Summary:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Electrical Engineering have developed an on-chip UV holographic imaging microscope that offers a low-cost, portable, and robust technique to image and distinguish protein crystals from salt crystals.
Background:
Dual-mode microscopes composed of bright-field and ultraviolet (UV) induced fluorescence modes are an important tool for imaging protein crystals and distinguishing them from salt crystals. These dual-mode optical microscopes are sensitive enough for protein and salt crystal distinction. However, these microscopes require UV-grade optics, which are relatively bulky and expensive. Moreover, applying lens-based microscopy to conventional UV microscopes has a trade-off between the field-of-view (FOV) and resolution, which limits the total sample area that can be imaged.
Innovation:
UCLA researchers have developed an on-chip UV holographic imaging microscope that offers a low-cost, portable and robust technique to image and distinguish protein crystals from salt crystals without the need for expensive and bulky optical components. The UV transmission images are captured over a large FOV that is only limited by the sensor active area ( >10 square mm). The device does not require fine alignment and possesses high temperature stability, unlike its lens-based counterparts. Thus, this on-chip UV holographic microscope could serve as a low-cost, sensitive and robust alternative to conventional lens-based UV-microscopes used in protein crystallography. Moreover, it is expected that this portable on-chip UV holographic imaging platform could be even further improved with near real-time imaging capabilities, driven by future improvements in deep UV LED power output and the increasing availability of embedded graphics processing units (GPUs) for single-board computers.
Application:
Advantages: