# Acquisition of nonlinear optical microscopy platform for advanced tissue imaging

> **NIH NIH S10** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · 2020 · $1,599,892

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Nonlinear optical (NLO) microscopy techniques have become important tools of inquiry for
understanding both tissue biology and tissue pathology. Other than more conventional confocal
fluorescence microscopy approaches, NLO microscopy enables label-free probing of tissue structures
and components, at depths beyond what can be achieved with standard optical imaging techniques.
NLO microscopy has become the method of choice for studying glycolysis and lipid metabolism a wide
variety of tissues, studying myelin degeneration in nervous tissues, detecting migrating melanocytes in
skin, mapping disease-induced changes to the extracellular matrix, and more. Novel advances in NLO
microscopy are intimately linked to new scientific inquiries and discoveries in tissue biology. Since the
1990s, the Beckman Laser Institute (BLI) has played a leading role in developing NLO imaging
technologies and applying these methods to solving outstanding problems in biology and biomedicine.
To continue its pioneering role in advancing NLO imaging techniques, through this proposal the BLI is
requesting a replacement of a laser-scanning NLO microscope, an ailing 12-year old user instrument.
While this microscope has served more than 160 users, its vendor no longer services the instrument
because of age, and its capabilities are incompatible with the evolving imaging needs of our user base.
The requested replacement is a Leica SP8 multiphoton microscope, which is configured for high-
resolution, meso-scale tissue imaging based on a wide variety of NLO contrast mechanisms: two-
photon excited fluorescence (TPEF), second-harmonic generation (SHG) and third-harmonic
generation (THG). In addition, we have worked with Leica engineers to enable imaging based on
coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), a modality never before offered in combination with
other femtosecond NLO modalities on a commercial laser-scanning microscope. The merger of all
these NLO techniques in one instrument makes it possible to perform label-free imaging of lipids,
protein density, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, collagen, NADH, elastin, melanin and more. Equipped
with five sensitive detectors, fluorescence lifetime detection technology, resonant scanners, rapid
mosaic-style image acquisition, enhanced spectral tuning of excitation and detection windows and an
upright configuration with an open sample staging area, this unique instrument offers the advanced
tissue imaging capabilities needed to propel the science of our user base into the next decade.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9940155
- **Project number:** 1S10OD028698-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Eric Olaf Potma
- **Activity code:** S10 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $1,599,892
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-06-15 → 2021-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9940155

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9940155, Acquisition of nonlinear optical microscopy platform for advanced tissue imaging (1S10OD028698-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9940155. Licensed CC0.

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