Abstract

The overall mission of the Developmental Resource for Biophysical Imaging and Opto-Electronics (DRBIO) consists of the creation, development and application of new instrumentation and analysis technologies for the visualization and measurement of dynamic cellular and molecular processes. Our current primary research areas are the development of Multi-Photon Excitation Laser Scanning Microscopy (MPELSM), a technique first demonstrated by our group in 1990, and applications of Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS), a technique also developed in this group 25 years ago which has recently found many new uses with the advent of inexpensive and powerful computers. The advantages of fluorescence imaging with multiphoton excitation include a substantial reduction of photobleaching and photodamage outside of the focal planes (due to the intensity squared dependence of the focused beam), deeper penetration of the excitation beam into thick, scattering samples, and the ability to excite UV dyes without the need for UV optics. We are an NCRR Resource and carry out collaborations with researchers in animal and plant biology, chemistry, physics and medicine here at Cornell and from other national and international universities. Our invention of the MPELSM has recently been licensed by BioRad Life Science's microscopy division and is now a commercial product. With assistance from Parallel Processing Resource for Biomedical Scientists at the Cornell Theory Center, collaborators and staff at DRBIO have developed routine methods using IBM Data Explorer software for the reconstruction and animation of 3D images from multiple image sections through a specimen.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Type
Biotechnology Resource Grants (P41)
Project #
5P41RR004293-08
Application #
6121986
Study Section
Project Start
1998-12-01
Project End
1999-11-30
Budget Start
1998-10-01
Budget End
1999-09-30
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Cornell University
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Ithaca
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14850

  Publications

Chiang, Chi-Tung; Shores, Kevin S; Freindorf, Marek et al. (2008) Size-restricted proton transfer within toluene-methanol cluster ions. J Phys Chem A 112:11559-65
Kazmierkiewicz, Rajmund; Liwo, Adam; Scheraga, Harold A (2003) Addition of side chains to a known backbone with defined side-chain centroids. Biophys Chem 100:261-80
Kazmierkiewicz, Rajmund; Liwo, Adam; Scheraga, Harold A (2002) Energy-based reconstruction of a protein backbone from its alpha-carbon trace by a Monte-Carlo method. J Comput Chem 23:715-23
Liwo, Adam; Arlukowicz, Piotr; Czaplewski, Cezary et al. (2002) A method for optimizing potential-energy functions by a hierarchical design of the potential-energy landscape: application to the UNRES force field. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99:1937-42
Scheraga, Harold A; Pillardy, Jaroslaw; Liwo, Adam et al. (2002) Evolution of physics-based methodology for exploring the conformational energy landscape of proteins. J Comput Chem 23:28-34
Scheraga, Harold A; Vila, Jorge A; Ripoll, Daniel R (2002) Helix-coil transitions re-visited. Biophys Chem 101-102:255-65
Pillardy, J; Arnautova, Y A; Czaplewski, C et al. (2001) Conformation-family Monte Carlo: a new method for crystal structure prediction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98:12351-6
Vila, J A; Ripoll, D R; Scheraga, H A (2001) Influence of lysine content and pH on the stability of alanine-based copolypeptides. Biopolymers 58:235-46
Pillardy, J; Czaplewski, C; Liwo, A et al. (2001) Recent improvements in prediction of protein structure by global optimization of a potential energy function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98:2329-33
Vila, J A; Ripoll, D R; Scheraga, H A (2000) Physical reasons for the unusual alpha-helix stabilization afforded by charged or neutral polar residues in alanine-rich peptides. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97:13075-9

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