5 February 2013

5.9 MDDK to research in fluorescent silver nanocluster technology

Associate Professor Tom Vosch has received a 5.9 mill DKK grant from the Villum Foundation's Young Investigator Programme, to develop his fluorescent silver nanocluster technology so it can enable high-resolution fluorescence nanoscopy.

The goal of Tom Vosch' project is to develop silver nanoclusters that are compatible  with the high resolution in state-of-the-art fluorescence nanoscopy. Traditionally the resolution of fluorescence microsopy is determined by the diffraction limit (200-300 nm), which is a measurement of how much detail can be seen through a given optical lens. In this project, fluorphores consisting of silver nanoclusters will be adapted to new applications within high resolution fluorescence nanoscopy. Adapting them to be used with methods  such as e.g. stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) and stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED), makes it possible to work exceed the diffraction limitation of the equipment. 

This grant will enable Associate Professor Vosch to bolster his ranks at Dpt. of Chemistry by recruiting a postdoc, a PhD-student plus acquiring new equipment.