Time-resolved spectroscopy for improved therapies and clinical interventions

Raman spectroscopy is a hugely informative technique for studying biological systems but its use is challenging because bulk background fluorescence often swamps the signal. We have developed a new type of detector employing Single Photon Avalanche Diodes that can be used to separate Raman photons from fluorescence photons on the basis of their arrival time. The successful applicant will investigate the use of this detector (incorporated into an imaging system) to separate Raman and Fluorescence for the assessment of liver health prior to transplant (where fluorescence dominates Raman signals associated with metabolic changes that may lead to transplant rejection), and for organ-on-chip devices where Raman gives complementary information to fluorescence e.g. correlating redox potential and pH with protein expression and activity.