Imaging Across Scales from Atoms to Human

Body

Please see below for more information on the 2024 workshop. We look forward to hosting our community again in the future!


BioScience Research Collaborative

Auditorium & Event/Exhibition Hall

November 14-16, 2024 | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Since the 17th century, when people first observed the tiny world through polished optical lenses and recorded their observations in micrographs, imaging has remained a central focus driving the development of numerous technologies and advancements. Several Nobel Prizes have been awarded for different imaging techniques aimed at enhancing our ability to "see" and understand the world, including cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), super-resolved fluorescence microscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

In this workshop, our focus was on multiscale imaging methods, ranging from the direct visualization of single atoms, individual molecules in cells and tissues, to large organisms and the human body. By bringing together researchers specializing in various imaging techniques, our objective is to integrate multiple imaging modalities to provide complementary information about the structure, function, and characteristics of biological or materials systems. This interdisciplinary approach aims to address key challenges across various fields by leveraging the strengths of different imaging technologies.

Click here to read the Rice News article about our first workshop, and click here to view photos from workshop.

Workshop Schedule

Day 1: Imaging Atomic Structures of Materials & Biomolecules

November 14 Workshop Organized by Prof. Yimo Han
The direct visualization of atomic structures and properties is essential for advancing our fundamental understanding of materials and biomolecules. This session will cover state-of-the-art electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy techniques, focusing on applications in semiconductors, catalysts, proteins, small molecules, and critical interfaces. Our goal is to inspire new interdisciplinary research directions and to lay the groundwork for next-generation imaging technologies.

Time Speakers & Topics
7:30 - 8:30 AM Breakfast
Session 1 - Chair: Yimo Han
8:30 - 8:45 AM VPR Ramamoorthy Ramesh (More Info)
Rice University
Opening Remarks
8:45 - 9:30 AM Prof. David A. Muller (More Info)
Cornell University
Keynote Talk: "The Highest Resolution Image"
9:30 - 10:00 AM Coffee Break
10:00 - 10:45 AM Prof. Haimei Zheng (More Info)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
"Liquid Phase Electron Microscopy: Atomic Evolution of Hydrogen Intercalation Wave Dynamics in Palladium Nanocrystals" (Abstract)
10:45 - 11:30 AM Prof. Nan Yao (More Info)
Princeton University
"Unraveling Atom-Atom Interactions and Surface Dynamics: Insights from Scanning Probe Microscopy" (Abstract)
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Lunch
Session 2 - Chair: Yimo Han
1:00 - 1:45 PM Prof. Chih-Kang Shih (More Info)
University of Texas at Austin
"Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy of Twisted van der Waals Bilayers" (Abstract)
1:45 - 2:30 PM Prof. Yifan Cheng (More Info)
University of California San Francisco
"Single Particle Cryo-EM and Its Applications in Structural Biology"
2:30 - 3:00 PM Coffee Break
3:00 - 3:45 PM Prof. Ming Zhou (More Info)
Baylor College of Medicine
"CryoEM Structures of Membrane-Embedded Enzymes Involved in Lipid Synthesis"
3:45 - 4:30 PM Dr. Alberto Moscatelli (More Info)
Nature Nanotechnology
"An Insider's View of the Nature Journals" (Abstract)
4:30 - 6:00 PM Poster Session & Networking
6:00 - 9:00 PM Dinner for Invited Speakers
Day 2: Optical Imaging at the Nanoscale

November 15 Workshop Organized by Prof. Anna-Karin Gustavsson
Since the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy, approaches to visualize the molecular dynamics and structures at the nanoscale have revolutionized our understanding of function in chemistry, biology, materials science, and beyond. Here, we will bring together researchers in the field of nanoscale optical microscopy to inspire novel cutting-edge research and high-impact collaborative efforts.

