Abstract:
Optical microscopy has been a fundamental tool to life science and materials science since its invention in the 17th century. Various labeling approaches have enabled selective visualization of cellular structures or biomolecules with high specificity under a light microscope. Despite great advances made recently, the labeling approach also has limitations: First, labels may perturb the function of a biological molecule or structure; Second, the labeling approach offers limited capacity of discovery because it is only applicable to mapping known species; Third, delivery of labels to a target could be difficult, especially under in vivo conditions; Fourth, potential toxicity often prevents the use of labels on human patients. Chemical microscopy, based on intrinsic molecular spectroscopic signals, opens a way to circumvent these barriers. I will present various advanced modalities of chemical microscopy, discoveries of hidden signatures in living organisms, and translation into clinic for molecule-based diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, I will present novel use of photons for eradication of drug-resistant bacteria and stimulation of neurons in brain.
Brief Bio:
Ji-Xin Cheng attended University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) from 1989 to 1994. From 1994 to 1998, he carried out his PhD study on bond-selective chemistry under the supervision of Qingshi Zhu at USTC. As a graduate student, he worked as a research assistant at Universite Paris-sud (France) on vibrational spectroscopy and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) on quantum dynamics theory. After postdoctoral training on ultrafast spectroscopy in Yijing Yan’s group at HKUST, he joined Sunney Xie’s group at Harvard University as a postdoc, where he and others developed CARS microscopy that allows high-speed vibrational imaging of cells and tissues. Cheng joined Purdue University in 2003 as Assistant Professor in Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry, promoted to Associate Professor in 2009 and Full Professor in 2013. He joined Boston University as the Inaugural Theodore Moustakas Chair Professor in Photonics and Optoelectronics in summer 2017. Professor Cheng and his team has been constantly at the most forefront of the rising field of label-free optical spectroscopic imaging in technical innovation, discovery, and clinical translation.
Professor Cheng has been recognized by Fellow of Optical Society of America (2018), SPIE Translational Research Awards (2018, 2016, 2014), Purdue University College of Engineering Research Excellence Award (2016), Craver Award from Coblentz Society (2015), Chang-Jiang Scholar from Chinese Minister of Education (2015), Fellow of American Institute of Medicine and Biological Engineering (2014), Purdue University Faculty Scholar (2012-17), College of Engineering Early Career Research Award (2011), Research Excellence Award from Purdue Center for Cancer Research (2011), Outstanding Young Scientist Award from Chinese National Academy of Sciences (2009).