This project will establish an optimized imaging system that can achieve three dimensional imaging at 1-nm spatial resolution and will allow a comprehensive investigation of photophysical properties of DNA. This advance will allow the achievement of nanoscopic DNA imaging in living cells without extrinsic labeling under natural conditions. The PIs are actively involved in several excellent outreach programs, including the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, the Young Leadership Charter School, and the Poster Fair to promote local high school students to STEM programs?
An exciting new technology, spectroscopic photon localization microscopy (SPLM), was recently discovered by the PI and Co-PI where native DNA fluoresces and blinks under low level visible light excitation. This technology overcomes the limitations in traditional super-resolution microscopy technologies and opens new opportunities for studying biological macromolecules (such as proteins and DNA) without the need for labeling in a live cell environment. The potential for scientific discovery is significant and the impact broad.
