3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

The overarching objective of this course is to understand, employ and innovate molecular spectroscopy and optical imaging tools. The emphasis will be to bridge the domain between molecular spectroscopy, which provides exquisite chemical information, and the imaging capabilities of microscopy to seamlessly traverse between structural and biochemical spaces. The course will build on the foundational principles of light-matter interactions and an understanding of light sources, geometrical and wave optics, and detectors. Using vibrational and fluorescence spectroscopy as the tools of choice, we will discuss the design and fabrication of molecular reporters that offer unprecedented sensitivity, specificity and multiplexing capabilities in imaging of live biological specimen. Finally, we will learn about spectral and image-processing algorithms that have fundamentally changed the nature and quantity of useful information and have directly lead to breakthroughs in super-resolution imaging and multi-modal image fusion. All through the course, the focus will be on the underlying concepts and physical insights as we navigate through a diverse array of biophotonics applications.