Replacement NIR laser for raman microspectroscopy instrument

拉曼光谱（RS）是一种光学非弹性散射技术，可用于在广泛的环境/溶液条件下确定生物分子的浓度和构象。该技术的一个特别有用的实现，称为拉曼显微光谱（RµS），将RS的化学分析能力与光学显微镜的空间分辨能力相结合，允许对固体或半固体样品进行化学成像或绘图。共同申请者在几个项目上合作了十多年，利用RµS研究活细胞和固定细胞和组织的化学成分和相关生理状态。例如，申请人正在努力开发基于RµS的方法，以无损地区分胚胎干细胞（ESC）及其在生长培养中的分化后代。这提供了一个有价值的工具，以帮助干细胞科学家分类和纯化这种混合培养和/或研究这些细胞对不同维持培养条件或方案的反应，这些条件或方案旨在指导分化为临床使用所需的组织类型。由于我们的仪器在UBC是独一无二的，在过去的6年里，代表3个院系7个不同部门的其他几位研究人员在矿物学，半导体，物理化学，制药，纸浆和造纸加工以及食品科学方面进行了自己的研究应用。这项多学科研究所依赖的仪器现在正处于无法使用的边缘，因为关键的激发光源加速退化，近红外激光器，专门为拉曼光谱优化。因此，申请人要求拨款购买这台已有7年历史的激光器的替代品，以便将现有仪器恢复到其全部功能状态。

Raman spectroscopy (RS) is an optical inelastic scattering technique that can be used to determine concentrations and conformations of biomolecules under a wide range of environmental/solution conditions. A particularly useful implementation of this technique, called Raman microspectroscopy (RµS), combines this chemical analysis capability of RS with the spatial resolving capability of an optical microscope allowing chemical imaging or mapping of solid or semi-solid samples. The co-applicants have collaborated for more than a decade on several projects exploiting RµS to study the chemical composition and related physiological states of living and fixed cells and tissues. For example, the applicants are working to develop methods based on RµS to nondestructively distinguish between embryonic stem cells (ESC) and their differentiating progeny in a growing culture. This provides a valuable tool to aid stem cell scientists sort and purify such mixed cultures and/or to study the response of these cells to different maintenance culture conditions or protocols designed to direct differentiation into a desired tissue type for clinical use. Because the capabilities of our instrument are unique at UBC, several other investigators representing 7 different departments in 3 faculties over the past 6 years have used it for their own research applications in mineralogy, semiconductors, physical chemistry, pharmacy, pulp & paper processing, and food science. The instrument on which this multidisciplinary research depends is now on the verge of becoming unusable due to accelerating degradation of the key excitation light source, a near-infrared laser, optimized specifically for Raman spectroscopy. The applicants are therefore requesting funds to purchase a replacement for this seven-year-old laser in order to restore the existing instrument to its fully functional state.