Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscope Required for Nanoplasmonics Research Lab

所要求的近场扫描光学显微镜（NSOM）将在维多利亚大学纳米等离子体研究实验室的研究项目中发挥重要作用。该基础设施将用于开发近场显微镜的新方法，包括单分子水平的超灵敏拉曼和荧光研究，以及纳米粒子（个位数纳米尺寸）的光学捕获和操作。这些方法是基于Gordon博士最近在实现可靠的单分子拉曼和展示单个蛋白质的光学捕获和展开方面的研究成果；然而，如果没有所需的基础设施，将不可能将这些成功转化为近场显微镜和操作领域。所要求的基础设施拥有NSOM成像所需的所有模式，并将被充分利用（即全天候），并成为Gordon博士团队HQP研究项目的核心，包括他在2012年获得的发现基金中概述的2个博士项目。NSOM还将加强戈登博士在加拿大和国外纳米等离子体领域的现有合作，预计与该仪器相关的NSOM新方法将为加拿大带来潜在经济利益的知识产权。

The requested near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) will serve an essential role to the research program of the Nanoplasmonics Research Lab at the University of Victoria. The infrastructure will be used in the development of new approaches to near-field microscopy, including ultra-sensitive Raman and fluorescence studies at the single molecule level, and optical trapping and manipulation of nanoparticles (of single digit nanometer size). These approaches are based on Dr. Gordon's recent research results in achieving reliable single molecule Raman and in demonstrating optical trapping and unfolding of single proteins; however, without the requested infrastructure, it will be impossible to translate these successes into the domain of near-field microscopy and manipulation. The requested infrastructure has all of the required modalities of NSOM imaging, and will be fully utilized (i.e., round-the-clock) and central to the research projects of HQP in Dr. Gordon's group, including 2 PhD projects as outlined in his Discovery Grant awarded in 2012. The NSOM will also strengthen Dr. Gordon's existing collaborations in Canada and abroad in the area of nanoplasmonics, and it is expected that the new approaches to NSOM that relate to this instrument will yield intellectual property of potential economic benefit to Canada.