High-speed, label-free chemical imaging for live cells in multiwell plates
Official title: High-Speed, High-Content, Label-Free Live-Cell Chemical Imaging in Multiwell Plates Using Photothermal Stimulated Raman Scattering (PT-SRS) Microscopy
Funded at Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp. · NIH-11407011 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A next-generation PT-SRS microscope will let scientists image live cells in standard 96-well plates quickly and without labels.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Barbara, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $306,802 |
| NIH project number | 1R43GM165235-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11407011 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients directly; this is a tool development project for researchers studying cellular biology and drug screening.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient participation or benefit in this stage.
What this research studies
This project aims to create an epi-detected PT-SRS system that works with inverted microscopes and common lab plates, enabling fast, chemical-specific imaging of living cells. It focuses on high sensitivity, good spatial resolution, and safe operating powers so it fits into everyday biology workflows. The work is conducted as a Phase I SBIR to demonstrate feasibility of a turnkey platform that researchers can adopt without specialized substrates or complex handling.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, researchers could perform rapid, label-free chemical imaging of cells in routine assays, accelerating discovery and quality control.
How similar studies have gone: PT-SRS has shown high chemical specificity, but current setups are limited to transmission modes and specific formats; this project aims to translate to practical, widely used configurations.
Where this research is happening
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Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp.
Santa Barbara, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kjoller, Kevin — Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp.
- Study coordinator: Kjoller, Kevin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.