Dresden 2009 – scientific programme
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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus
MA 34: Invited Talks Winklhofer / Zabow
MA 34.2: Invited Talk
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 14:30–15:00, HSZ 04
Micromagnets for multispectral magnetic resonance imaging — •Gary Zabow1,2, Stephen Dodd1, John Moreland2, and Alan Koretsky1 — 1National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA — 2National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO, USA
New optical bio-imaging techniques are behind much of the recent growth in molecular and cellular biology research. Many of these imaging advances are due to the introduction of new coloured fluorophores such as fluorescent proteins and quantum dots. Used as biological tags / labels, their distinct colours enable simultaneous tracking of multiple biological indicators. Unfortunately, equivalent multiplexing capabilities are largely absent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Corresponding MRI labels have generally been limited to chemically synthesized paramagnetic molecules and superparamagnetic nano- and microparticles that are substantially indistinguishable from one another.
This talk introduces a top-down microfabrication approach to MRI contrast agent engineering that enables encoding of distinct spectral signatures into the geometry of magnetic microstructures. Although based on different principles to those of optically-probed nanoparticles, these new magnetic microstructures permit a multiplexing functionality in the magnetic resonance radio-frequency (RF) spectrum that is in many ways analogous to that permitted by quantum dots in the optical spectrum. Additionally, in situ modification of particle geometries may facilitate RF probing of various local physiological variables.
The talk will be aimed at an introductory level and will not assume any prior biology or MRI knowledge.