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The efficacy of existing therapies and the discovery of innovative treatments for central nervous system (CNS) diseases have been limited by the lack of appropriate methods to investigate complex molecular processes at the synaptic level. To improve our capability to investigate complex mechanisms of synaptic signaling and remodeling, we designed a fluorescence hyperspectral imaging platform to simultaneously track different subtypes of individual neurotransmitter receptors trafficking in and out of synapses. This imaging platform allows simultaneous image acquisition of at least five fluorescent markers in living neurons with a high-spatial resolution. We used quantum dots emitting at different wavelengths and functionalized to specifically bind to single receptors on the membrane of living neurons. The hyperspectral imaging platform enabled the simultaneous optical tracking of five different synaptic proteins, including subtypes of glutamate receptors (mGluR and AMPAR) and postsynaptic signaling proteins. It also permitted the quantification of their mobility after treatments with various pharmacological agents. This technique provides an efficient method to monitor several synaptic proteins at the same time, which could accelerate the screening of effective compounds for treatment of CNS disorders.

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The intrinsic near-infrared photoluminescence (fluorescence) of single-walled carbon nanotubes exhibits unique photostability, narrow bandwidth, penetration through biological media, environmental sensitivity, and both chromatic variety and range. Biomedical applications exploiting this large family of fluorophores will require the spectral and spatial resolution of individual (n,m) nanotube species' fluorescence and its modulation within live cells and tissues, which is not possible with current microscopy methods. We present a wide-field hyperspectral approach to spatially delineate and spectroscopically measure single nanotube fluorescence in living systems. This approach resolved up to 17 distinct (n,m) species (chiralities) with single nanotube spatial resolution in live mammalian cells, murine tissues ex vivo, and zebrafish endothelium in vivo. We anticipate that this approach will facilitate multiplexed nanotube imaging in biomedical applications while enabling deep-tissue optical penetration, and single-molecule resolution in vivo.

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Detection of sulfur by optical emission spectroscopy generally presents some difficulties because the strongest lines are in the vacuum UV below 185 nm and therefore are readily absorbed by oxygen molecules in air. A novel concept for a low-cost and efficient system to detect sulfur using near-IR bands by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is here proposed. This concept is based on customized thick holographic gratings as spectral filtering elements. The signal integration and the temporal synchronization are performed using built-in custom electronics that amplify and integrate or trigger photodiode output signals. In this work, we use the near-IR lines at 921.287 nm and a background reference at 900 nm. Preliminary results show a limit of detection comparable to that of a conventional high-end system.

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Fossil skeletons of Homo erectus and related specimens typically had heavy cranial and postcranial bones, and it has been hypothesised that these represent adaptations, or are responses, to various physical activities such as endurance running, heavy exertion, and/or aggressive behavior. According to the comparative biological data, however, skeletons that show a combination of disproportionally large diameters, extremely compact bone cortex, and very narrow medullary canals are associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic tetrapods that wade, and/or dive for sessile foods such as hard-shelled invertebrates in shallow waters. These so-called pachyosteosclerotic bones are less supple and more brittle than non-pachyosteosclerotic bones, and marine biologists agree that they function as hydrostatic ballast for buoyancy control. This paper discusses the possibility that heavy skeletons in archaic Homo might be associated with part-time collection of sessile foods in shallow waters.

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We designed a near infrared tunable resonance Raman spectroscopy system based on a tandem of thick volume Bragg gratings (VBGs). VBGs are here the constituents of two light filtering units: a tunable laser line filter (LLF) and a tunable notch filter (NF). When adapted in a micro-Raman setup with a single stage monochromator (1800 gr/mm grating), the tandem of LLF and NF allowed measurements of Raman signals down to +/-20 cm(-1). The good performance and fast tunability of the VBG Raman system was demonstrated on a sulfur powder and on a bulk single-walled carbon nanotube sample through a series of 22 Stokes and anti-Stokes spectra recorded at excitation wavelengths between 800 and 990 nm. The main drawbacks of the setup are the limited spectral range to the near infrared and the small angular acceptance of the filters (approximately 1 mrad), which causes mainly attenuation problems with the NF. The impact of the main limitations is discussed and solutions are provided.

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