Bio-Nano-Photonics Laboratory
Mississippi State University
Our Research
Studies of static and dynamic optical properties of mesoscopic to nanoscopic optical disordered media, such as biological cells/tissues. In particularly, the development of optical tools and techniques to understand the biological processes within a single cell to tissue. Main focus is on using biophotonics methods to understand and detect disease processes such as: progression of early cancer and abnormalities in brain cells/tissues.
Current Projects by Pradhan's Group
01
Enhanced partial wave spectroscopy (EPWS) development and characterization of nano-scale scattering, and development of high-throughput instrumentation with nanoscale sensitivity
Study of nanoscopic light transport properties of single biological cells. Optical imaging of intracellular nanoscale structural disorder of a biological cell for early-stage cancer detection and brain abnormalities due to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stress, and chronic alcoholism.
02
Dynamic properties (diffusion and displacement) of single particles and monomers in a biological cell
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Use of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and confocal microscopy to study the changes in single particle and monomer diffusion processes in biological cells with the changes in crowding in carcinogenesis.
03
Electron Microscopy (EM) study of cells and tissues
Quantification of optical disorder strength resulting from nanoscale refractive index fluctuations of tissues/cells via EM. Correlation between EM and optical microscopy study to investigate the origin of cancer.
04
Optical coherence tomography study: Quantification of structural disorder properties of cancer and brain tissues in micron to macro scales
Study of the quantification of structural disorder properties of cancer and brain tissues in micron to macro scales.
05
Absorption Spectroscopy
Study of tissues and biofluid samples for detection of chemical properties in cancer and brain abnormalities.
06
Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) numerical simulations
Most of our scattering experiments are supported by the FDTD simulations or similar methods.
07
Brownian Dynamics (BD) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations
BD/MD simulations on model chromatin systems to study the dynamic properties of the cell nucleus in order to predict the progress of carcinogenesis.
08
Low-coherence enhanced backscattering spectroscopy (LEBS) and corresponding miniaturized fiber optics for in vivo optical tool development:
We have developed a novel method, called inverse participation ratio (IPR) technique, to study the nano to submicron scales molecular specific mass-density fluctuations of biological cell nuclei by quantifying their nanoscale light-localization properties using confocal microscopy (CFM) imaging. We have successfully applied this technique for different stages of cancer detection in cells
09
Delay time spectroscopy to study biological systems
We have developed delay time spectroscopy to probe the time spent by a photon inside a biological scattering medium before it escapes. This new method is used to characterize the abnormalities in a cell/tissue.