Cardiff University Experimental Equipment
Lead Research Organisation:
Cardiff University
Department Name: Research and Commercial Division
Publications
Bennett D
(2015)
Exploratory data analysis of the Large Scale Gas Injection Test (Lasgit) dataset, focusing on 'second-order' events around macro-scale gas flows
in Geological Society, London, Special Publications
Boorman D
(2021)
Hyperspectral CARS microscopy and quantitative unsupervised analysis of deuterated and non-deuterated fatty acid storage in human cells
in The Journal of Chemical Physics
Boorman D
(2021)
Quantification of the nonlinear susceptibility of the hydrogen and deuterium stretch vibration for biomolecules in coherent Raman micro-spectroscopy.
in Journal of Raman spectroscopy : JRS
Giannakopoulou N
(2020)
Four-wave-mixing microscopy reveals non-colocalisation between gold nanoparticles and fluorophore conjugates inside cells.
in Nanoscale
Hamilton S
(2022)
Sizing individual dielectric nanoparticles with quantitative differential interference contrast microscopy.
in The Analyst
Langbein W
(2018)
Invited Article: Heterodyne dual-polarization epi-detected CARS microscopy for chemical and topographic imaging of interfaces
in APL Photonics
| Title | Contemporary Dance OPTO-NANO |
| Description | The professional dancer and choreographer Jack Philp created a dance piece inspired by the research in my laboratory, with funding from the Arts Council Wales. This resulted in a showcase performance at the National dance House in Cardiff in November 2019 and in a video posted in social media. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | The work has attracted considerable interest in social media. Several members of the general public attended the performance showcase which was followed by a question and answer session in which I had the opportunity to explain my research to the wider public. With the coreographer we plan to bring this forward into a dance tour and we are seeking further funding. |
| URL | http://www.jackphilpdance.co.uk/opto-nano |
| Description | With this award we have designed and built a 'third generation' multiphoton microscope which enables label-free chemically-specific Coherent Raman Scattering (CRS) microscopy in living cells and tissues over a wider vibrational frequency range and with reduced photodamage compared to previous generation systems. CRS functionalities are complemented by confocal point and line-scan Raman imaging. The multimodal platform also enables label-free second harmonic generation (SHG) and third-harmonic generation (THG) imaging, as well as background-free sensitive imaging of single small metallic nanoparticles via resonant four-wave mixing (FWM) in the same instrument. Moreover, it includes state-of-the art fluorescence modalities, namely two-photon fluorescence (TPF), fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), as well as super-resolution microscopy. |
| Exploitation Route | This platform will enable rapid label-free chemically-specific microscopy of biomaterials (lipids, proteins, DNA) and advanced materials including nanodiamonds, carbon nanotubes, graphene, polymers, and semiconductor nanostructures. It will also enable background-free microscopy of single metallic nanoparticles, even when embedded in highly scattering/fluorescing environments such as cells and tissues, and fluorescence microscopy of labelled biomolecules including super-resolution single-molecule localisation microscopy. These capabilities will support on-going research at the forefront of existing technologies across several major groups at Cardiff University, and in the UK. |
| Sectors | Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | The imaging and research capabilities enabled by this equipment have been used to strengthen collaborations with microscope manufacturer and pharmaceutical companies in the UK and Europe. This has led to a number of new funded projects, including a major European network with four industrial partners, one filed patent application, and a creative outreach activity with the arts. |
| Sector | Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | A label-free tool to unravel the dynamics of lipid bilayers containing single membrane proteins: iGOR microscopy |
| Amount | £151,136 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/R021899/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2019 |
| End | 04/2020 |
| Description | A novel imaging approach to track brain cancer metabolism - ISSF3 Collaboration Panel: Cross-Disciplinary Award, Cardiff University |
| Amount | £22,545 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2019 |
| End | 04/2020 |
| Description | Creating super-scattering Raman-active genetically encoded proteins |
| Amount | £198,490 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/V048147/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2021 |
| End | 06/2022 |
| Description | Lipid droplets in oocytes: shedding new light on why fats are good or bad for development. |
| Amount | £472,355 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/P007511/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2017 |
| End | 03/2020 |
| Description | Multiphoton Microscopy and Ultrafast Spectroscopy: Imaging meets Quantum (MUSIQ) |
| Amount | € 4,034,447 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 812922 |
| Organisation | Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | Global |
| Start | 03/2019 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | Non-invasive chemically-specific imaging of lung inflammation |
| Amount | £24,984 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | UKRI Technology Touching Life IBIN |
| Organisation | King's College London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2021 |
| End | 10/2021 |
| Description | Royal Society Challenge Grant Awards |
| Amount | £91,269 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | CH160031 |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2016 |
| End | 12/2017 |
| Description | Science Committee - Multidisciplinary Project Award |
| Amount | £403,597 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | C368/A22099 |
| Organisation | Cancer Research UK |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2016 |
| End | 07/2019 |
| Description | TTL Integrated Biological Imaging Network Pump-priming Project: A novel correlative light electron microscopy (CLEM) technique to unravel the nano-toxicology of single gold nanoparticles in terrestrial isopods |
| Amount | £24,808 (GBP) |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Department | Technology Touching Life |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2019 |
| End | 03/2020 |
| Description | Tracking the motion of single nanoparticles inside living cells: New insights into intracellular crowdedness |
| Amount | £80,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EPSRC DTP account |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2021 |
| End | 06/2024 |
| Description | Unravelling the dynamics of lipid bilayers and membrane proteins and their reaction to toxins and viral infection on the single molecule level using label-free microscopy |
| Amount | £80,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EPSRC DTP account |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2020 |
| End | 03/2024 |
| Description | CRS on organoids with Cellesce |
