Advancing Biomedical Research with FTIR Spectroscopic Imaging
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Chemical Engineering
Abstract
The research programme for this Fellowship for Dr. Chan will focus on applications of Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging to study biomedical samples. These will include gastrointestinal (GI) tissue, skin, bone and other biomedical tissues. The Fellowship will include research at Imperial College London, one of the leading centres in applications of FTIR imaging, and Rutgers University, one of the leading centres on the use of FTIR imaging for analysis of biomedical samples. The programme of work will also include interaction with physical and medical scientists, bioengineers, pharmacists and medical doctors working in hospitals. The FTIR spectroscopic imaging has a number of advantages compared with many other currently used imaging methods. The chemical specificity is the main advantage of this method but spatial resolution and acquisition time is also sufficient for studies of heterogeneous biomedical samples. The Fellowship will allow Dr. Chan to develop underlining methodology for applications of FTIR imaging to biomedical samples; the studies will include tests of applicability and exploring of sensitivity levels in applications of FTIR imaging to biomedical tissues.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Ka Chan (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Andanson JM
(2009)
High-throughput spectroscopic imaging applied to permeation through the skin.
in Applied spectroscopy
Andrew Chan KL
(2007)
Chemical imaging of the stratum corneum under controlled humidity with the attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method.
in Journal of biomedical optics
Andrew Chan KL
(2008)
A coordinated approach to cutaneous wound healing: vibrational microscopy and molecular biology.
in Journal of cellular and molecular medicine
Chan K
(2006)
Macro FTIR imaging in transmission under a controlled environment
in Vibrational Spectroscopy
Chan KL
(2008)
A novel approach for study of in situ diffusion in human hair using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic imaging.
in Applied spectroscopy
Kazarian SG
(2006)
Applications of ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging to biomedical samples.
in Biochimica et biophysica acta
Kuimova MK
(2009)
Chemical imaging of live cancer cells in the natural aqueous environment.
in Applied spectroscopy
Randle WL
(2007)
Integrated 3-dimensional expansion and osteogenic differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells.
in Tissue engineering
Zhang G
(2008)
Biomedical Vibrational Spectroscopy
| Description | The combination of ATR FTIR imaging with a controlled environment cell allows the study of hydration of biological samples. We have also demonstrated that it is possible to monitor permeation of solvent such as ethanol into the skin as a function of time. Multivariate method such as principle component analysis was also applied to analyse the imaging data which is particularly useful to extract information that may be otherwise difficult to obtain. This technology was further exploited to demonstrate the capability of performing high throughput study of permeation of 12 different formulations through skin simultaneously. In order to extend the applications of the imaging method, opportunity to perform depth profiling with imaging using variable angle of incidence and combined ATR FTIR imaging with mapping to obtain a large area of field of view without sacrificing on spatial resolution has been explored. FTIR imaging was also being utilised to study permeation of molecules into cross section of human hair. Specific protocol to perform this kind of experiment has been developed which involved the handling of the microtomed hair cross section and sealing the single hair cross section in a liquid flow cell. Micro and macro ATR FTIR imaging has been applied to study live human cancerous cells in aqueous environment. Imaging of live cells has been realised by seeding and growing cells directly onto ATR crystals coated with very thin layer of poly-L-lysine. We have demonstrated that it is possible to resolve different cell organelles inside a live cell with the micro-ATR imaging method and the result has been compared with fluorescent stained image. It has also been demonstrated that it is possible to monitor the decrease in the intracellular concentration of glycogen during cell starvation using the ATR FTIR imaging approach. The main advantage of this approach is that it requires no external labelling that may interferes the natural behaviour of cells whilst the distribution of various components can be tracked simultaneously. During the year at Rutgers University in USA, human skin wound healing process was studied using Confocal Raman spectroscopy and FTIR imaging in collaboration with hospital researchers and medical scientists. It is a novel approach to track changes in the major skin proteins and their spatial distribution during wound healing. The results have demonstrated the potential of mapping the distribution of different proteins and their specific types, which only present at various stages of the wound healing process. The spectroscopic data has been analysed using multivariate method (factor analysis) and the results have been compared to immunofluorescent staining. Overall, spectroscopic imaging has shown to be a valuable tool to study biomedical and biological samples and the objective of this proposed research has been successfully achieved. |
| Exploitation Route | The UK medical community and society as a whole will ultimately benefit from the results obtained in this project. The proposed research is generic and focused on the development of spectroscopic imaging applications to biomedical samples. This research could lead to better diagnostic tools in detecting particular changes in the tissues which can be used in monitoring patients or identification of early stages of diseases. The specific chemical information provided by FTIR imaging will assist in understanding of effects of various factors, including drugs, on the processes (chemical and morphological changes) in the particular tissue. Academic community (both medical and spectroscopic) will benefit from results on novel applications of spectroscopic imaging to biomedical samples. Biomedical and spectroscopic companies (analytical instrumentation) will benefit since the outcome of this generic project could be commercialised for adoption by hospitals and other medical organisation. |
| Sectors | Chemicals,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | In this project, we have developed a number of new advancements in FTIR imaging method for biomedical samples so that the applicability of this imaging method is now broaden. Specifically, we have developed methods to study skin and hair samples for molecular diffusion analysis, skin wound healing, protein crystallisation and live cells imaging. While some of these research lay the foundations for future societal and economic impact some of these impacts are begin to show. For examples, the development of measuring the diffusion of small molecules in hair cross section is being used by a personal product company in the development of new products. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2008 |
| Sector | Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |