# The need for speed: Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy for human gut microbiome research

> **NIH NIH R35** · MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY - BOZEMAN · 2022 · $150,000

## Abstract

I request a supplement to my R35 MIRA award to help acquire the laser source for a Stimulated Raman
Microscope to aid my lab’s research on developing new microscopy tools for human gut microbiome
research. In my original MIRA application, Developing Next-Generation Physiology approaches for human
gut microbiome research (award 1R35GM147166-01), I described the strong but currently underutilized
potential of Raman microspectroscopy (Raman) for human gut microbiome research. Specifically, I
addressed how Spontaneous Raman microscopy will be used in research directions 2 and 3, which will
combine stable isotope probing and Raman to probe microbial in situ function (direction 2) and correlate
Raman with other microscopic techniques to gain a more holistic understanding of gut microbes (direction
3). Stimulated Raman spectroscopy offers 1,000-1,000,000 faster acquisition rates than Spontaneous
Raman spectroscopy, but until recently was not commercially available; this changed when Leica brought
the first Spontaneous Raman microscope to market. The capabilities of this instrument will allow spectral
acquisition to be increased by a factor of 1,000, which will enable colonoscopy and other human gut
microbiome samples to be chemically mapped at subcellular spatial resolution within minutes. In addition,
it will allow my lab to expand our research to visualize microbial cell identity and anabolic activity using
vibrational probes, which is not possible using currently Spontaneous Raman technology and thus was not
included in my original MIRA application. If awarded, this instrument will become the 3rd Stimulated
Raman microscope at any university in the nation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10689512
- **Project number:** 3R35GM147166-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY - BOZEMAN
- **Principal Investigator:** Roland Hatzenpichler
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $150,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-08-08 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10689512

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10689512, The need for speed: Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy for human gut microbiome research (3R35GM147166-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10689512. Licensed CC0.

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