In vivo Multiphoton Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching

Multi-fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (MP-FRAP) is a microscopy technique used to measure the diffusion coefficient of fluorescently tagged macromolecules, and can be applied to both in vitro and in vivo biological systems. The power of MP-FRAP lies in its ability to probe thick tissue with 3D resolution. We have been developing improvements to the MP-FRAPtechnique that will broaden its already substantial applicability in vivo. Recently, we published an article introducing an alternative mathematical recovery model that accounts for the presence of directed flow in a region where diffusion measurements are desired.

This alternative model is especially applicable in leaky interstitial regions, and can be used to measure plasma viscosity, a common gauge of several disease states. Currently, we are probing the effects on photobleaching recovery when MP-FRAP is performed in a constrained environment. We are also working in collaboration with Mitchell Anthamatten (Chemical Engineering) to apply MP-FRAP to a novel question in the field of polymer-structure relationships.