Cohort 2 student Neshika Wijewardhane publishes in the International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS) entitled ‘Modular Wavelength Adaptation of the Dynamic Optical MicroEnvironment’.
Neshika had the following to say about the experience: ‘The DOME is a powerful and adaptable platform that facilitates the study of light-reactive systems at the microscale. While the projection module of the DOME can produce light patterns with high spatial and temporal resolution, the maximum irradiance (incident electromagnetic energy per unit area) that can be generated by its native LEDs is limited. Increasing the irradiance is crucial to enabling new biomedical applications such as inducing DNA damage. In this paper, we present a modular solution to allow general light sources to be used with the DOME. By switching to a high-powered near-UV light source, we show that DNA damage can be caused by the Epi-DOME’s projection system at a targeted location.
In a previous paper, I showed that I could image and identify the leading edge of a wound and then project light onto the wound edge. With this paper, I showed that I can target the light to cause low levels of DNA damage in a select population of cells. By putting these two pieces of work together, I should be able to selectively damage cells at the leading edge of the wound, thus initiating specific pathways that increase the migration of cells. Enabling faster wound closure.’