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Research Interests

The research in the laboratory focuses on two core areas:  Advanced Microscopy & Fluorescence Spectroscopy, and Process Analytical Technologies.  Within each of these core areas there are a number of different projects which span domains like forensics, industrial process monitoring, and live cell imaging. 

ADVANCED MICROSCOPY & Fluorescence Spectroscopy

This work involves the development of new instrumentation, applied, and fundamental research. It currently encompasses applications in both the biomedical and earth sciences. Specific research topics include: 

• Protein-Surface Chemistry:   Development of novel fluorescence based methods for the analysis of protein deposition on surfaces. In this project we seek to use the most advanced and sensitive microscopy techniques to study in detail how protein structure and activity changes on different surfaces.
  
• Biomedical Polymers:  Studying the influence of surface polarity on the luminescence properties of fluorophores with a view to developing analysis tools for the evaluation of biomedical polymers.
• Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy: Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) and Fluorescence Cross Correlation Spectroscopy (FCCS) for the study of molecular processes in living cells.  In collaboration with Dr. Ian Dobbie , Prof. N. Lowndes, and Dr. H.P. Nasheuer of the Department of Biochemistry. More recently we acquired a TIRF microscope and are now exploring Single Molecule Detection methods.
  
• Nanoscale Biophotonics: the study of metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) using nanopatterned substrates. This project started in August 2003 and this Nanoscale Biophotonics project is centred at the physics-chemistry-biology interface and will develop new highly sensitive measurement tools for use in biology and medicine.  Optical methods are ideal since they can be non-contact, non-destructive, and easily miniaturized.  To deal with the ever-increasing need to measure smaller and smaller quantities of analytes, with very high accuracy we are going to combine nanotechnology with optical fluorescence.  Fluorescence is the process by which certain molecules absorb light at one wavelength and then later re-emit light at another (usually longer) wavelength.  In one project, we are building designed nanostructures to which we then attach fluorescent molecules to produce very sensitive measurement methods capable of ’seeing’ individual molecules. In addition the Nanoscale Biophotonics group is promoting the use of time-resolved fluorescence and Raman spectroscopies for the analysis of complex environments in the life and physical sciences.
  
• Crude Oils & Fluid Inclusions:  Rapid fluorescence lifetime analysis methods for characterising crude petroleum oils. (More detail - petroleum fluorescence page). Fluorescence spectroscopy of hydrocarbon bearing microscopic fluid inclusions.  We have made the first fluorescence lifetime measurements from inclusions (July 2003) and have presented these preliminary results at the IMOG and MSI meetings in September 2003. This includes the development of novel instrumentation and the use of chemometric analysis for petroleum composition. (More detail - fluid inclusion research page).
• Fluorescence Instrument Development: Development of time-resolved fluorescence instrumentation using Time Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) measurement methods. Development of portable phase-modulated fluorescence lifetime instrumentation for biomedical sensing applications. Development of a gated ICCD based FLIM system for widefield imaging applications. 
• Development of lifetime based pH sensors for high accuracy pH measurement applications. ( More detail - pH sensing page)

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PROCESS ANALYTICAL TECHNOLOGIES

The core concepts we use are spectroscopy (interaction of light with matter) and chemometrics (mathematical analysis). The work involves both applied and fundamental research studies with a goal of developing novel, robust, and sensitive analytical methods. We generally focus on the use of Raman and Fluorescence spectroscopies, because they offer an ideal combination of speed, molecular recognition, minimal sample preparation, inexpensive hardware, and robustness.  Some of our methods are now being adopted by our industrial partners. 

Specific research areas include: 

• Biopharmaceutical Process Analysis: This project which kicked off in July 2006 is a collaboration with Bristol Myers-Squibb and DCU, involves the development of new, novel, rapid analytical techniques for the BioPharma industry.  The research involves a variety of spectroscopic techniques (Raman, IR, NIR, XRF, etc) in combination with chemometrics.  This was part of the phase one element of the Centre for Bioanalytical Sciences (CBAS), but now is generally part of NIBRT. 
• Polymorph analysis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) as part of the SFI funded Solid State Pharmaceutical Characterization, strategic research cluster. This is in collaboration with 9 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies.
• Forensic applications of near-IR Raman spectroscopy: the use of multivariate analysis (Chemometrics) and Machine Learning (with M. Madden, IT Dept.) for identifying and predicting the concentrations of suspect materials. (More detail).
• Raman spectroscopy of materials in general.  This covers everything from thin polymer films, to human tissue,to microscopic fluid inclusions (with Dr. Martin Feely of the Dept. of Earth & Ocean Sciences). 
• Past projects included:
  - Analysis of Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) films with Enterprise Ireland.
  - Analysis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients with Elan, Athlone.
  - Anaysis of chemical process samples, with Roche Ireland, Clarecastle.
  - Study of coloured inclusions extracted from MDMA tablets.
  

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Collaborations:

The group collaborates widely with academic researchers in NUI-Galway, Ireland, and Internationally.  Some of our collaborators (not an exhaustive list) include:

• Dr. John Stephens, School of Chemistry, NUI Maynooth.  We are working together on the photo-physical characterization of novel triazine fluorophores that John synthesizes.
  
• Dr. Leigh F. Jones, School of Chemistry, NUIG. Spectroscopic analysis of inorganic complexes.[see publication list for more details].
• Dr. A.S. Klymchenko, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie et Physicochimie des interactions cellulaires et moleculaires, Faculte de Pharmacie, Universite Louis Pasteur, Illkirch, France:  Use of ESIPT fluorophores for the measurement of polymer polarity and other physio-chemical parameters. 
• Dr. H.-P. Nasheueur, Dept. of Biochemistry: Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) for protein-protein interactions.
• Pr. S. Bouhlel, Département de Géologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Tunisia.  Fluorescence Lifetime Microscopy of hydrocarbon bearing fluid inclusions.
• Dr. Y. Rotchev, NCBES/School of Chemistry: development of fluorescence based methods for the analysis of biomedical polymers, with emphasis of physiochemical measurements and drug elution profiles [see publication list for more details].
• Prof. P. Dockery, Dept. of Anatomy: Studying the use of structured light illumination for fluid inclusion analysis. Development of educational programme for a microscopy and imaging MSc. [see publication list for more details].

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PAST Collaborations:

the following are some of the other researchers who we have collaborated with in the past. 

• Prof. John Parnell, Geofluids Reserach Group, Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen: Fluorescence Lifetime Microscopy of hydrocarbon bearing fluid inclusions.
• Dr. M. Feely, Dept. of Earth & Ocean Sciences: Development of quantitative methods of analysis for hydrocarbon bearing fluid inclusions, Raman spectroscopy of aqueous fluid inclusions, gemstones, and mineral identification using spectroscopy. This collaboration has been ongoing since 1998 and is currently the focus of an RFP project [see publication list for more details].
• Dr. M. Madden, Dept. of Information Technology: Development of quantitative methods of analysis for illicit drugs and hazardous materials using Raman spectroscopy, chemometrics and machine learning. The current collaboration involves 2 Enterprise Ireland and one Marie-Curie grants. This collaboration has been ongoing since 2002 [see publication list for more details].
• Dr. G. Wall, Dept. of Microbiology: Measuring protein size using FCS and fluorescence anisotropy.

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