M Squared - St Andrews Biophotonics Nexus

生物光子学描述了生物学或医学与光子学的结合，光子学是光的产生，操纵和检测的科学和技术。全球行业分析师（圣何塞，加利福尼亚州）预测，到2018年，生物光子市场将超过990亿美元。具体而言，生物光子学方法预计将优于传统诊断技术，部分原因是全球需要新的创新来应对医疗保健，神经科学，癌症生物学和疾病管理等方面的挑战。此外，光学分析（例如光谱仪，分析仪）的空间越来越大，这是在食品，饮料认证和使用量子技术的紧急领域等领域的激光应用中更广泛的一套应用所需要的。国际光子学投资的增长需要通过英国在大学-产业界面的相应优势的类似扩张来反映，这是EPSRC繁荣伙伴关系的核心。这项资助汇集了EPSRC，圣安德鲁斯大学和M Squared Lasers之间的合作伙伴关系，以解决最终具有商业价值并将提高生活质量的重大研究挑战，创新性进展将包括：1）一套新的成像设备，我们用宽光片照明，而不是逐点扫描。这导致更快的图像采集和更低的样品曝光，从而导致更少的“光”损伤。这种成像可以为神经科学，精神疾病（痴呆症）和发育生物学的研究带来新的见解。反过来，这将揭示许多生物过程，包括疾病的发展。此外，该技术将具有高通量，因此我们可以非常快速地分析多个样品。它们与制药工业和药物发现领域有关2）我们将研究光散射（拉曼）分析，它给出了样品化学性质的光学读数。这将以紧凑的形式开发，并以纸作为保存样品的介质。研究将包括用于抗癌药物监测、感染和血液疾病（包括败血症）的研究。3)我们将使用基于多个激光干涉-散斑-的思想，其具有关于照明源的丰富信息。这将预示着新形式的激光波长分析的一步变化，甚至从样品中记录多个波长（光谱）4）我们将研究新型的超紧凑显微镜，它将能够在衍射极限以下成像，即100 nm或更小。这些技术将来可用于病理学检查组织活检（如肾病），并最终取代其他更昂贵、耗时的方法，如电子显微镜

Biophotonics describes a combination of biology or medicine and photonics, with photonics being the science and technology of generation, manipulation, and detection of light. Global Industry Analysts (San Jose, CA) forecast biophotonics markets to exceed $99 billion by the year 2018. Specifically, biophotonics methods are projected to outperform traditional diagnostic techniques, in part driven by the worldwide need for new innovations to address challenges in for example, healthcare, neuroscience, cancer biology and disease management. Additionally, there is an increasing space in optical analysis (e.g. spectrometers, analysers) which are required for a suite of applications more broadly in laser applications both in fields such as food, drink authentication and emergent areas using quantum technology. The international growth in photonics investment needs to be mirrored by a similar expansion of corresponding UK strengths at the University-Industry interface, which is at the heart of this EPSRC Prosperity Partnership. This grant brings together a partnership between EPSRC, The University of St Andrews and M Squared Lasers to address major research challenges that ultimately have business value and will add to quality of life, The innovative advances will include:1) a new suite of imaging apparatus where we illuminate with a broad sheet of light rather than point by point scanning. This leads to faster image acquisition and lower sample exposure, thus leading to less "light" damage". Such imaging can lead to new insights for studies in neuroscience, diseases of the mind (dementia) and developmental biology. In turn this will shed light on numerous biological processes including the development of disease. Furthermore, the technology will be made high throughput so we can analyse multiple samples very quickly. They is relevant of the the pharmaceutical industry and drug discovery areas2) We will look at light scattering (Raman) analysis which gives an optical readout of the chemical compassion of a sample. This will be developed in compact forms as well as with paper as medium to hold the sample. Studies will include use for anti-cancer drug monitoring, studies of infection and blood based disorders including sepsis. 3) we will use the ideas based around multiple laser interference - speckle - which is rich in information on the illuminating sources. This will herald step change for new forms of laser analysis of wavelength and even recording multiple wavelengths (spectra) from samples4) we will look at new types of ultra compact microscopes that will be able to image below the diffraction limits, that is 100nm or smaller. these can be used in future in pathology to look at tissue biopsy (e.g. nephrotic disease) and ultimately displace other more expensive, time consuming approaches such as electron microscopy