Do dim things: why low light imaging capabilities enable advances in research and medicine

Dr. Stephanie Fullerton, Hamamatsu Corporation
July 23, 2020

About this webinar

The past decade of camera development ushered in a new era of low light imaging that was previously unfathomable. EMCCDs enabled the first precision localization super resolution experiments. These cameras, along with highly sensitive PMTs, were part of the story of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. From EMCCDs we progressed to scientific CMOS. These cameras are now the workhorse for PCR, digital pathology whole slide imaging and low-cost gene sequencing. As the go-to technology for almost every advanced microscopy technique, they are applied to elucidating the inner workings of cells, the connectivity and activity of the brain, the mysteries of embryogenesis and the pathology of disease. As research progresses and optical designs become refined, the technical advances in the lab will make their way into the clinic, both as data-driven treatments and diagnostic instruments.

 

Topics of presentation:

 

Understanding what CMOS, and particularly low noise scientific CMOS, brings to the table for imaging is beneficial to every investigator since this insight may stimulate new ideas for previously untestable questions and undeveloped devices.

 

About the presenter

Dr. Stephanie Fullerton has over 18 years of experience in the life science imaging industry in everything from technical sales to marketing strategy and product development. Within Hamamatsu, her career has centered on camera technology and she has contributed first-hand to the transition from CCDs to scientific CMOS. Alongside colleagues at Hamamatsu, Stephanie has participated in the implementation of advanced imaging for PCR, DNA sequencing, whole slide scanning, lightsheet, flow cytometry and super resolution. Her strong life science and research background provides context to the distinguished photonics and engineering mindset within Hamamatsu. Stephanie graduated from the University of Rochester with her B.S. in Biochemistry and holds a Ph.D. from Duke University in Neurobiology.