Light scattering / Bennie R. Ware -- Raman scattering / Denis L. Rousseau and Mark R. Ondrias -- Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy / James O. Alben and Frank G. Fiamingo -- Nanosecond fluorescence spectroscopy / Juan Yguerabide and Evangelina E. Yguerabide -- Circular dichroism / Marcos F. Maestre -- Electron microscopy / S.W. Hui.

Optical Techniques in Biological Research discusses the fundamentals and applications of light scattering, Raman scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nanosecond fluorescence spectroscopy, and circular dichroism. Electron microscopy is also included owing to some of its classical similarity to optical microscopy optical structural and resonance techniques for biological research. The chapters are aimed at a level such that only a general understanding of chemistry and biology is required. The objective is to present material in a way that allows the research worker to assess quickly the applicability, utility, and significance of the specific technique to his or her problem or field of interest. Together with Structural and Resonance Techniques in Biological Research, this book marks the introduction of a new series of volumes, Physical Techniques in Biology and Medicine, which is intended to replace a previous treatise, Physical Techniques in Biological Research.

This book presents the fundamental physics of optical interferometry as applied to biophysical, biological and medical research. Interference is at the core of many types of optical detection and is a powerful probe of cellular and tissue structure in interfererence microscopy and in optical coherence tomography. It is also the root cause of speckle and other imaging artefacts that limit range and resolution. For biosensor applications, the inherent sensitivity of interferometry enables ultrasensitive detection of molecules in biological samples for medical diagnostics. In this book, emphasis is placed on the physics of light scattering, beginning with the molecular origins of refraction as light propagates through matter, and then treating the stochastic nature of random fields that ultimately dominate optical imaging in cells and tissue. The physics of partial coherence plays a central role in the text, with a focus on coherence detection techniques that allow information to be selectively detected out of incoherent and heterogeneous backgrounds. Optical Interferometry for Biology and Medicine is divided into four sections. The first covers fundamental principles, and the next three move up successive scales, beginning with molecular interferometry (biosensors), moving to cellular interferometry (microscopy), and ending with tissue interferometry (biomedical). An outstanding feature of the book is the clear presentation of the physics, with easy derivations of the appropriate equations, while emphasizing "rules of thumb" that can be applied by experimental researchers to give semi-quantitative predictions.

Optical probes, particularly the fluorescent varieties, enable researchers to observe cellular events in real time and with great spatial resolution. Optical Probes in Biology explores the diverse capabilities of these powerful and versatile tools and presents various approaches used to design, develop, and implement them. The book examines the use

This book describes the Optical Immersion Clearing method and its application to acquire information with importance for clinical practice and various fields of biomedical engineering. The method has proved to be a reliable means of increasing tissue transparency, allowing the investigator or surgeon to reach deeper tissue layers for improved imaging and laser surgery. This result is obtained by partial replacement of tissue water with an active optical clearing agent (OCA) that has a higher refractive index and is a better match for the refractive index of other tissue components. Natural tissue scattering is thereby reduced. An exponential increase in research using this method has occurred in recent years, and new applications have emerged, both in clinical practice and in some areas of biomedical engineering. Recent research has revealed that treating ex vivo tissues with solutions containing active OCAs in different concentrations produces experimental data to characterize drug delivery or to discriminate between normal and pathological tissues. The obtained drug diffusion properties are of interest for the pharmaceutical and organ preservation industry. Similar data can be estimated with particular interest for food preservation. The free water content evaluation is also of great interest since it facilitates the characterization of tissues to discriminate pathologies. An interesting new application that is presented in the book regards the creation of two optical windows in the ultraviolet spectral range through the application of the immersion method. These induced transparency windows open the possibility to diagnose and treat pathologies with ultraviolet light. This book presents photographs from the tissues we have studied and figures that represent the experimental setups used. Graphs and tables are also included to show the numerical results obtained in the sequential calculations performed.

Optical science and engineering affect almost every aspect of our lives. Millions of miles of optical fiber carry voice and data signals around the world. Lasers are used in surgery of the retina, kidneys, and heart. New high-efficiency light sources promise dramatic reductions in electricity consumption. Night-vision equipment and satellite surveillance are changing how wars are fought. Industry uses optical methods in everything from the production of computer chips to the construction of tunnels. Harnessing Light surveys this multitude of applications, as well as the status of the optics industry and of research and education in optics, and identifies actions that could enhance the field's contributions to society and facilitate its continued technical development.