We are developing and using advanced spectroscopy and optically nonlinear properties of molecular systems to study primarily biosystems, biosensors and organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials.

Research topics

Aggregated amyloid proteins

Certain proteins, such as insulin, TTR, amyloid-beta, etc, can aggregate in our bodies into amyloid deposits. They accompany diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinson’s disease and can also be a problem for diabetes patients. Together with protein chemist and molecular designers we develop new probes that fluoresce and can report on the presence and status of such aggregates. We study in vitro protein systems and samples from animal models. Recently, we are starting up experiments with cells. The activity is tightly connected to the ‘biophotonics lab’ using the molecular imaging platforms at NTNU/IFY.

Photo-dynamic therapy (PDT)

Cancer treatment is usually dependent on agents killing the cancer cells. One method to achieve this is to insert molecules, so called photo-sensitizers (PS), into the relevant cell system or tissue to destroy. Shining light of a selected wavelength, the PS will respond and locally form toxic singlet oxygen and similar reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the research we test and develop new PS together with external molecular designers and medical researchers specializing in certain cancers. Most of the work is basic research using cell models to explore the toxicity and modes of cell death. The activity is tightly connected to the ‘biophotonics lab’ and also use the cell lab and molecular imaging platforms at NTNU/IFY.

Infrastructure

• Fluoromax IV (250 – 1500 nm) with life-time accessory
• IBH TC-SPC (ps-ns) and flash-lamp (µs – ms) luminescence-decay
• UV-Vis absorption (with and without integrating sphere)
• Flash-Photolysis/excited state pump-and-probe spectroscopy and kinetics
• Singlet oxygen luminescence decay
• Fs-laser source (MIRA 700) for multiphoton spectroscopy, with SHG/THG + pulsepicker
• ASI Hyperspectral fluorescence microscope
• Time gated Raman/Luminescence (266, 355, 532 nm excitation, in progress)
• CD-spectrometer (in progress)