Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center

In the most general terms biophotonics is the convergence of photonics and the life sciences. Photonics - the science and technology of generation, manipulation and detection of light - uses photons, quantum-like particles of light, instead of electrons to transmit, process, and store information. The invention of lasers, a concentrated source of monochromatic and highly directional light, revolutionized photonics in the 1960s and brought us technological advancements such as bar code scanners, CD players, and, with fluorescence microscopes, the first taste of the power of biophotonics. Today, biophotonics is widely regarded as a key science upon which the next generation of biomedical research instrumentation and clinical tools will be based. Although nature has used the principle of biophotonics for millennia (e.g., to harness light for photosynthesis and to create vision), it wasn’t until the recent past that a substantial transfer of photonics technologies to biological applications began to transform medical and life sciences. Thanks to brighter light-emitting dyes, faster and more sensitive detectors, automation technology and computing capacity that can handle storing vast amounts of image data, it is now possible for scientists to probe the cellular and molecular mechanisms of life at unprecedented resolutions. The convergence of technological advances puts the formerly unthinkable within the grasp of scientific inquiry, offering unparalleled opportunities to understand the physiology of human disease and to find new ways to treat it. The ability to probe and image (see) tissues is also leading to a wide range of novel diagnostic methods and therapeutic applications. Examples include coherence optical tomography (OCT), which has revolutionized the field of ophthalmology by allowing the early diagnosis of macular degeneration (MD) in the retina, and photodynamic therapy (PDT) approaches for treatment of cancers by retarding the growth of new blood vessels and vasculature.

The goal of the center is to develop, test and disseminate new technologies that enable groundbreaking biological discoveries. Removing long-standing technical barriers in a field is a prerequisite for transforming the study of biological systems which ultimately helps prevent, detect, diagnose, or treat human disease and disability.

The overarching center is made up of a) faculty labs and b) the core. The faculty labs are engaged in both development and application of new imaging technologies to find solutions to fundamental problems in life sciences. The core makes commercial technology available to researchers at Salk, collaborators of Salk, and other institutions in the area.

The core is equipped with some of the latest cutting-edge commercial imaging and data analysis technologies, enabling its users the integration of imaging tools into their biological research programs. Equipment and services available in the core: Super-Resolution Microscopy Zeiss Elyra PS.1 Super-Resolution Microscope Zeiss LSM 880 Rear Port Laser Scanning Confocal and Airyscan FAST Microscope Oxford Nanoimaging 3D STORM and TIRF system Confocal Microscopy Zeiss LSM 710 Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope Zeiss CSU Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope Yokogawa Cell Voyager 1000 Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope Lightsheet Microscopy Zeiss Lightsheet Z.1 Dual Illumination Microscope Two-photon Microscopy Olympus FV1000MPE Two-photon / CARS Microscope TIRF Microscopy Nikon Ti:E PFS TIRF Microscope Slide Scanning Microscopy Olympus VS-120 Virtual Slde Scanning Microscope Laser Capture Microdissection Zeiss PALM Microbeam V4 Capture Microdissection System Basic Wide-field/Epi-fluorescence Microscopy Zeiss Vivatome Optical Sectioning System Zeiss StereoLumar V12. Fluorescence Stereoscope Incucyte ZOOM Transmission Electron Microscope Carl Zeiss Libra 120kV PLUS Energy Filtered Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Scanning Electron Microscope Carl Zeiss SIGMA Variable Pressure Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Serial Block Face Scanning Electron Microscope System The Gatan 3View Fully Automated Serial Block Face Scanning Electron Microscope (SBFSEM) system. Sample preparation instrumentation and services The sample preparation instrumentation includes: Pelco BioWave Pro Microwave Leica UC7/FC7 ultramicrotome Leica EM PACT High-Pressure Freezer Leica AFS Automatic Freeze Substitution Leica EM GP Automatic Plunge Freezing Leica EM CPD300 Automated Critical Point Dryer Leica EM SCD500 Sputter Coater/Evaporator

Please contact Faye fmcdonald@salk.edu or Uri Manor umanor@salk.edu.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to support training of the next generation of cross-disciplinary scientists, or the development of new imaging technologies to advance our understanding of biological processes in health and disease, including viral infection, aging, stroke and cancer, please click on the link below. Under the Donate Now tab in the Special Instructions field please indicate Salk Biophotonics Center and optionally Trainee Fellowships or Technology Innovation Funds. DONATE TO SALK BIOPHOTONICS CENTER