PRECISION UNIVERSAL COMPENSATOR FOR IMAGING POLARIMETRY

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Researchers at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, are developing a polarized light microscope (pol-scope) with substantial advantages over traditional pol-scopes in speed, resolution, and versatility. The microscope, with a new liquid crystal (LC) universal compensator, produces images in under one second that measure optical anisotropies irrespective of sample orientation and at the spatial resolution of the microscope. While traditional pol-scopes are typically used to measure optical anisotropy in a single specimen point, the new microscope provides measurements over a large area with high spatial and temporal resolution. We propose to advance the art of construction and control of precision LC retarders to increase the speed and sensitivity of the new pol-scope, and to investigate feasibility of developing a convenient and versatile microscope accessory with software. These enhancements will critically improve the first capability to visualize and analyze quantitatively the dynamic organization of macromolecular assemblies, independent of their orientation, in living cells. Examples of such assemblies include the mitotic spindle, the contractile ring during cell cleavage or the microtubule organization during cell interphase. We anticipate that a moderately priced accessory based on this research will find solid niche markets for scientific investigations, as well as clinical and industrial applications.