Tentative topics to be covered in SERC School on Biophotonics

Basic Optics Overview of light sources, detectors and optics, brief discussion of Laguerre-Gaussian and Bessel beams Tissue optics Biological microstructure Light propagation in optically dilute samples (single scattering theories; use of angular distribution of scattered light and polarization for information on scatterers) Overview of light propagation models in turbid medium (Transport theories, Monte Carlo simulation) vv Measurement of tissue optic parameters: Experimental techniques Representative applications of elastic scattering from turbid media Optical Imaging of weakly scattering objects Introduction, basics of optical Microscopy, Use of contrast agents, fluorescent probes, Confocal Microscopy, Multiphoton microscopy, Non-linear microscopy (CARS, SHG), Near-field optical microscopy, Advanced methods in Fluorescence microscopy (FRET, FRAP, FCS) Optical Imaging through turbid medium Introduction to techniques for filtering out multiply scattered light Optical coherence tomography (OCT) (Basic principle, instrumentations and applications) Diffuse optical tomography (Principles, instrumentation and applications) Spectroscopy in biophotonics Steady state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy of biological systems: basics, instrumentation and applications in biomedical diagnosis Raman Spectroscopy of biological samples: basics, instrumentation and applications in biomedical diagnosis Optical micromanipulation Introduction to optical micromanipulation tools (Tweezers, Spanners and microbeams, discussion of optical trapping forces, force calibration and instrumentation) Optical orientation and rotation of microscopic objects (Principles and techniques) Use of optical micro-tools for single molecule studies and other representative applications Overview of promising areas like use of structured trapping beams, femto second trap beams etc. Nano biophotonics Nano particles in biophotonics (Basics of surface plasmons, radiative decay engineering for modulation of fluorescence and Raman signals, representative results) Lab on a chip (Basic ideas and implementation) Miscellaneous topics Synchrotron radiation source and its applications in biomedicine Effect of light on biological systems with or without exogenous drugs (Address concern on possible adverse effects as well as therapeutic uses) Lab workshop Simulation of light propagation in turbid medium Measurement of optical transport parameter of turbid medium Static fluorescence spectroscopy- influence of absorption and scattering Time resolved fluorescence measurement Optical coherence tomography Optical micromanipulation (trapping, transport and rotation of microscopic objects) Fluorescence microscopy