Project Grant 2404006

This $388,983 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry's Chemical Measurement & Imaging Program and Chemistry of Life Processes Program supports the development of a new optical microscope by Professor Eric Potma at the University of California, Irvine. The instrument leverages chiral sum-frequency generation (SFG) microscopy to visualize protein structures in cells and tissues without the need for chemical labeling. This label-free imaging technique maps the molecular chirality of protein assemblies, providing increased sensitivity and selectivity compared to conventional microscopy methods. The project will use the new chiral SFG microscope to study the dynamics of the microtubule network in cells and the structural organization of amyloid-beta proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. The award also includes extensive student training opportunities, particularly for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), in physical chemistry, optical microscopy, and molecular biophysics. The research has the potential to yield new insights into important biological processes that have been challenging to analyze with existing optical imaging tools.