| Organisation | Cellesce Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Expertise in optical microscopy technology developments beyond state of the art, in particular label-free microscopy based on Coherent Raman Scattering, and associated quantitative image analysis. Application of CRS microscopy to organoid samples provided by the company. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Cellesce has a patented technology for the expansion of human-derived "organoids" at scale for high-throughput screening in the pharmaceutical industry. Organoids are 3D clusters of cells, derived from patient biopsies, typically from tumours, that accurately represent the architecture and physiology of the original tissue. When grown on a commercial scale, organoids represent a new, improved and transformational, model for drug discovery and for clinical and academic research. In this partnership, Cellesce is providing us with living and fixed organoids samples, to be investigated with our optical microscopy technologies beyond state of the art. |
| Impact | Presentations at conferences and meetings. New grant applications. The collaboration is multi-disciplinary at the physics-life sciences interface. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Title | ANALYSING NANO-OBJECTS |
| Description | Methods and apparatus for analysis of nano-objects using wide-field bright field transmission techniques are described. Such methods may comprise acquiring a plurality of images of a sample (124) comprising a plurality of nano-objects using bright field illumination via a continuously variable spectral filter (114), and identifying a nano-object within the sample in the plurality of images, wherein the position of the nano-object changes between images. Using data extracted from the plurality of images, an extinction cross-section of the identified nano-object may be quantitatively determined. |
| IP Reference | WO2019020975 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2019 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | This development has resulted in a number of research papers that have been published in high quality international journals. We are seeking to engage with companies manufacturing analytical instrumentation to licence the IP. |
| Title | 3rd gen multiphoton microscope |
| Description | We have designed and built a 'third generation' multiphoton microscope which enables label-free chemically-specific Coherent Antistokes Raman Scattering (CARS) microscopy and Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) over a wider vibrational frequency range and with reduced photodamage compared to previous generation systems. CARS and SRS functionalities are complemented by confocal point and line-scan Raman imaging. The multimodal platform also enables label-free second harmonic generation (SHG) and third-harmonic generation (THG) imaging, as well as background-free sensitive imaging of single small metallic nanoparticles (NPs) via resonant four-wave mixing (FWM) in the same instrument and includes state-of-the art fluorescence modalities, namely two-photon fluorescence (TPF), fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). |
| Type Of Technology | Physical Model/Kit |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | The instrument has already enabled to generate further funding through successful grant proposals. |
| URL | http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research-equipment/facilities/view/biophotonics-laboratory |
| Title | Heterodyne CARS microscopy |
| Description | We have developed a novel label-free technique based on chemical imaging via coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy using a dual-polarization balanced heterodyne detection in epi-geometry (eH-CARS). This technique provides a unique combination of background-free chemically-specific image contrast for nanoparticles and interfaces, shot-noise limited detection, and phase sensitivity. |
| Type Of Technology | New/Improved Technique/Technology |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | This new technique could prove instrumental to investigate the chemical composition of thin films with high spatial resolution, topographic sensitivity, and label-free. It could be a powerful tool to study single lipid bilayers, including model and cellular membranes, as well as single nanoparticles. |
| Title | Single particle tracking via four-wave-mixing optical vortex interferometry |
| Description | We have developed and demonstrated a new four-wave-mixing interferometry technique, whereby the position of a single nonfluorescing gold nanoparticle is determined with nanometric precision in 3D from rapid single-point measurements at 1-ms acquisition time by exploiting optical vortices. The technique is also uniquely sensitive to particle asymmetries of only 0.5% ellipticity, corresponding to a single atomic layer of gold, as well as particle orientation. This method opens new ways of unraveling single-particle trafficking within complex 3D architectures. |
| Type Of Technology | New/Improved Technique/Technology |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | Ultimately, this new method paves the way towards a new form of single-particle tracking, where not only the nanoparticle position but also its asymmetry, orientation, and chirality are detected with submillisecond time resolution, revealing much more information about the nanoparticle and its complex dynamics (e.g., hindered rotation) while moving and interacting within a disordered 3D environment. As such it can have many applications in physical science systems (e.g. diffusion in complex liquids and gels, liquid crystals) and in the life sciences (single-molecule intra-cellular trafficking). |
| Description | BioNanoPhotonics Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | This is a scientific symposium that I organise every two years, with international invited speakers and participation from industry and postgraduate students. We started having 40 delegates in 2011 and reached 80 delegates in 2015. The event has sparked many scientific discussions and further collaboration with industry among the delegates. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2013,2015,2017 |
| URL | http://www.bionanophoto.org.uk/ |
| Description | Contemporary Dance project OPTO NANO |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In collaboration with a contemporary dance professional choreographer Jack Philp, an outreach project was started aimed at creating a dance piece inspired by the biophotonics research in my lab. Jack was awarded a grant from the Arts Council Wales to work on the creation of the piece which was showcased at an open rehearsal to the public at the National Dance House in Cardiff in November 2019. The work is titled OPTO-NANO and resulted in a promotional video and posting on social media. Jack is working toward expanding the work into a tour and we are seeking further funding. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | http://www.jackphilpdance.co.uk/opto-nano |
| Description | Petrus PhD Conference 2015, France |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Dr S Tripathy, Senior Lecturer, Geoenvironmental Research Centre delivered a special Lecture - Modelling the coupled physical and chemical processes in engineered barrier systems in relation to safety analysis/assessment, at Pertus PhD Conference at Nancy during 22nd - 26th June 2015. Discussions followed by the lecture included topics of significant relevance to advanced testing techniques associated with nuclear waste disposal and implementation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://petrus2015.strikingly.com/ |