EMU: acquisition of a Raman Spectroscopy microscopy system for the molecular biology and pharmacology institute of the UNIFESP

• Grant number: 13/08154-7
• Support Opportunities: Multi-user Equipment Program
• Duration: March 01, 2014 - February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Helena Bonciani Nader
• Grantee: Helena Bonciani Nader
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Farmacologia (INFAR). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Luiz Juliano Neto
• EMU web page: Página do Equipamento Multiusuário não informada
• Type of equipment: Caracterização de Materiais - Imageamento - Infravermelho, Raman (fNIRS)
• Manufacturer: Fabricante não informado
• Model: Modelo não informado

Abstract

Confocal microscopy is a type of fluorescence microscopy, which has had tremendous advancement and technological development in recent years, especially with regard to coupling it with other biophysical and spectroscopic techniques such as CARS (Coherent anti-Stokes Raman Scattering). This methodology is based on the Raman light scattering phenomenon. The molecular characteristics generate vibrational and rotational states characteristic for each molecule. Thus, the combination of conventional confocal microscopy technique with CARS is a new method to generate 3D images based on intrinsic vibrational spectrum of various molecules. The primary advantages of this method are that the samples remain unchanged, no fluorophores are required, avoiding cytotoxic effects, and no auto fluorescence. This new approach allows the generation of real images, free from various artifacts caused by the use of fluorophores, besides being a non-destructive methodology and minimally invasive. The present proposal, aims on the acquisition of a new microscopy system that isn't available in our country. Such equipment will enable studies of cell volume solvent diffusion, lipid cellular distribution in important aspects such as cell and tissue in atherosclerosis, metabolic analysis, besides further applications in the area of nanotechnology and biofuels chemistry. The equipment will be installed at the Institute of Pharmacology and Molecular Biology (INFAR) UNIFESP in a multiuser scheme providing services to researchers from the Departments of Biophysics, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, as well as researchers from various institutions from the São Paulo state. (AU)