Biophotonics, Robots, Ghosts

In this talk, I will discuss two qualitatively new directions in biophotonics:

i) FLUCS & interactive microscopy: We have made efforts to understand and control cellular organization through the induction of thermoviscous flows. This includes the non-invasive interference and guidance of PAR polarization in C. elegans, probe-free intracellular rheology, and recently, nanoscale manipulations and flow-driven robotics that render light microscopy highly interactive.

ii) GHOSTs: We are working to make living tissues transparent. Although many tissues in biology are naturally transparent, most of the model systems and tissues that biologists work with are opaque, effectively preventing access via microscopes. Inspired by the transparent retina, we are now trying to make other living tissues transparent, unveiling transformative potential for life and biomedical sciences in areas from intra-vital imaging to microscopy-driven pharmaceutical screening.