3-D upgrade to a hyperspectral dark field microscope

3D 升级为高光谱暗视野显微镜

• 批准号: RTI-2021-00220
• 负责人: Brolo, Alexandre
• 金额: $ 10.93万
• 依托单位: University of Victoria
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=718819
• 关键词: upgrade; hyperspectral; dark; field; microscope

This proposal seeks resources for an urgent upgrade to our dark field hyperspectral microscope. A dark field microscope allows image of even nanoscopic objects, such as nanoparticles, while also recording their scattering characteristics. Our current system is used by more than 20 researchers from different research groups in science and in engineering. However, the current system only allows 2D (planar) imaging, which is a serious impediment to various of the research projects already being developed. The upgrade will allow 3D imaging (sectioning and depth profiling (tens of micrometers deep)) which is essential to enable visualization and location of nano-objects in a variety of systems, including living cells, tissues, bacteria, gels and polymeric particles. The research projects that will be possible due to the upgrade include a protocol to increase the efficiency of cancer radiotherapy through the introduction of metallic nanoparticles in the tumour site. Novel metallic nanoparticles will be fabricated and introduced to cancer cells that will be subsequently subject to various radiation doses. This will allow the development of probes that will improve the outcomes of radiotherapy, one of the most used methods for cancer treatment. The uptake of nanoparticles by biological systems will also be investigated using a novel polymer metal nanoparticle composite, which has the potential to deliver drugs directly to tumour sites. This will support the development of new vehicles for smart drug treatments that will also improve outcomes of cancer therapy. The upgraded system will enable this research by providing the proper characterization (location) of the nanoparticles within the cells. Beyond cancer research, the new upgrade will also be used to visualize in 3D the interaction between bacteria and cell membranes and the time dependent behaviour of molecular systems in gel networks. This type of information will be useful to the understanding of the mechanism of diseases and it will drive the development of target drugs to fight the spread of infections.

该提案寻求紧急升级到我们黑暗场高光谱显微镜的资源。暗场显微镜允许纳米镜对象（例如纳米颗粒）的图像，同时还记录其散射特性。来自科学和工程领域的不同研究小组的20多位研究人员使用了我们当前的系统。但是，当前系统仅允许2D（平面）成像，这是对已经开发的各种研究项目的严重障碍。升级将允许3D成像（切片和深度分析（深度深）），这对于在包括活细胞，组织，细菌，凝胶和聚合物颗粒在内的各种系统中的可视化和位置至关重要。由于升级而导致的研究项目包括通过在肿瘤部位引入金属纳米颗粒来提高癌症放射疗法效率的方案。新型的金属纳米颗粒将被制造并引入癌细胞，随后将受到各种辐射剂量。这将允许开发探针，以改善放射疗法的结果，这是癌症治疗最常用的方法之一。还将使用一种新型的聚合物金属纳米颗粒复合材料来研究生物系统对纳米颗粒的摄取，该纳米粒子复合材料有可能直接将药物直接输送到肿瘤部位。这将支持开发用于智能药物治疗的新车辆，这也将改善癌症治疗的结果。升级的系统将通过提供细胞内纳米颗粒的适当表征（位置）来实现这项研究。除了癌症研究之外，新的升级还将在3D中可视化细菌与细胞膜之间的相互作用以及分子系统在凝胶网络中的时间依赖性行为。这种类型的信息将有助于理解疾病机制，它将推动目标药物的发展以抵抗感染的传播。