Time Speakers & Topics
7:30 - 8:20 AM Breakfast
Session 1 - Chair: Anna-Karin Gustavsson
8:20 - 8:30 AM Opening Remarks
8:30 - 9:30 AM Prof. Wei Min (More Info)
Columbia University
Keynote Talk: "Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) Imaging: the Next Frontier of Light Microscopy" (Abstract)
9:30 - 10:05 AM Allison Squires (More Info)
University of Chicago
"Single-Particle-Level Understanding and Control of Photophysics in Biomolecules" (Abstract)
10:05 - 10:35 AM Coffee Break
Session 2 - Chair: Mingjie Dai
10:35 - 11:10 AM Prof. Siegfried Musser (More Info)
Texas A&M University
"3D Super-Resolution Imaging of Nucleocytoplasmic Transport" (Abstract)
11:10 - 11:45 AM Prof. Muyinatu Bell (More Info)
Johns Hopkins University
"Listening to the Sound of Light to Guide Surgeries" (Abstract)
11:45 AM - 12:20 PM Prof. Tai-Yen Chen (More Info)
University of Houston
"Transporter De-Oligomerization Regulates Copper Uptake into Human Cells" (Abstract)
12:20 - 1:40 PM Lunch
Session 3 - Chair: Tai-Yen Chen
1:40 PM - 2:15 PM Prof. Guy Nir (More Info)
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
"Super-Resolution Chromatin Tracing Reveals That Global Knotting Is Infrequent in the Salmonella Genome" (Abstract)
2:15 - 2:50 PM Prof. Lingyan Shi (More Info)
University of California, San Diego
"Multimodal Metabolic Nanoscopy for Studying Aging and Diseases" (Abstract)
2:50 - 3:20 PM Coffee Break
Session 4 - Chair: Allison Squires
3:20 - 3:55 PM Prof. Kevin Welsher (More Info)
Duke University
"“Locking On” to Single Molecules and the Extracellular Phase of Viral Infection"(Abstract)
3:55 - 4:30 PM Prof. Fang Huang (More Info)
Purdue University
"Ultra-High Resolution Structural and Molecular Imaging of Cells and Tissues and a New Information-Based Theoretical Resolution Limit" (Abstract)
4:30 - 5:00 PM Student Flash Talks
5:00 - 6:30 PM Poster Session & Networking
6:30 - 9:00 PM Dinner for Invited Speakers
Day 3: Next-Generation Computational Bio-Imaging

November 16 Workshop Organized by Prof. Lei Li & Prof. George Lu
Bio-imaging is a vital component of modern healthcare, as it enables the visualization, diagnosis, and treatment of various diseases and conditions. Bio-imaging ranges from the simple heart rate monitor on smartwatches to multi-million-dollar machines like MRI, fMRI, PET, and everything in between (microscopes, photoacoustics, ultrasound, portable x-rays, etc.). We will explore bio-imaging's current and future directions and foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and industry partners. The main topics include (1) emerging technologies and applications of bio-imaging for digital health, (2) translating bio-imaging from bench to bedside, and (3) practices of commercializing bio-imaging technologies.

