A New Digital Holographic Microscope for the Study of Biological Systems

Fast, three-dimensional, and volumetric functional imaging and characterization methods are needed for characterizing key metabolic processes in biological systems such as within and among microbial cells and microbial communities. We developed, demonstrated, and delivered a digital holographic microscopy instrument that can satisfy the needs. Additional work is needed to refine, improve, and diversify the product models and to promote our standing in the associated commercial market. Based on the solid foundation laid during the Phase II, we will produce commercially successful, hierarchical, mature, user-friendly digital holographic microscopes to appeal to customers of diverse scientific backgrounds and to create feedback for product refinement and enhancement. During Phase II, we developed an inline digital holographic microscope for advanced research of bacterial activity involved in the rhizosphere, which provides information that is not accessible by existing tools. Prototype microscopes were built and deployed in biological laboratories at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory for evaluations and applications in practical research. Our activities demonstrated commercialization viability of the developed products, and the system is now available for sale on our website. The Phase IIB program will enable us to build system variants with various capabilities and enhancements that can meet the needs of a larger customer base. The Phase IIB effort will seek: 1) to build, improve, and augment the research-grade systems to provide a versatile and one-stop solution for particle/microbial detection and tracking and quantitative phase imaging, 2) to extensively reach out to potential users of the educational system, 3) to refine the products using the feedback collected from test users, and 4) to produce comprehensive product bundles and add to commercial offerings. The products to emerge from the Phase IIB project can provide enormous public benefits that cover a wide group of scientific and educational communities and society itself. The research-grade instruments will add a significant dimension to the observations and measurements, transforming and promoting many research areas, e.g., plant microbiology, biophysical studies, and life sciences. The educational instrument, affordable to educational institutions, should have a major impact on society by introducing students to state-of-art holographic technology. The unique features of the research-grade systems are desired by many universities, government, and private-sector research laboratories, and will fulfill a market need as there are currently few commercial alternatives.