# Quantitative SRS Imaging of Cancer Metabolism at Single Cell Level

> **NIH NIH R33** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · 2020 · $375,540

## Abstract

Project summary:
Although altered cell metabolism is becoming an established hallmark of cancer, there remains a crucial need
of new tools for quantitation of metabolites at single living cell level. In particular, due to lack of specific labels
for metabolites, there is an unmet need for high-resolution imaging tools capable of mapping metabolites and
small molecules (fatty acids, carbohydrates, amino acids) that play essential roles in pathogenesis of cancer.
Supported by a R21 grant through the IMAT program, our team partially addressed this need via developing a
multiplex stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscope, which enabled vibrational imaging of metabolites in
live tumor cells and intact biopsies at the speed of 5 microseconds per spectrum. This R33 application aims to
push the hyperspectral stimulated Raman imaging technology to the next level through (i) technical simplification
and validation, (ii) developing a robust hyperspectral image segmentation framework, and (iii) integrating the
SRS modality with a commercial spontaneous Raman microscope towards broad use by non-experts. We have
assembled an inter-disciplinary team for the proposed development. The three specific aims are: (1) Developing
an easy-to-operate, highly sensitive line-by-line hyperspectral SRS microscope and validate its capacity for
cancer metabolic imaging at single cell level. (2) Establishing a feature analysis framework for segmentation of
hyperspectral SRS images using the non-parametric Bayesian model. (3) Integrating and validating the
stimulated Raman imaging modality on a spontaneous Raman microscope. By completing the proposed
development and validation activities, we will have generated a highly novel spectroscopic imaging system
broadly applicable to analysis of chemical contents of cells and tissues for discovery-driven research and marker-
based precision diagnosis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9990711
- **Project number:** 5R33CA223581-03
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- **Principal Investigator:** Ji-Xin Cheng
- **Activity code:** R33 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $375,540
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-20 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9990711

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9990711, Quantitative SRS Imaging of Cancer Metabolism at Single Cell Level (5R33CA223581-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9990711. Licensed CC0.

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