Seminar by Prof David J S Birch

Fluorescence research towards improved healthcare


Department of Chemistry SEMINAR

14:15, Friday the 17th of January

Department of Chemistry ROOM C303

Universitetsparken 5, Kbh. Ø

Prof David J S Birch 
Photophysics Group, Department of Physics, SUPA,
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, Scotland


Fluorescence is one of the most widely used analytical techniques and yet, although not a new phenomenon, it continues to enable new techniques and understanding across the molecular sciences. The impact of fluorescence is particularly striking in research into improved healt

hcare.1Sequencing the human genome and biomarkers for disease diagnostics are but two recent examples of this. In this talk I will survey some of the different fluorescence approaches to molecular research that might underpin improved healthcare in the future by way of examples that use fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy in relation to Alzheimer’s,2 melanoma3 and diabetes.4

David is one of Europe’s leading figures within the field of applied fluorescence, he is editor of two journals in the field, and founder of a company making equipment for time-resolved fluorescence measurement; now part of Horiba.


1.   Fluorescence detections and directions D J S Birch Meas. Sci. Technol. 22, 052002, 2011.

2.   Initial stages of beta-amyloid Ab1-40 and Ab1-42 oligomerization observed using fluorescence decay and molecular dynamics analyses of tyrosine. M Amaro et. al. Methods Appl. Fluoresc. 1, 015006 (13 pages), 2013.

3.   Eumelanin kinetics and sheet structure  J Sutter et. al. App. Phys. Letts., 100, 113701, 2012

4.  Fluorescence intensity and lifetime-based glucose sensing using glucose/galactose-binding protein.  J C Pickup et. al. J. Diabetes Sci. Technol. 7(1), 62, 2013.