SPARKing innovation and scientific joy

Thanks to the Berns-SPIE SPARK Grants, four research scientists – selected from a field of 65 applicants – will each receive a transformative $100,000 in order to further their innovative biomedical projects. In 2024, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, partnered with the Beckman Laser Institute (BLI) to generate and award these grants in order to provide support to young research scientists – either postdocs or faculty – who are using lasers and other optically based systems to study basic cell process or to develop technologies to diagnose and/or treat diseases in an innovative way that could have a major impact on the field of biophotonics.

These Berns-SPIE SPARK Grants represent geographical diversity, honoring recipients from four countries; they also reflect technical diversity, with distinct medical applications being targeted  The grants will support the development and implementation of a novel platform for early-stage Alzheimer’s diagnosis; an innovation to enhance success within the IVF cycle; a tool for early prediction and prevention of pelvic organ prolapse; and an improved method for diagnosing and monitoring Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Roman Zakoldaev, of the University of Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, is developing the ProMis platform. The project aims to develop a photonics biosensing platform for misfolded protein analysis, based on waveguide-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, to detect early biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease. Through its waveguide design, single-step fabrication, validation of nanomolar sensitivity, and time-resolved monitoring of protein aggregation, this work promises to result in a novel platform for early-stage Alzheimer's diagnosis.

Zakoldaev working on a custom-made Raman spectroscopy setup in his lab.

“When, in the course of my research, I found that mesoporous materials make spectroscopic signals clear, I thought, ‘Wow! Let’s integrate photonics elements to improve their sensitivity,’” says Zakoldaev. “I want to push the boundaries of on-chip Raman spectroscopy and develop a relatively simple tool to study proteins. This tool, the ProMis platform, is the core of my project.  The Berns-SPIE SPARK Grant provides crucial support, enabling me to develop this novel photonics biosensing platform for time-resolved analysis of proteins. Ultimately, this technology could revolutionize how we monitor protein misfolding, paving the way for earlier and more reliable Alzheimer's diagnoses.”

At the University of Toronto in Canada, Eno Hysi is working on developing a project that focuses on photoacoustic imaging of lung injuries. His research addresses the critical challenge of diagnosing and monitoring Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in intensive care, a challenge to which Photoacoustic Imaging of Lung Injury (PILI) may offer a solution by offering real-time, non-invasive, and radiation-free assessment of lung injuries and providing insights into the structural and functional changes in ARDS. The project aims to establish PILI as a crucial tool for ICU diagnostics, potentially transforming the management of ARDS by enhancing early detection, treatment monitoring, and patient outcomes.

Hysi working with a laser source for a previous project.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity provided by the Berns-SPIE SPARK Grant,” says Hysi. “Investigating photoacoustic imaging of lung injuries is a completely new area of research for my laboratory and the field in general, and seed funding such as this is extremely valuable for building a research program that can potentially have significant clinical impact.” Hysi will be presenting on various aspects of his research at SPIE Photonics West on 26 January and 27 January.

At the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in the United States, Isaac Pence and his team are developing a depth-sensitive side-viewing fiber optic probe for in vivo clinical assessment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Their research seeks to use a non-invasive optical tool based on Raman spectroscopy to track and treat POP. The goal of the project is to develop an optimized depth-sensitive side-viewing Raman spectroscopy probe that can examine the make-up and quality of pelvic floor tissue quickly and painlessly. This tool could be used during annual well-woman exams to help predict which women will develop POP and to help guide doctors on the best treatment for each patient, a process that, ideally, will also avoid having to perform costly, invasive, and often ineffective surgery.

Pence in his lab, explaining his research and technology during an outreach tour for members of the community.

“I am honored to have been selected as one of the recipients of the Berns-SPIE SPARK grant,” says Pence, who will be presenting an invited paper at SPIE Photonics West. “This award will directly support the design and development of new optical-sensing hardware to improve measurement capabilities that can be directly translated to study patients in a medical setting. The support is exceptionally important for our collaborative investigation of pelvic organ prolapse which has long been understudied despite its enormous prevalence, healthcare burden, and impact to the quality of life for millions of women worldwide. The SPARK grant will help us to develop new, optimized tools to better understand this condition and evaluate new treatments with the goal to ultimately improve patient care for those affected and at risk.”

Cheow Yuen (Tiffany) Tan, at University of Adelaide in Australia, is working on a novel multimodal system that will improve the success of clinical in vitro fertilization (IVF). Her research focuses on improving the chance of a baby being born following IVF by accurately and objectively diagnosing embryo quality with the first-ever multimodal microscope capable of simultaneously capturing both molecular and morphological information in a single instrument. This safe diagnostic process of embryo quality will ultimately improve IVF success, and utilization of this new instrument could have implications that extend beyond IVF to other fields of research and medicine.

“The Berns-SPARK grant will significantly accelerate the development of our cutting-edge optical imaging technology, allowing us to push the boundaries of reproductive biology,” notes Tan. “With the support from this unique funding, we can refine our multimodal microscope system to distinguish embryo quality and move one step closer to practical applications in IVF clinics. As a recipient of this prestigious grant, I am excited about the potential for our work to create a legacy in the field of biophotonics, paving the way towards developing a safe and accurate diagnostic for embryo quality, and ultimately improving IVF success.”

“The variety of projects and proposals we saw across the Berns-SPIE SPARK Grant applications – as well as those submitted by the successful recipients – shows the profound and critical role that photonics and lasers can play in the biomedical field,” says SPIE Director of Membership and Community Development Nelufar Mohajeri. “We are delighted to support these four projects in partnership with the Beckman Laser Institute, and look forward to seeing the wide-ranging impact that each of these researchers will have in the future.”

The Berns-SPIE SPARK Grants program honors former Beckman Laser Institute founder, chairman and CEO Michael W. Berns who passed away in 2022. Berns, the 2022 winner of the SPIE Gold Medal, the Society’s highest honor, was a professor of surgery and cell biology at the University of California, Irvine, as well as a founder of the first Laser Microbeam Program, the Beckman Laser Institute, the UCI Center for Biomedical Engineering, and the UCI Photonics Incubator. A pioneer in the use of laser technology for medical and biological research, Berns applied his research across a variety of illnesses including skin disorders, vascular and eye diseases, and cancer.