University of California

Nikon Corporation

Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd.

Other

David A Agard

John W Sedat

Zvi Kam

Yumiko Ouchi

Hisao Osawa

Mats G L Gustafsson

Bridget M Hanser

Feng Wang

Yifan Cheng

Peter Knor

Peter Kner

Mats Gl Gustafsson

Eugene Palovcak

Herein are innovations that enable facile cryo-EM analysis of diverse samples. Methods of functionalizing sample grids for cryo-EM are described, including methods of creating high quality graphene oxide films on cryo-EM substrates. The cryo-EM sample substrates are functionalized with affinity molecules that efficiently concentrate sample molecules and other specimen types on the grid, away from the air-water interface. Affinity groups include amines and proteins such as tagging system proteins and peptides that can be used to capture diverse sample types with high affinity. Optionally, spacers such as PEG chains are used to place sample particles away from the substrate surface, reducing substrate-induced artifacts.

Graphene oxide affinity sample grids for Cyro-EM

Polarized light which is emitted from an optical fiber becomes circular polarized light by passing through a first quarter wave plate. The circular polarized light which has entered a second quarter wave plate is converted into nearly linear polarized light which has S polarization. P polarization components are removed from the nearly linear polarized light by a polarizer, but the polarizer is not always necessary. The optical axis of the polarizer is set to be a direction which allows transmitting of S polarized light. The light that has passed through the polarizer is separated into diffracted lights by a diffraction grating, and is used as the structured illumination light.

Structured illumination microscope apparatus and an image forming apparatus

Polarized light which is emitted from an optical fiber becomes circular polarized light bypassing through a first quarter wave plate. The circular polarized light which has entered a second quarter wave plate is converted into nearly linear polarized light which has S polarization. P polarization components are removed from the nearly linear polarized light by a polarizer, but the polarizer is not always necessary. The optical axis of the polarizer is set to be a direction which allows transmitting of S polarized light. The light that has passed through the polarizer is separated into diffracted lights by a diffraction grating, and is used as the structured illumination light.

A method and apparatus for correcting optical aberrations in an optical device using a deformable mirror. An actuator is provided which applies a deforming force to the deformable mirror. By selecting particular thickness profiles of the deformable mirror and force configurations of the actuator, the optical device can be configured to correct for different optical aberrations. The actuator may be configured to apply the deforming force peripherally, centrally, non-centrally or homogenously across the surface of the deformable mirror. The deformable mirror may be a flat disk mirror, a convex mirror, or a concave mirror, and may include a membrane having a variable flexibility. The optical device may be a wide-field microscope, an optical read/write device, laser tweezers, or any other optical device in which correction of optical aberrations is desirable.

Method and apparatus for correcting optical aberrations using a deformable mirror

A system and method for correcting optical aberrations in optical devices, such as wide-field microscopes, optical tweezers and optical media devices, such as DVD drives. The system uses adaptive optics to correct optical aberrations, such as spherical and space-variant aberrations. Spherical aberrations can be corrected using one adaptive optical elements and space-variant aberrations can be corrected using numerous adaptive optical elements in tandem. The adaptive optical elements may be of several types, such as a liquid lenses, deformable membrane mirrors or various liquid crystal phase and amplitude modulators. Adaptive optics can also be used to simultaneously shift the focus of the optical device and correct optical aberrations.

Method and system for correcting optical aberrations, including widefield imaging applications

Apparatus for computational adaptive imaging comprises the following: an image information acquirer, which provides information relating to the refractive characteristics in a three-dimensional imaged volume; a ray tracer, which uses the information relating to the refractive characteristics to trace a multiplicity of rays from a multiplicity of locations in the three-dimensional imaged volume through the three-dimensional imaged volume, thereby providing a location dependent point spread function, and a deconvolver, which uses the location dependent point spread function, to provide an output image corrected for distortions due to variations in the refractive characteristics in the three-dimensional imaged volume.

Computerized adaptive imaging

A method and apparatus for three dimensional optical microscopy is disclosed which employs dual opposing objective lenses about a sample and extended incoherent illumination to provide enhanced depth or Z direction resolution. In a first embodiment, observed light from both objective lenses are brought into coincidence on an image detector and caused to interfere thereon by optical path length adjustment. In a second embodiment, illuminating light from an extended incoherent light source is detected to the sample though both objective lenses and caused to interfere with a section of the sample by adjusting optical path lengths. Observed light from one objective lens is then recorded. In a third embodiment, which combines the first two embodiments, illuminating light from an extended incoherent light source is detected to the sample through both objective lenses and caused to interfere with a section of the sample by adjusting optical path lengths. The observed light from both lenses is caused to interfere on the image detector by the same optical path length adjustment.

Growing community of inventors

Burlingame, CA, United States of America

David A Agard