Overcoming the penetration depth limit in optical microscopy: Adaptive optics and wavefront shaping

Despite the unique advantages of optical microscopy for molecular specific high resolution imaging of living structure in both space and time, current applications are mostly limited to research settings. This is due to the aberrations and multiple scattering that is induced by the inhomogeneous refractive boundaries that are inherent to biological systems. However, recent developments in adaptive optics and wavefront shaping have shown that high resolution optical imaging is not fundamentally limited only to the observation of single cells, but can be significantly enhanced to realize deep tissue imaging. To provide insight into how these two closely related fields can expand the limits of bio imaging, we review the recent progresses in their performance and applicable range of studies as well as potential future research directions to push the limits of deep tissue imaging

Metal-free, polyether-mediated H_2-release from ammonia borane: roles of hydrogen bonding interactions in promoting dehydrogenation

Polyetheral additives were found to be efficient promoters to enhance the rate of H2-release from ammonia borane (AB) at various temperatures. In particular, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (T4EGDE, 29 wt% relative to AB + T4EGDE) exhibited significantly improved activities for AB dehydrogenation, with the material-based hydrogen storage capacity of 10.3 wt% at 125 °C within 40 min. In situ FT-IR spectroscopy indicated the formation of B-(cyclodiborazanyl)amino-borohydride (BCDB), borazine, and μ-aminodiborane as gaseous byproducts. In addition, 11B nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy further revealed that diammoniate of diborane (DADB) was initially formed to give polyaminoborane as liquid and/or solid spent-fuel, consistent with previous reports. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations suggested that hydrogen bonding interactions between AB and a polyetheral promoter initially played an important role in increasing the reactivity of B–H bonds of AB by transferring electron density from oxygen atoms of the promoter into B–H bonds of AB. These partially activated, hydridic B–H bonds were proposed to help promote the formation of diammoniate of diborane (DADB), which is considered as a reactive intermediate, eventually enhancing the rate of H2-release from AB. In addition, our in situ solid state 11B magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR measurements further confirmed that the rate of DADB formation from AB with a small quantity of T4EGDE was found to be much faster than that of pristine AB even at 50 °C. This metal-free method for H2-release from AB with an added, small quantity of polyethers would be helpful to develop feasible hydrogen storage systems for long-term fuel cell applications

Increasing the enhancement factor for DMD-based wavefront shaping

Focusing through scattering media is a subject of great interest due to its direct impact in the field of biomedical optics. However, the greatest barrier currently limiting direct applications is the fact that most scattering media that we wish to deliver light through are dynamic. To focus or deliver light through dynamic scattering media, using a digital micromirror device (DMD) has been demonstrated to be a potential solution, as it enables fast modulation speeds. However, since a DMD is a binary amplitude modulator, the large number of controlled modes needed to acquire adequate focus enhancement has limited optimal usage. Here we demonstrate a novel (to the best of our knowledge) scheme to use the "thrown-away" components of light to effectively use a binary amplitude DMD as a binary phase modulator, thereby increasing the correction efficiency by a factor of two. Our concept can be applied to any iterative optimization algorithm and can speed up the iterative optimization process by increasing the enhancement factor, rather than the measurement or modulation speeds. (C) 2020 Optical Society of Americ

Continuous-wave nonlinear microscopy using rare-earth doped upconverting nanoparticles

We present nonlinear microscopy using a continuous-wave (CW) diode laser by utilizing rare-earth doped upconverting nanoparticles that emit fluorescence (UV-250 nm, Blue-350 nm, NIR-SOO nm) with multi-order nonlinearities under NIR (980nm) CW excitation

Inflammation-Modulated Metabolic Reprogramming Is Required for DUOX-Dependent Gut Immunity in Drosophila

DUOX, a member of the NADPH oxidase family, acts as the first line of defense against enteric pathogens by producing microbicidal reactive oxygen species. DUOX is activated upon enteric infection, but the mechanisms regulating DUOX activity remain incompletely understood. Using Drosophila genetic tools, we show that enteric infection results in ‘‘pro-catabolic’’ signaling that initiates metabolic reprogramming of enterocytes toward lipid catabolism, which ultimately governs DUOX homeostasis. Infection induces signaling cascades involving TRAF3 and kinases AMPK and WTS, which regulate TOR kinase to control the balance of lipogenesis versus lipolysis. Enhancing lipogenesis blocksDUOXactivity, whereas stimulating lipolysis viaATG1-dependent lipophagy is required for DUOX activation. Drosophila with altered activity inTRAF3-AMPK/WTS-ATG1pathwaycomponents exhibit abolished infection-induced lipolysis, reduced DUOX activation, and enhanced susceptibility to enteric infection. Thus, this work uncovers signaling cascades governing inflammation-induced metabolic reprogramming and provides insight into the pathophysiology of immune-metabolic interactions in the microbe-laden gut epithelia. (c) 2018 Elsevier Inc

Dynamic multimodal holograms of conjugated organogels via dithering mask lithography

Polymeric materials have been used to realize optical systems that, through periodic variations of their structural or optical properties, interact with light-generating holographic signals. Complex holographic systems can also be dynamically controlled through exposure to external stimuli, yet they usually contain only a single type of holographic mode. Here, we report a conjugated organogel that reversibly displays three modes of holograms in a single architecture. Using dithering mask lithography, we realized two-dimensional patterns with varying cross-linking densities on a conjugated polydiacetylene. In protic solvents, the organogel contracts anisotropically to develop optical and structural heterogeneities along the third dimension, displaying holograms in the form of three-dimensional full parallax signals, both in fluorescence and bright-field microscopy imaging. In aprotic solvents, these heterogeneities diminish as organogels expand, recovering the two-dimensional periodicity to display a third hologram mode based on iridescent structural colours. Our study presents a next-generation hologram manufacturing method for multilevel encryption technologies. Periodic patterns with varying cross-linking densities are realized in conjugated polydiacetylene films, creating multiple holographic images-all dynamically responsive to exposure to various solvents-simultaneously in the same polymeric structures