Abstract:

Optical imaging has revolutionized our ability to study complex biological systems. The ability to observe and track functions across length scales has led to the discovery of critical processes important to human health. Currently, imaging methods are limited by the number of distinguishable probes available. Many of these tools inherently suffer from broadly overlapping spectra, making multiplexing a difficult task. In my thesis work, I worked toward overcoming these limitations by harnessing bioluminescence for cellular imaging. To achieve this goal, I designed both novel tools and methods to track biological molecules across length scales. Overall, this work broadens the scope of imaging probes for studying biological processes.