ECE Seminar: Haonan Lin

ECE Seminar: Haonan Lin

Title: Computational Chemical Imaging: Measuring Metabolism at Unprecedented Speed, Specificity and Resolution

Abstract: Chemical imaging is an indispensable tool for functional studies in cells and tissues. Advanced vibrational chemical imaging techniques, including coherent Raman scattering and vibrational photothermal imaging, fill the gap of existing chemical imaging modalities (fluorescence microscopy, imaging mass spec) in multiplexed imaging of small intracellular metabolites. However, physical limits have begun to impede the advances of vibrational chemical imaging in key aspects such as speed, resolution, and spectral bandwidth, limiting our understanding of the sophisticated metabolic processes at high spatiotemporal resolutions. Computational imaging, which leverages algorithms to augment the hardware design, signal collection, and data analysis, offers “out-of-the-box” solutions to break the physical limits of conventional systems.

My research is dedicated to pioneering Computational Chemical Imaging (CCI). This interdisciplinary direction develops next-generation vibrational chemical imaging platforms by synergistically integrating advanced instrumentation with computational imaging techniques, with the objective of elucidating cell metabolism and identifying novel biomarkers for diseases at unprecedented physical scales. In this talk, I will present a series of efforts to break the physical limits of vibrational chemical imaging in speed, molecular specificity, and spatial resolution. First, I will introduce methods to break the speed barrier through compressive sampling and AI/ML-augmented ultrafast scanning, enabling dynamic metabolic imaging in live cells and high-throughput mapping of metabolites in large tissue sections. Then, I will share innovations in hyperspectral image analysis algorithms that enhance molecular specificity for metabolites and lipid species, with applications in cancer metabolic reprogramming and biofuel production tracking. Finally, I will showcase our recent work on ultrasensitive vibrational nanoscopy of cellular metabolism using highly chirped visible stimulated Raman scattering and noise-robust spatial frequency amplification, revealing novel metabolic nanostructures related to viral replication within host cells.

Bio: Haonan Lin received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University in 2021. He is currently a postdoctoral associate working with Professor Ji-Xin Cheng at the Boston University Photonics Center. His research focuses on the development of computation-driven, vibrational chemical imaging technologies to elucidate cell metabolism and identify novel biomarkers for diseases.