Postdoctoral Researcher University of New Mexico Los Alamos, New Mexico
Body of Abstract: Spectroscopic techniques have long been utilized to explore the biochemical composition of materials at the cellular and subcellular level. One such method involves the use of fluorescence, which allows direct visualization of biomolecular processes in live cells at the level of single-molecule interactions. However, fluorescence microscopy requires high intensity lasers and the introduction of probes into the system being studied, which can lead to drawbacks such as photobleaching and perturbation. Quantum imaging is a relatively new field that harnesses the quantum properties of light to enhance imaging protocols. Implementation of quantum imaging in the field of plant research has been hampered by the lack of practical applications, but recent advances regarding the involvement of entangled photon pairs have allowed development of a powerful new imaging method. The Quantum ghost imaging (QGI) microscope described in this work offers an ultralow-light, label-free technique for imaging plant biochemical components while also possessing superior temporal resolution and the ability to image over a number of spectral wavelengths. As the spectral information datasets created by this device share much in common with IR imaging methods, plant tissues were imaged by both the QGI microscope and the Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to directly test the efficacy of the new imaging system and document potential benefits it offers over more conventional methods. Additionally, this work also documents the molecular fingerprint spectral profiles detected by FTIR in sorghum and poplar treated with abiotic stressors as a potential avenue of experimental interest in future QGI research. Ultimately, the development of this new technology should offer higher sensitivity in delineating the components underlying plant tissue biomass and lead to more informative measurements of plant environmental responses over time.