NEW YORK – METRO Holographic Tomography of Fractal Aggregates

Overview

Holographic Video Microscopy (HVM) is an imaging technique which shines a laser on an object, capturing the shadow created. HVM analysis, which extracts the 3d position of an object, its radius, and its refractive index, are meant for imaging colloidal (uniform) spheres. However, it can also be used to image and analyze non- uniform objects. The purpose of this project is to characterize non-uniform particle and protein aggregates’ growth patterns using HVM, proving its ability to accurately image non-uniform objects. This would benefit the bio-pharmaceutical industry, where protein aggregation slows development; the proteins in the drugs aggregate which changes the effects of the drug. By improving the ability to recognize and understand particle and protein clustering, aggregation could be avoided. This paper used simulations as a proof of concept and experimental testing. Diffusion Limited Aggregation (DLA) is a growth model which when applied to a simulation of particles, produces fractal structures, similar to physical protein and particle aggregates. By scattering light with DLA aggregates, HVM can be used to image aggregates. Once images have been produced through HVM, the Effect Sphere Model (ESM) works in conjunction with HVM analysis to extract accurate information about the aggregate. With this information, the fractal dimension of the aggregate can be determined, which can then be used to discover the growth pattern of the imaged aggregate. Preliminary results look promising, suggesting that HVM can be used as a potential tool to determine the growth pattern of aggregates.

Competition history

• JSHS 2022 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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