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。这项技术的一个特别有用的实施称为拉曼显微光谱(RµS)，它结合了RS的这种化学分析能力和光学显微镜的空间分辨率能力，可以对固体或半固体样品进行化学成像或测绘。共同申请者已经在几个项目上合作了十多年，利用R？S研究活的和固定的细胞和组织的化学成分和相关的生理状态。例如，申请者正在努力开发基于RµS的方法，在生长培养中无损区分胚胎干细胞及其分化后代。这为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提供了有价值的工具，这些条件或方案旨在指导分化为临床所需的组织类型。由于我们仪器的能力在不列颠哥伦比亚大学是独一无二的，在过去的6年里，代表3个学院7个不同系的其他几名研究人员将其用于自己在矿物学、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，原因是关键激发光源--专门针对拉曼光谱进行了优化的近红外激光器--加速退化。因此，申请者申请资金，为这台已有7年历史的激光器购买一个替代品，以便将现有仪器恢复到完全正常工作的状态。

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.