Dynamic Imaging Through Live Animal Clearing and Liquid-Phase TEM

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Event details

Date 01.03.2024
Hour 15:0016:00
Speaker Zihao Ou, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Dept of Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (USA)
Location Online
Category Conferences - Seminars
Event Language English
VIRTUAL BIOENGINEERING SEMINAR
 
Abstract:
Dynamic imaging is a pivotal tool for answering complex scientific questions across materials science and biology. However, traditional optical imaging platforms are hampered by limited nanoscale resolution and inadequate depth in biological tissues, which restricts our understanding of dynamic behaviors. This presentation will highlight two innovative imaging modalities that I have pioneered to extend the capabilities of high-resolution dynamic imaging through breakthroughs in materials science and nanotechnology. First, I will discuss the utilization of materials photonics to achieve optical transparency in biological tissues. By integrating molecules that significantly absorb light into a scattering medium, we can transform an opaque sample into a transparent window, allowing deep investigation into embedded anatomical features. Utilizing this innovation, I have developed non-invasive imaging techniques to analyze the dynamics of neural networks in the peripheral nervous system, without the need for complex surgery. Second, I will present the application of liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy to unravel the complex processes of nanoparticle self-assembly in a fluid environment. Through dynamic imaging, we have observed a two-step crystallization kinetics of nanoparticle superlattices and thermally driven capillary waves at their interface with the suspension. These advancements in imaging technology hold significant promise for enhancing our comprehension of materials and biological systems.

Bio:
Zihao was trained as a materials scientist with a physicist mindset. Before joining Prof. Guosong Hong’s lab for post-doctoral research in 2020, Zihao received his Ph.D. degree from the Materials Science and Engineering Department at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In his Ph.D. research with Prof. Qian Chen, he focused on studying the dynamic self-assembly behaviors of nanoparticles using liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy and revealed a two-step nonclassical crystallization pathway and capillary wave facilitated interface growth mode. Before that, Zihao received his B.S. degree in Physics from the School of the Gifted Young at University of Science and Technology of China in 2015.


Zoom link for attending remotely (this is a virtual seminar): https://epfl.zoom.us/j/65356454106

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  • Free

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