Grant: Foundation Grant

Ultrasound (US) imaging is widely and routinely used for anatomic diagnosis in medicine and, in combination with the Doppler method, provides functional information on blood flow in the heart and large vessels. With the approval of injectable microbubbles as a contrast agent, US imaging can show perfusion within the myocardium, organ parenchyma and tumours with high sensitivity and in real time, transforming its role in functional diagnosis. The research proposed in this application will provide a foundation for the next generations of ultrasound imaging equipment. Systems capable of multi-frequency operation will be developed to simultaneously deliver drugs or therapy and provide high resolution imaging with high precision. New contrast agents based on liquid nanodroplets and genetically programmable protein gas vesicles will be synthesized. These will create ultrasound contrast imaging that will have both the ability to report on functional and molecular characteristics as well as to deliver and potentiate therapy.