[ Biophoton research and Development of ultraweak biophoton detection technique ]

Study on biophoton phenomena for the development of novel technique extracting the biomedical information in living organisms, through highly sensitive imaging of biophoton emission, spectral analysis, and photon statistics and photon correlation analysis.

Targets of our research of biophoton cover over bacteria, plants and mammals, including from cellular or subcellular level up to tissue and whole body level.

Development of the highly sensitive two-dimensional photon-counting system equipped with the analysisfunction of spatiotemporal characterization.

Development of the system for spectroscopic analysis of biophoton emission.

Exploration of the new technique for characterization of biophoton based on photon statistics and photon correlation analysis.

 

[ Determination of biomedical function using nano-crystal by fluorescence imaging ]

Development of tomographic imaging system of fluorescence for clinical application based on the ultrasonic tagging technique.

Quantum dot, known as a nano-crystal material, bears preeminent optical properties for fluorescence imaging of biomedical function in living organisms. We are developing the new method to acquire the functional image of the living body for determination of physiological and pathological function.

[ Measurement of gene expression with using ultraweak photon detection technique ]

Real-time imaging and monitoring of gene expression using transgenic mice carrying a luciferase reporter gene. Detection of oscillation clock gene mPer1in intact brain under the physiological condition and analysis of the gene expression on the cellular level have been examined.

Coherent detection imaging based on the optical heterodyne detection method is known to visualize physiological function of the living body inside. We have been trying to apply this technique for non-invasive measurement to the subjects that are perturbed with scattering light.