About This Webinar
Micro-spectroscopy is an ever developing modality for new and exciting research in the areas of nano-technology and bioscience. This webinar will look at modular approaches to microspectroscopy and how it is being applied in a range of research areas such as micro-luminescent and plasmonic studies on nano-structures to its use in studies of live-cell and tissue analysis.
The modular approach to micro-spectroscopy is where individual components such as a spectrograph, microscope, detector, light sources and so on are taken and integrated into a single working system – usually carried out by the researchers themselves.
The integration of noble metal nanoparticles into discrete clusters or extended structures provides new possibilities for tailoring optical near- and far-field responses through control of the geometry of the assembly and the separation between the nanoparticles.
Micro-spectroscopy is a valuable tool to characterize localized surface plasmon resonances and to probe electromagnetic interactions in assemblies of noble metal nanoparticles. This webinar will give an introduction into relevant elastic and inelastic scattering spectroscopies for plasmonic materials science and reviews selected applications in diverse areas ranging from plasmonically enhanced sensing to monitoring the spatial receptor clustering on cellular surfaces.
Advances in our understanding of the molecular biology of cells have led to a revolution in the treatment of many diseases, development of a wide range of therapies, as well as fundamental understanding of the links between cell biochemistry and biological function. Raman spectroscopy can provide detailed biochemical information in biological samples without using labelling or other invasive procedures and be suitable for dynamic molecular processes in live cells.
The talk will introduce the main features of spontaneous Raman microscopy for biomedical studies. and focus on Label-free studies of live cells and tissue imaging based on selective-sampling Raman spectroscopy.
Key Learning Objectives
• Micro-spectroscopy as a tool for characterizing plasmonic nanoparticle assemblies
• How micro-spectroscopy has revolutionised the treatment of diseases
Speakers -
Ioan Notingher
Ioan is Associate Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nottingham, and an EPSRC Established Career Fellow. He has established the Biophotonics Group at Nottingham, an interdisciplinary research group working at the Physical and Life sciences interface. His research focuses on optical microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, in particular Raman microscopy, for studies of biological materials, cells and tissues.
Bjoern Reinhard
Björn M. Reinhard is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and the Director of the Nano-Bio Interface Laboratory of the Photonics Center at Boston University. His research interests include fundamental aspects of photonic and plasmonic nanomaterials as well as their integration into enabling tools for investigating living systems and cellular processes.
Gerald Cairns
Gerald Cairns is an applications specialist for the physical sciences at Andor Technology, Belfast, with particular interest in spectroscopic and time resolved applications. He has formerly worked in academic research where his research interests included high-temperature plasma physics, X-rays, thin-film transducers and plasmonics.