Micro-Brillouin Imaging

A novel Brillouin microscope based on a virtually imaged phase array (VIPA) spectrometer is being developed (Dr Palombo) as an advanced mechanical microscopy tool for biomedical samples. Several extracellular matrices and tissue types are being investigated in this regard using a mapping set-up with an inverted Olympus microscope, motorized PI stages and Andor sCMOS camera.

Ongoing projects are aimed to test various optical approaches in combination with Raman spectroscopy for both normal tissue and pathology screening, and to answer fundamental questions on tissue biomechanics which can elucidate new targets for therapy.