# Inverted Spectroscopic Infrared Microscope (ISIM) for High Throughput Multi-Dimensional Cell Assays

> **NIH NIH R21** · CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $233,752

## Abstract

Abstract
The goal of this research is to develop a novel spectroscopic cellular assay that will enable us to measure the
real-time intra-cellular response of a cell to various extra-cellular stimuli. The uniqueness of our approach relies
on several innovations. We will construct an Inverted Spectral Infrared Microscope (ISIM) based on Fourier-
transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and combining it with a novel biosensor based on plasmonic
nanostructures (metasurfaces). The biosensor will be integrated with multi-well plates to enable high-
throughput. The proposed assay will detect biochemical and morphological changes of the cell, with the
emphasis on the reorganization of the cellular membrane and its cytoskeleton. The multi-dimensional nature of
the spectroscopic data will enable the application of machine learning techniques and improve its sensitivity in
comparison with traditional one-dimensional real-time assays. To our knowledge, this will be the first real-time
cellular assay that satisfies all of the four requirements below: (i) high throughput, (ii) multi-dimensionality of
the collected time-dependent data, (iii) specific focus on biochemical changes of the cell, and (iv) focus on the
changes occurring in close proximity of the cellular membrane. The assay will be validated using very common
external stimuli of the cell, such as small-molecule compounds acting on G-protein coupled receptors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10218929
- **Project number:** 1R21GM138947-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** CORNELL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Gennady Shvets
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $233,752
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10218929

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10218929, Inverted Spectroscopic Infrared Microscope (ISIM) for High Throughput Multi-Dimensional Cell Assays (1R21GM138947-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10218929. Licensed CC0.

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