub-cellular structures with high molecular sensitivity, as well as the ability to detect many different molecules simultaneously. This approach will advance new molecular imaging studies aimed at measuring crucial functional information in cells and tissues that was previously inaccessible. Once complete, the microscope system will enable breakthrough studies of high-speed events at the biosystems level, including processes controlling cell signaling cascades, seagrass infection, microparticle dynamics, and cellular biomechanics. The University of South Alabama will host training sessions for scientific researchers outside the University on the use of this novel microscope system, further establishing the University as a center for imaging and biotechnology development. In addition, this system will provide unique BioImaging capabilities to lower Alabama and the Gulf Coast region, and will serve as a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaborations within the State of Alabama and the nation.The RHIP-5D system is made possible by a novel form of imaging that scans the fluorescence excitation spectrum. Previous hyperspectral imaging approaches have provided increased sensitivity and specificity by acquiring spectroscopic data for every pixel in the image, but it has been difficult to implement hyperspectral imaging on fluorescence microscope systems at high speeds. This is because previous hyperspectral approaches that scan the fluorescence emission spectrum can result in significant (90%) signal loss. By contrast, the excitation-scanning approach employed by the RHIP-5D system will allow the entire fluorescence emission signal to be detected, providing a 30-100X increase in signal strength. This novel approach has the potential to transform biological microscopy studies.