Information

Photonic Imaging

Ozeki Laboratory
Material
Environment and Energy

Development of advanced photonic
imaging methods
Development and application of
stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy

Information

Professor

Yasuyuki OZEKI
Research Area
Electrical Engineering, Ultrafast lasers, Biophotonics,
Raman imaging

Chemical Biomedicine

We proposed and demonstrated SRS microscopy, which uses two-color laser pulses
to sensitively detect molecular vibrations in biological samples, to visualize biologicalsystems and elucidate the functions of biomolecules by leveraging opticaltechnologies. Furthermore, to improve the molecular discrimination capability of SRS
microscopy, we developed a hyperspectral SRS imaging system that acquires SRS
images at various molecular vibration frequencies using our original rapid
wavelength-tunable laser. We are exploring various biomedical applications, including
the analysis of complex structures, dynamics, and interactions within biologicalsystems, through metabolic imaging, super-resolution imaging, and super-multiplexed
imaging using Raman-tagged molecules (Figure 1).

Associate Professor

Yoshitaka SHIRASAKI
Research Area

Secretion imaging

Biophysics, Secretion imagingAssistant Professor

Kazuhiro Kuruma

Laboratory forInterdiciplinary Activities

ColumnFrom a young age, my hobbies have beenelectronics and computers. In university, I
majored in electronic engineering and gradually

Cooperative Laboratories

We have developed "Live-cell imaging of secretion activity: LCI-S," which allows us
to visualize the secretion activity of cells in real-time. This technology combines
fluorescence sandwich immunostaining and total internal reflection fluorescencemicroscopy (Figure 3). For example, we can observe the secretion of cytokines,
which induce inflammation and allergies, from activated immune cells. We areexploring the medical applications of LCI-S in functional blood diagnostics for
precision medicine, phenotypic screening and toxicity assessment for drug discovery,
and functional evaluation of cell-based therapeutics.

Social Science

To realize ultrasensitive SRS microscopy, we are introducing quantum optics (Figure2), which allows us to break the quantum limit of the signal-to-noise ratio of SRS
microscopy. Specifically, by utilizing a special quantum state of light called “squeezedlight,” which has smaller quantum fluctuations than classical light, we succeeded in
reducing the noise in SRS signals.

Barrier Free

Enhancing the sensitivity of SRS microscopy via quantum optics

shifted my research focus. Currently, I am
advancing research in biophotonics using laser
pulses.
Understanding the behavior of electronics andoptics equips you with tools to develop

Social Cooperation
Research Departments

innovative research through various ingenious
methods. Biophotonics is a field that progresses
through collaboration with researchers from awide range of areas, including chemistry andbiology. Since we are often unfamiliar with each

Corporate SponsoredResearch Programsother's fields, we advance our research byteaching each other the basics, which fulfills my
1 Eight-color imaging of cells with four-color Ramanprobes and four-color fluorescent probes

2 Schematic of quantum-enhanced SRS microscopy

intellectual curiosity every day.
My hobby is playing the electric guitar, and theCOVID-19 pandemic has given me more

Research Organization

opportunities to engage with music.

https://sites.google.com/site/ozekibp
ozeki@ee.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp

shirasaki@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp

3 Visualization of cytokine secretion of immune cells by LCI-S135