Award Abstract #0619645
MRI:Development of a CARS Microscope for Molecular Vibration-Selective Measurements

NSF Org:	CHE Division of Chemistry
Initial Amendment Date:	August 22, 2006
Latest Amendment Date:	August 22, 2006
Award Number:	0619645
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Carlos A. Murillo CHE Division of Chemistry MPS Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences
Start Date:	September 1, 2006
Expires:	August 31, 2009 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$792665
Investigator(s):	Norbert Scherer nfschere@uchicago.edu (Principal Investigator) Justin Jureller (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	University of Chicago 5801 South Ellis Avenue Chicago, IL 60637 773/702-8602
NSF Program(s):	CHEMICAL INSTRUMENTATION, OFFICE OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY AC, MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):	OTHR, 1938, 0000
Program Element Code(s):	1938, 1253, 1189

ABSTRACT

With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Instrument Development Program, the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities Program and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Chicago will develop a Coherent Anti Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) Microscope for studying molecular vibrations of condensed biomaterials. This equipment will be used to study lipid membranes, cell interactions, biogenisis, vesicle transport, cell protein- support interactions, cell mobility and dynamics, and cell morphology.

The CARS microscope is a high resolution imaging method that generates an optical image of a material by probing the vibrational resonances of the molecular fragments intrinsic to the substance being investigated. It is a very useful for probing materials such as biological cells and tissues since it is a non-invasive technique that does not use tags or dyes to produce the image. Such materials are especially responsive to the technique of Raman spectroscopy that underlies the imaging mechanism since biomaterials have diverse vibrational spectroscopy properties that can allow chemical characterization of the spot being probed. The microscope being developed in this project will have a fast response capability allowing the dynamical study of changes occuring in the biomaterial. The microscope will be housed in the NanoBiology Facility at the University of Chicago, a shared use facility, providing access for a large number of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. This will enhance their interdiscipinary training with a new methodology.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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2. Qing Guo, Justin E. Jureller, Julia T. Warren, Elena Solomaha, Jan Florián, and Wei-Jen Tang.  "?Protein-protein docking and analysis reveal that two homologous bacterial adenylyl cyclase toxins interact with calmodulin differently,?,"  Journal of Biological Chemistry,  v.283,  2008,  p. 23836.


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