Advanced Nonlinear Imaging of Molecular Structures
ANIMOS-consortium

Kauranen Martti, TUT, Ikonen Elina, UH, Pettersson Mika, JyU

The ANIMOS Consortium combines the expertise of three leading groups in a highly interdisciplinary and synergistic collaboration to develop advanced techniques for nonlinear microscopy. The general objective of the Consortium is to develop new microscopic techniques, which are based on detailed understanding of the physical contrast mechanisms behind nonlinear imaging modalities. The techniques will utilize polarization properties of laser beams and time-resolved measurements on the femtosecond scale. They will be verified using model samples consisting of single molecules, molecular assemblies, thin films, and biological membranes, and will then be applied to real biological materials consisting of cells and tissues. Lipids will be of particular interest. The partners of the ANIMOS Consortium have complementary backgrounds in optical physics, physical chemistry, and biomedicine, which is a prerequisite for the proposed research.