Time Speakers & Topics
7:20 - 7:55 AM Breakfast
Session 1 - Intraoperative Imaging - Chair: Lei Li
7:55 - 8:00 AM Prof. Lei Li (More Info)
Rice University
Opening Remarks
8:00 - 8:30 AM Prof. John Y.K. Lee (More Info)
University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
Keynote Talk: "Optical Evolution of Brain Surgery"
8:30 - 8:50 AM Prof. Pablo Valdes (More Info)
University of Texas Medical Branch
"Qualitative and Quantitative Fluorescence Imaging to Guide Brain Tumor Surgery"
8:50 - 9:10 AM Prof. Pabel Ali Miah (More Info)
Baylor College of Medicine
Breast Surgery Using Real-Time Visualization and Localizing Techniques
9:10 - 9:30 AM Prof. Walter Akers (More Info)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Keynote Talk: "Augmented Reality Fluorescence Guided Surgery" (Abstract)
9:30 - 9:50 AM Prof. James Suliburk (More Info)
Baylor College of Medicine
"Clinical Applications for Mass Spectrometry in Surgical Disease"
9:50 - 10:10 AM Coffee Break
Session 2 - Computational Imaging - Chair: George Lu
10:10 - 10:40 AM Prof. Ashok Veeraraghavan (More Info)
Rice University
Keynote Talk: "Optics, Sensors, and AI: Synergistic Computational Bio-Imaging"
10:40 - 11:00 AM Prof. Liang Gao (More Info)
University of California, Los Angeles
"Breaking the Speed Barrier: High-Speed Light-Field Microscopy for Kilohertz to Terahertz 3D Imaging" (Abstract)
11:00 - 11:20 AM Dr. Shalin Mehta (More Info)
Chan Zuckerberg Biohub
"Learning Dynamic Cellular Responses to Perturbations with 4D Imaging and Contrastive Learning" (Abstract)
11:20 - 11:50 AM Prof. Lei Xing (More Info)
Stanford University
Keynote Talk: "Roles of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Imaging" (Abstract)
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Prof. David T. Fuentes (More Info)
MD Anderson Cancer Center
"An Interpretable Machine Learning Model for Glioma Prognosis"
12:10 - 1:10 PM Lunch
Session 3 - Molecular Imaging - Chair: Richard Bouchard
1:10 - 1:40 PM Prof. Ji-Xin Cheng (More Info)
Boston University
Keynote Talk: "Chemical Bond Imaging: From Single Virus to Human Subjects" (Abstract)
1:40 - 2:00 PM Dr. Martin Schnermann (More Info)
Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute
"Harnessing Cyanine Reactivity for Imaging and Drug Delivery"
2:00 - 2:20 PM Prof. Konstantin Sokolov (More Info)
MD Anderson Cancer Center
"Translational Molecular Photoacoustic Imaging with Encapsulated ICG J Aggregates"
2:20 - 2:40 PM Prof. David Maresca (More Info)
Delft University of Technology
"Nonlinear Sound-Sheet Microscopy: Imaging Opaque Organs at the Capillary and Cellular Scale"
2:40 - 3:00 PM Prof. Stephen Wong (More Info)
Houston Methodist
"Multimodal Molecular Imaging for Cancer Diagnosis and Research" (Abstract)
3:00 - 3:20 PM Coffee Break
Session 4 - Emerging Imaging Technology - Chair: Pablo Valdes
3:20 - 3:40 PM Prof. Sadeer Al-Kindi (More Info)
Houston Methodist
"Cardiovascular Imaging in Cancer Patients"
3:40 - 4:00 PM Jess Lee
Laminar Health
"Broadening Access to Digital Health Imaging Technologies"
4:00 - 4:20 PM Prof. Mini Das (More Info)
University of Houston
"Spectral, Phase Contrast X-Ray Imaging, and Image Science" (Abstract)
4:20 - 4:40 PM Prof. Richard R. Bouchard (More Info)
MD Anderson Cancer Center
"Photoacoustic-Ultrasonic Characterization of Cardiac Ablation Lesions" (Abstract)
4:40 - 5:00 PM Bryan Clingman (More Info)
Seno Medical Instruments
"Beyond the Lab: Optoacoustic Imaging of the Breast from Clinical Study to Clinical Practice" (Abstract)
5:00 - 5:20 PM Prof. Lei Li (More Info)
Rice University
"Advancing Photoacoustic Imaging: From Benchtop Whole-Body Imagers to Wearable Sensors" (Abstract)
5:10 - 5:40 PM Student Flash Talks
5:40 - 6:30 PM Poster Session & Networking
6:30 - 8:30 PM Dinner for Invited Speakers

Workshop Sponsors

AbberiorDectrisBaylor College of Medicine Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer CenterRice ENRICHMD AndersonONISchool of Engineering and ComputingRCQMSCISynthXTeledyneThe University of Texas Medical Branch