This proposal aims to facilitate the development of innovative imaging technologies to target specific intracellular materials. The use of CARS microscopy, which inherently involves a third order optical susceptibility, allows for three-dimensional imaging, which is similar in resolution to that achieved with two-photon fluorescence microscopy, but without the need for the introduction of fluorescent dye molecules. In this research program, we plan to use lasers that take advantage of electronic resonance for intensity enhancement, as well as to utilize the vibrational signatures associated with individual cellular components (such as lipid membrane, structural proteins, and heme proteins, etc.) to image the dynamics of specific cellular processes. The approach outlined here will allow us to image the dynamic changes that take place in cellular structures, such as mitochondria, as they evolve during processes like apoptosis and mitosis. These studies will be conducted on both healthy and diseased (or stressed) cells in order to understand the underlying effects of disease on these fundamental processes and how they are related to human health.
