Infrared Microscopy
Infrared Microscopy - Related Videos
08:11
Infrared Spectroscopy
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2023
Source: Vy M. Dong and Zhiwei Chen, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA This experiment will demonstrate the use of infrared (IR) spectroscopy (also known as vibrational spectroscopy) to elucidate the identity of an unknown compound by identifying the functional group(s) present. IR spectra will be obtained on an IR spectrometer using the attenuated total reflection (ATR) sampling technique with a neat sample of the unknown.
12:58
Characterizing Individual Protein Aggregates by Infrared Nanospectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy
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Cited by 18 •
2019
We describe the application of infrared nanospectroscopy and high-resolution atomic force microscopy to visualize the process of protein self-assembly into oligomeric aggregates and amyloid fibrils, which is closely associated with the onset and development of a wide range of human neurodegenerative disorders.
09:38
Characterizing Far-infrared Laser Emissions and the Measurement of Their Frequencies
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Cited by 4 •
2015
We describe the generation of far-infrared radiation using an optically pumped molecular laser along with the measurement of their frequencies with heterodyne techniques. The experimental system and techniques are demonstrated using difluoromethane (CH2F2) as the laser medium whose results include three new laser emissions and eight measured laser frequencies.
10:12
Near-infrared Fluorescence Imaging of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
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2023
Source: Arvin H. Soepriatna1, Kelsey A. Bullens2, and Craig J. Goergen1 1 Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 2 Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging is an exciting optical technique that utilizes fluorescent probes to visualize complex biomolecular assemblies in tissues. NIRF imaging has many advantages over conventional imaging methods for noninvasive imaging of diseases.
01:45
Visualization of Mouse Cerebral Thrombi Using Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging
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2025
Source: Kim, D. E., et al. Combined Near-infrared Fluorescent Imaging and Micro-computed Tomography for Directly Visualizing Cerebral Thromboemboli. J. Vis. Exp. (2016)This video demonstrates near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) imaging to visualize thrombi in excised brain tissue labeled with a fibrin-specific probe. Near-infrared light excites the probe, causing the thrombus to fluoresce, enabling high-contrast thrombi visualization in the major cerebral artery and small cortical blood vessels.
FAQs
The key signal in infrared microscopy comes from molecular vibrations associated with functional groups, the chemically distinct parts of molecules. Each group absorbs particular infrared frequencies, producing characteristic bands in a spectrum. Comparing these bands across pixels allows investigators to distinguish chemical constituents and examine how their distribution contributes to cellular or tissue structure.
A Fourier-transform infrared microscope converts spectral measurements into spatially resolved chemical images. Rather than treating a sample as one uniform measurement, the instrument links absorption patterns to microscopic locations. This pairing of spectral information with position lets researchers visualize chemical heterogeneity, such as differences in composition between regions of a cell, tissue, or biomaterial.
It allows cells and tissues to be examined through their own infrared absorption patterns, without fluorescent labels. This supports direct assessment of components such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, while avoiding the need to represent those components through a fluorescence signal. The approach connects measured chemical composition with biological organization.
A basic workflow begins by examining a biological sample with infrared radiation and recording absorption across microscopic locations. The resulting spectral patterns are processed by the Fourier-transform infrared microscope to create a chemical image. Researchers can then compare regions and relate observed chemical distributions to cellular structure, tissue organization, or biological function.
Infrared microscopy can examine proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and metabolic changes in cells and tissues. Their absorption patterns provide chemically specific information that can be mapped against microscopic organization. This helps investigators determine whether a biological region differs in composition and how those differences correspond to tissue structure or function.
The technique supports cell biology, pathology, disease research, and biomaterial analysis. In these settings, researchers can identify chemical changes and relate them to biological function or tissue organization. Its ability to examine composition at microscopic scales makes it useful when molecular information must be interpreted alongside the spatial arrangement of cells, tissues, or material regions.