Chemistry in Optical Imaging: Using Nanotechnology to Amplify Signals

We will survey the use of gold nanoparticles to harness optical energy for biomedical imaging and therapy. The main focus will be on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and photoacoustic imaging. SERS has long been used to characterize materials and for in vitro diagnostics; recent work has transitioned this modality into living animals for molecular imaging purposes.

I will discuss my work in using gold nanorods and nanospheres for SERS imaging of brain, ovarian, and colon cancer. Photoacoustic imaging is a hybrid technique that combines the spatial resolution of ultrasound with the contrast of optical imaging. Originally described by Alexander Graham Bell, this "light in, heat out" approach has attracted significant attention as an alternative to optical microscopy and trans-abdominal ultrasound. An additional focus will be the combination of SERS with photoacoustics, as well as the use of gold nanoparticles for photo-thermal ablation of tumor tissue.

Speaker: Jesse Jokerst, Stanford