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Physical Measurement Laboratory /Applied Physics Division

Molecular and BioPhotonics Group

Molecular and BioPhotonics research lies at the intersection of physics, chemistry, engineering, and life sciences. The development of photonic techniques, which use light to detect, quantify, and image molecules and biomolecules, are used to establish the optical measurement science, modeling, and simulation tools critical to solving many real world applications.

The Molecular and BioPhotonics group research efforts focus on the development of the following:

  • New photonic spectroscopic and imaging techniques for enhanced detection of molecules and biomolecules;
  • Measurement standards for improving manufacturing quality and promoting acceptance of optical medical imaging technologies; and
  • The application of photonics techniques to real world problems.

Highlights

News and Updates

Jeeseong Hwang with imaging insturment

Seeing Into Cells More Clearly

NIST scientists, with collaborators at the University of Michigan, have designed and demonstrated a new and easily tunable, high-contrast scattering agent for

Projects and Programs

Development of differential absorption LIDAR Technologies

Ongoing
The basic processes involved in elastic backscatter LIDAR are as follows. A laser emits a pulse of light (typically a few nanoseconds), and as the pulse propagates, the photons interact with molecules and aerosol particles. Some of these, the interactions with aerosols, such as Mie and Rayleigh
membrane

Measurement Techniques for Membranes and Membrane Proteins

Ongoing
Use of synthetic cell membrane mimics allow simplification and complete control of a complicated system, and incorporation of selected elements under physiological conditions. We are furthering a technology originally developed at NIST using model lipid membranes supported on surfaces for
nano-biophotonics collage

Nano-biophotonics for molecular imaging

Ongoing
Nano-biophotonics consists of four broad areas: molecular bioimaging; nano-biosensors; multiplexed bioassays ; and nanotechnology-based medical practices for diagnosis and therapy. Success in these areas is challenged by the underlying complexity of biological systems. Major levels of complexity and
NIST standard reference material (SRM) for the verificaiton of 3D optical medical imaging devices.

Optical Medical Imaging

Ongoing
We advance measurement science and standards infrastructure to accelerate adoption of optical medical imaging technologies for surgical and clinical applications. Optical medical imaging promises to enhance and complement conventional medical imaging modalities that include magnetic resonance

Quantum State-Resolved Spectroscopic Techniques

Ongoing
Terahertz radiation interrogates the lowest frequency vibrational (phonon) modes of biomolecules. These modes characterize the incipient motions for large-scale conformational changes responsible for the backbone flexibility of protein, polynucleotide and polysaccharide. Thus, terahertz spectral

THz Detection of Corrosion on Rebar Embedded in Concrete

Ongoing
We developed a new technology to detect and quantify the extent of corrosion in embedded rebar using Terahertz (THz) and microwave spectroscopies. This new method exploits the likelihood that a number of iron corrosion products are antiferromagnetic and absorb THz and microwave radiation. In this

Publications

JBO Special Issue on Hyperspectral Imaging

Author(s)
Baowei Fei, Jeeseong Hwang, Matija Milanic
The editors introduce a Journal of Biomedical Optics (JBO) feature issue on "Hyperspectral imaging." The special issue features a number of important research

SINGLE-MODULATOR, DUAL COMB SERRODYNE SPECTROSCOPY

Author(s)
Jasper Stroud, David Long, David Plusquellic
Dual optical frequency comb spectroscopy allows for high speed, broadband measurements without any moving parts. Here, we combine differential chirp down

Software

JB95 Spectral fitting program

A graphical user interface program, JB95, based on a Windows 95 © API platform has been written in the C programming language to aid in the analysis of complex

Tools and Instruments

THz photomixer spectrometer

Continuous-wave terahertz spectrometer

The continuous-wave terahertz spectrometer makes use of two near-infrared lasers. The first laser is a fixed-frequency cw ring Ti:Saph laser operating near 840

Awards

Patents

Photoacoustic Photon Meter And Process For Measuring Photon Fluence

NIST Inventors
Kimberly A. Briggman , Chris Yung , Jeeseong C. Hwang and John H. Lehman
A photoacoustic photon meter includes: a photoacoustic generative array including carbon nanotubes disposed in a photoacoustic generating pattern, such that the carbon nanotubes: receive photons comprising optical energy, and produce thermal energy from the optical energy; and a superstratum

Optical Phantom for Producing a Time-Resolved Diffuse Reflectance Spectrum

NIST Inventors
Jeeseong C. Hwang
An optical phantom produces a time-resolved diffuse reflectance spectrum and includes: a light source; a spatial light modulator; and an optical delay line including optical fibers of different length that produce different time-of-flight distributions, such that different time-of-flight

  1. “Multilayered Phantom Tissue Test Structure and Fabrication Process", Jeeseong Hwang, Christopher Stafford, Robert Chang, U.S. Patent No. US-9486179-B2, Nov. 8, 2016
  2. “Chirped-Pulse Terahertz Spectroscopy", Eyal Gerecht, David F. Plusquellic and Kevin O. Douglass, U.S. Patent No. US_8748822_B1, June 20, 2014.
  3. “A Fast-Switching Arbitrary Frequency Light Source for Broadband Spectroscopic Applications”, David Plusquellic, Kevin O. Douglass, Stephen Maxwell, Joseph T. Hodges, David A. Long, and Gar-wing Truong, U.S. Patent No. US_8642982_B2, Feb. 4, 2014.
  4. “An Optical Two-Dimensional Servo-Loop for Laser Beam Stabilization and/or Position Encoding", W.A. Majewski and D.F. Plusquellic, U.S. Patent No. 4,994,661, Feb 19, 1991.

Research Opportunities

Staff Directory

Contacts

Group Leader

Postal address: Molecular and Biophotonics Group, NIST - 687.05, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305