Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Even though the Optical Bio Microsystems Laboratory of the applicant houses various state-of-the-art research facilities, there is a dire need for Ultra-High Speed Imaging Facility synchronized with HIFU acoustic source, suitable for both biological and engineering applications. Biological applications include study of sonochemistry interactions with cells including neurons and other cancer cells under various internalized environments such as nano particles and exosomes. Such a facility would also enhance ongoing research on developing cutting edge technologies in the area of Ultra Fast Phase Transformation (UFPT) of engineering materials as wells as sono interactions in cells. The supported research programs include but not limited to: 1) Micro particle synthesis in UFPT, 2) Selective nano particle synthesis, 3) Sonochemical Investigation of Neuromodulation using Focused Ultrasound. The Sonochemical Investigation of cells using Focused Ultrasound from Photron enables our groups to conduct research on the mentioned programs. The ultra-high speed FASTCAM SA-Z provides megapixel image resolution at frame rates up to 21,000 fps from its highly light sensitive image sensor (monochrome ISO 50,000) with 12bit dynamic range delivering the ultimate imaging performance. The FASTCAM SA-Z provides frame rates greater than 2 million fps at reduced image resolution and shutter speeds as short as 159 nanoseconds. Acquiring this equipment would not only facilitate the real time imaging of biological and material phenomena under acoustic interactions but would also sustain leading-edge research success, strengthen training goals, enhance quality of dissertations, and shorten graduation time. Our groups currently have more than 30 graduate students and 5 postdocs working on the research programs that will benefit from this facility. The collaborators that will use the facility are from Goodman Cancer Research Center and Head and Neck Surgery Department of McGill University, Biological and Engineering Departments of Concordia and Atlantic Cancer Research Institute at Moncton. In addition to conducting cutting edge research, the equipment enables the team to validate their modeling and simulations also. We believe that the collaboration of these labs in multidisciplinary research around this equipment will lead to break through understandings and practical products that will have huge market for industries. The collaborations between three research institutes around this equipment include diverse applications in acoustics, materials development, cellular biology, head and neck cancer treatment, neuronal biology and exosomal interactions. The proposed research programs will open up new methodologies for acousto-bio interactions and new material development for many applications. Housed in Optical-bio Microsystems Lab, the system will be open to on-site and other inter-institutional collaborations across Canada including McGill, UdeM, ETS and École Polytechnique.*****