![\"\"](\"\/photonics-programs\/files\/2025\/09\/sander_HS-600x600-2-300x300.jpg\")
<\/figure>\t\t\t\tMichelle Sander<\/h6>\n\t\t
Associate Professor, BME, ECE, MSE<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n
![\"\"](\"\/photonics-programs\/files\/2026\/02\/20230508_Bechtold_AM_005-150x150-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\t\t\t\tSamuel Bechtold<\/h6>\n\t\t
PhD Candidate<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n
![\"\"](\"\/photonics-programs\/files\/2026\/02\/Vera-300x300.jpg\")
<\/figure>\t\t\t\tVera Staub<\/h6>\n\t\t
PhD Candidate<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/p>\n
Project Description<\/span><\/h3>\n\nPhotothermal microscopes have proven excellent options for chemical imaging in the mid-infrared spectral region providing high sensitivity, specificity and spatial resolution comparable to fluorescence and optical microscopy. By targeting vibrational bonds, molecular composition can be analyzed in a label-free manner, without requiring fluorescent stains or tags. In addition, with a time-resolved photothermal imaging, checmical content as well as thermal diffusion properties can be simultaneously acquired, providing rich information regarding cellular properties from composition to structure as well as thermal resistance. <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\nAs part of this project, various cells and tissues will be analyzed for their protein, lipid and nucleic acid content and linked to different stages of cell development and potential disease states.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nResearch Goals<\/h3><\/span><\/p>\nStudents will gain insights how molecular composition, thermal diffusion dynamics and cellular structure can be linked together to obtain a detailed characterization of cells and tissues. Optimization of microscope parameters (resolution, sensitivity) will be analyzed for best imaging results. A detailed analysis of protein aggregates and their secondary protein conformation will be linked to cellular development stages and potential disease states.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\nLearning Goals<\/h3><\/span><\/p>\nStudents will learn about mid-infrared photothermal imaging, an emerging imaging platform that opens new pathways for biomedical research, environmental monitoring and chemical characterization. They will get familiar with optical microscopy techniques, sample preparation and data analysis. Insights into biophysical cell properties, proteins and cell membranes will be obtained.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\nTimeline<\/span><\/h3>\nWeeks 1-2:<\/strong><\/span> Literature review and introduction to project, lab training.
\n<\/span>Weeks 3-4:<\/strong><\/span> Learning photothermal microscopy.
\n<\/span>Weeks 5-7:<\/strong><\/span> Imaging of various samples, optimization of microscope parameters.
\n<\/span>Weeks 8-9:<\/strong><\/span> Additional experiments and data analysis.<\/span>
\nWeek 10:<\/strong><\/span> Summarizing results and research presentation.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mentors Project Description Photothermal microscopes have proven excellent options for chemical imaging in the mid-infrared spectral region providing high sensitivity, specificity and spatial resolution comparable to fluorescence and optical microscopy. By targeting vibrational bonds, molecular composition can be analyzed in a label-free manner, without requiring fluorescent stains or tags. In addition, with a time-resolved photothermal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5736,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[118],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10619"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5736"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10619"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10702,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10619\/revisions\/10702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Photothermal microscopes have proven excellent options for chemical imaging in the mid-infrared spectral region providing high sensitivity, specificity and spatial resolution comparable to fluorescence and optical microscopy. By targeting vibrational bonds, molecular composition can be analyzed in a label-free manner, without requiring fluorescent stains or tags. In addition, with a time-resolved photothermal imaging, checmical content as well as thermal diffusion properties can be simultaneously acquired, providing rich information regarding cellular properties from composition to structure as well as thermal resistance. <\/span> As part of this project, various cells and tissues will be analyzed for their protein, lipid and nucleic acid content and linked to different stages of cell development and potential disease states.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Students will gain insights how molecular composition, thermal diffusion dynamics and cellular structure can be linked together to obtain a detailed characterization of cells and tissues. Optimization of microscope parameters (resolution, sensitivity) will be analyzed for best imaging results. A detailed analysis of protein aggregates and their secondary protein conformation will be linked to cellular development stages and potential disease states.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n Students will learn about mid-infrared photothermal imaging, an emerging imaging platform that opens new pathways for biomedical research, environmental monitoring and chemical characterization. They will get familiar with optical microscopy techniques, sample preparation and data analysis. Insights into biophysical cell properties, proteins and cell membranes will be obtained.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n Weeks 1-2:<\/strong><\/span> Literature review and introduction to project, lab training. Mentors Project Description Photothermal microscopes have proven excellent options for chemical imaging in the mid-infrared spectral region providing high sensitivity, specificity and spatial resolution comparable to fluorescence and optical microscopy. By targeting vibrational bonds, molecular composition can be analyzed in a label-free manner, without requiring fluorescent stains or tags. In addition, with a time-resolved photothermal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5736,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[118],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10619"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5736"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10619"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10702,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10619\/revisions\/10702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/span><\/p>\nResearch Goals<\/h3>
Learning Goals<\/h3>
Timeline<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n<\/span>Weeks 3-4:<\/strong><\/span> Learning photothermal microscopy.
\n<\/span>Weeks 5-7:<\/strong><\/span> Imaging of various samples, optimization of microscope parameters.
\n<\/span>Weeks 8-9:<\/strong><\/span> Additional experiments and data analysis.<\/span>
\nWeek 10:<\/strong><\/span> Summarizing results and research presentation.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"