{"id":8332,"date":"2020-04-30T15:21:16","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T15:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coolled.com\/?post_type=interviews&p=8332"},"modified":"2021-02-17T08:54:04","modified_gmt":"2021-02-17T08:54:04","slug":"under-the-microscope-6-investigating-280-nm-leds-in-biomedical-optical-imaging","status":"publish","type":"interviews","link":"https:\/\/www.coolled.com\/interviews\/under-the-microscope-6-investigating-280-nm-leds-in-biomedical-optical-imaging\/","title":{"rendered":"Under the Microscope #6: Investigating 280 nm LEDs in biomedical optical imaging"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A PhD project investigating 280 nm LEDs in biomedical optical imaging<\/h3>\n

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Meet the Experts<\/h3>\n

\"Mollie\"<\/p>\n

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Mollie McFarlane,<\/strong> PhD student, University of Strathclyde<\/p>\n

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Email: mollie.mcfarlane@strath.ac.uk
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Deep-UV LEDs have many potential applications in biomedical science. Together with Medical Research Scotland, CoolLED sponsors a PhD project on this topic in Professor Gail McConnell\u2019s research group, in the department of Physics at the University of Strathclyde.<\/h4>\n

In this interview, PhD student Mollie McFarlane tells us about her project and recently published paper which introduces a fluorescence-based method for characterising deep-UV LEDs.<\/h4>\n

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Tell us about yourself<\/h3>\n

I came to Strathclyde to study for a degree in physics. My first introduction to the biological side of physics was my undergraduate project with the Photophysics Group, where I developed gold nanorod-based biosensors for cancer detection in blood samples.<\/p>\n

The nanoparticle synthesis was my favourite aspect, and I\u2019m hoping I\u2019ll get to do some quantum dot synthesis soon. It also gave me a good background for my PhD. I wasn\u2019t 100% sure whether to do a PhD, but when I saw this project, I thought if I\u2019m going to do one it has to be this one because it was so relevant to my previous studies.<\/p>\n

The research group I\u2019m now part of is quite unique in the fact we belong to the Physics department and are based within the Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences building. Our group contains a mixture of people with backgrounds in biology and physics. There is a lot of diverse work going on around both departments, and we are really strong in biophysics.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your PhD all about?<\/h3>\n

The main goal of my PhD is to find the best way of integrating a 280 nm LED into a fluorescence microscope and explore its applications. Usually with a visible spectrum LED we just use the epifluorescence port, but with deep-UV LEDs it\u2019s not so simple. UV transmits very poorly through glass, so it\u2019s very difficult to get any UV light to the sample. I also want to investigate the potential applications for biomedical imaging. The 280 nm wavelength has been used before in label-free imaging applications, and it overlaps with the excitation spectrum of amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine, which autofluoresce.1<\/sup><\/a> There is also the technique known as microscopy with ultraviolet surface excitation (MUSE), which uses 280 nm to image the surface of tissue.2<\/sup><\/a> I\u2019d like to investigate the impact of this wavelength on cells. Can cells withstand this radiation and for how long can we image? I\u2019m particularly interested in nanotechnology, so I\u2019m hoping to bring this into the project by using quantum dots as fluorescent labels. These have a lot of advantages over standard fluorophores. I\u2019m hoping I can demonstrate an advantage in using this lower wavelength in live cells and maybe an increased resolution which can be exploited for biomedical applications.<\/p>\n

What does your research paper explain?<\/h3>\n

Characterising deep-UV LEDs previously involved a lot of specialised, expensive equipment, which was the main issue: you\u2019d need a UV-extended integrating sphere\/spectrometer and a camera that can detect in the UV. I found the most accessible way to characterise the emission pattern of a deep-UV LED was to use fluorescence to convert the UV light into visible light so it could be detected by a standard camera. I did this using a block of agarose embedded with fluorescein because it has quite a broad excitation spectrum. There is no specialist or expensive equipment required: just an objective lens, a couple of tube lenses and a CMOS camera.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”10022″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

What do you enjoy most about your work?<\/h3>\n

My favourite part is building microscopes, because I really enjoy doing hands-on research, whether it\u2019s building or synthesising something in the lab. It\u2019s like following a recipe. I built a microscope from scratch last year and when you switch it on for the first time and look at a sample, it\u2019s so exciting \u2013 to think that I made this!<\/p>\n

How has industry collaboration helped?<\/h3>\n

One of the things that drew me to this project was the fact it\u2019s an industry partnership and you don\u2019t get that often. I\u2019m learning a lot from CoolLED that I wouldn\u2019t learn at university, I\u2019m also looking forward to visiting CoolLED again and learning about other aspects of the business, like manufacturing. During my first visit to CoolLED, I had only just started working with LEDs. Luther (one of CoolLED\u2019s mechanical design engineers) was so helpful, he taught me how to put together an LED package from a bare die which involved soldering on wires and heatsinking, and I still use those techniques now. Alex (Optical Engineer) and Gerry (Technical Director)<\/a> helped me to measure the electroluminescence spectrum of the LED myself, and showed me how to use Zemax, the optical modelling software, so I\u2019ve done a bit of work using that as part of my project. We have quarterly catch-up calls and Gerry always has some really helpful suggestions for any problems that I have.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”10024″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

What advice would you have for someone choosing a PhD?<\/h3>\n

If I didn’t do so much research in my undergraduate project and summer internship, I think I\u2019d struggle going straight from undergraduate studies to a PhD, as to me it\u2019s very different. You have to structure your own time and you\u2019re in charge of your own research.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re choosing a project, try and get to know your potential supervisor and research group because as well as having an interest in the project, your work environment is really important as well. Sometimes doing a PhD can be quite isolating, but I\u2019m really lucky that my group are also my friends, and I\u2019d struggle without that support network.<\/p>\n

What are the next steps in your project?<\/h3>\n

Now I\u2019ve finished the characterisation part, I\u2019m looking at integrating the 280 nm LED into the microscope. I\u2019d also ideally like the method to be compatible with standing wave microscopy, which is a method to increase the axial resolution, which we do a lot of work on in my group. So once I find the best way to illuminate my sample, I\u2019d like to find out which dyes work best with the LED. Then I\u2019d like to investigate how cells cope with the 280 nm radiation and see what the benefits are of using deep-UV.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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