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Introduction by David J.S. Birch

Research in the Photophysics Group is concerned with the study and application of the photophysics of molecular fluorescence in condensed media. Current research is focused on biomedical sensing, sol-gel nanoparticle structure and dynamics, nanotomography using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, single molecule studies and developing ultrafast techniques such as multiphoton excitation.

The Group has established an international reputation for seminal contributions to fluorescence lifetime research and successful interdisciplinary collaborations over two decades.

David Birch in the HoD office 2005-09-02.

Links with industry are consistently successful with instrumentation and techniques invented by members of the Group in widespread use in laboratories around the world.

The Group's origins can be traced to the pioneering work of J B Birks at Manchester University. John Birks being widely credited with having established Photophysics as a distinct discipline from Photochemistry.

Presently the group is applying its spectroscopic skills to developing the new field of nanometrology. In particular to studying molecular dynamics and structure using advanced spectroscopic and microscopic techniques combined with bespoke nano-structured environments. For example, the fluorescence lifetime photophysics of ensembles and single molecules combined with surface enhanced resonance Raman studies to determine dynamical structure and distance as paths towards making molecular nano-movies. This includes characterization and control of simulated natural environments using hydrated sol-gel nanopores and nanoparticles of oxides and noble metals. By detecting medically important metabolites, such as glucose, proteins, metal ions etc down to the single molecule level under controlled conditions we aim to better understand the fundamental building-blocks of biomolecular interaction that underpins the life sciences and medicine.
       
         
 
       
   

....Prof. David Birch : Successes and challenges for photophysics in nanometrology
...Mr Dalibor Panek : Relaxation of nano-confined water in Al2O3 porous structure probed by fluorescence
...Dr Jan Karolin : Silica structures from bottom-up assembly investigated by fluorescence depolarisation and energy migration
...Dr Olaf Rolinski : Fluorescence decay analysis: a new approach using non-extensive kinetics for protein studies
...Dr. Yu Chen : Processing and characterization of gold nanoparticles for biological sensing and imaging

...For more information please see our PIMoP page: http://sensor.phys.strath.ac.uk/PIMoP/

Poster presentations at MAF10 Salzburg 9 - 12 September 2007

Aqueous phenylalanine rotamer model using a 265 nm pulsed light-emitting diode
A. M. Macmillan, C. D. McGuinness, K. Sagoo, D. McLoskey, J. C. Pickup and D. J.S. Birch

Single-molecule fluorescence detection of allophycocyanin (APC) entrapped in a silica sol-gel glass under physiological conditions
A. M. Macmillan, J. Karolin, C. D. McGuinness, D, Pánek, J. C. Pickup and D. J.S. Birch

Towards single metal ion sensing by Forster resonance energy transfer
J. U. Sutter, A. M. Macmillan, D. J.S. Birch and O. Rolinski

Human Serum Albumin (HSA)-flavonoids interactions monitored by means of tryptophan (Trp) kinetics
O. J. Rolinski, K. Scobie, A. Martin and D. J.S. Birch

Processing and characterization of Au nanoparticles for use in plasmon probe spectroscopy and microscopy of biosystems
Y. Chen, J. A. Preece and R. E. Palmer
     
 
      sol-gel structure  
         

FluoroFest2009: http://sensor.phys.strath.ac.uk/ff2009/ fluo 
     http://pimop.org http://fluorescence.me
 
 

Selective excitation of tryptophan fluorescence decay in proteins using a subnanosecond 295 nm light-emitting diode and time-correlated single-photon counting
We demonstrate an AlGaN light-emitting diode LED giving pulses of 600 ps full width half maximum, 0.35 W average power, 0.6 mW peak power, and 12 nm bandwidth at 295 nm. This source is ideal for protein intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence decay research without the unwanted excitation of tyrosine and paves the way to lab-on-a-chip protein assays using fluorescence decay times. Fluorescence decay and anisotropy decay measurements of human serum albumin are reported and the usefulness of the 295 nm LED demonstrated in comparisons with a nanosecond flashlamp and LEDs with nominal wavelength emission of 280 nm.
86 (26) JUN 27 2005
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
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