Events
Past Event
BME Seminar Series: Dr. Lu Wei
McCormick - Biomedical Engineering Department (BME)
4:00 PM
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Tech M345, Technological Institute
Details
"Functional Bond-Selective Microscopy for Subcellular Biology: From Quantitative Imaging and Sensing to Single-Molecule Analysis"
ABSTRACT:
Advances in optical spectroscopy and microscopy have revolutionized our understanding in live biological functions at the sub-cellular levels. In this seminar, I will present our recent efforts in developing and applying next-generation bond-selective spectro-microscopy for retrieving functional chemical information in live cells and neurons. I will first discuss the coupling of the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) imaging, a nonlinear Raman imaging modality, with newly developed biorthogonal chemical strategies for quantitative subcellular analysis of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases and for intracellular local environmental sensing through alkyne- hydrogen–deuterium exchange (Alkyne-HDX). I will then present a new mid-infrared near-infrared double-resonance imaging technique, BonFIRE, for bond-selective fluorescence imaging with single-molecule sensitivity. This microscopy platform should allow new capabilities for wide-field super-multiplex imaging and vibrational life-time imaging for sensing heterogeneous cellular interactions and environment.
BIO:
Lu obtained her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 2015 and joined the faculty at Caltech as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry in 2018. Her group works on developing and applying next-generation vibrational imaging techniques to quantitatively investigate the intracellular biophysical and biochemical processes with an emphasis on neuronal metabolism; multiplex live-cell imaging; functional vibrational imaging and sensing with down to single molecule sensitivity. Lu has been recently recognized by the 2020 NIH Director's New Innovator Award, the 2022 Sloan Research Fellowship, the 2022 Vallee Scholar Award, the 2023 NSF CAREER award, and the 2024 BPS Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award. Lu is also a Heritage Medical Research Institute (HMRI) Investigator at Caltech.
Time
Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
Tech M345, Technological Institute Map
Contact
Calendar
McCormick - Biomedical Engineering Department (BME)
Computational enhanced multicontrast imaging of organoids and in vivo mouse brain - Xi Chen, PhD
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)
12:00 PM
Details
Abstract
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and computational imaging are reshaping the way we visualize and quantify biological systems. Quantitative phase imaging (QPI), in particular, provides label-free, nanoscale-sensitive contrast, with pixel values directly tied to intrinsic cellular properties, making it an ideal modality for generating high-fidelity training data for AI-driven biological analysis.
In this talk, I will highlight our recent efforts to fuse computational tools with next-generation QPI hardware. We developed artificial confocal microscopy, a label-free 3D imaging approach that delivers confocal-like axial resolution and molecular specificity in complex biological structures such as spheroids and organoids. Building on this platform, we introduced an AI-driven method for evaluating embryo health by integrating multimodal imaging data.
I will also present our integration of QPI with multiphoton microscopy for deep in vivo tissue imaging. To address the challenges of high-resolution label-free deep imaging in the mouse brain, we developed Scattering-Enabled Epi Quantitative Phase Imaging (SEEQPI), a technique that combines long-wavelength illumination, confocal sectioning, and phase-shifting interferometry to achieve deep tissue penetration with enhanced contrast. SEEQPI’s laser-scanning, common-path architecture ensures stable, high-sensitivity phase measurements at low excitation powers, significantly reducing photodamage and enabling longitudinal imaging studies in live murine models.
About Xi (Dawn) Chen
Xi Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. Her lab develops next-generation optical imaging modalities and computational algorithms to study a wide range of living systems, including cell cultures, organoids, tissues, and live animals. Prior to joining Northwestern, Dr. Chen was a K99/R00 awardee at Cornell University, where she worked in Dr. Chris Xu’s group on three-photon imaging. She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Dr. Gabriel Popescu’s Quantitative Light Imaging Laboratory. Dr. Chen earned her Ph.D. in 2019 from the University of Miami, where she studied light propagation and scattering in complex media in Dr. Olga Korotkova’s lab.
Time
Friday, June 27, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Contact
Calendar
Center for Physical Genomics and Engineering (CPGE)