Speakers are Siwenyue Zhang, who will be speaking about Probing neutrophil-bacteria interactions and the behaviour of engulfed particles with optical tweezers and microrheology. Then Jeremi Grabas will talk about Using a microwave kinetic inductance detector and computational ghost imaging for high-resolution, wavelength-resolved imaging.

Abstracts:

Siwenyue Zhang

Optical tweezers (OT) have been developed for multiple applications in the biological field, including the combination with microrheology, providing novel mechanical understandings of biological activities. Neutrophils, white blood cells that ingest and destroy bacteria and fungi, undergo mechanical and biochemical changes during microbial engulfment and digestion.

Our research introduces integrated physical tools including optical microscopy with high-speed camera tracking, optical trapping, and micro-rheology to study the mechanical characteristics of phagocytosis by neutrophils. By comparing samples from healthy individuals and patients with innate immune dysfunction, we seek to elucidate the temporal forces and dynamics of the local protein network in neutrophils.

This research is expected to enhance our understanding of neutrophil-microbial interactions and the intracellular trafficking of phagosomes.

Jeremi Grabas

We present a novel approach using Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) combined with a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) for computational ghost imaging. This technique leverages the high sensitivity and fast response of MKIDs to detect single-photon events, while the DMD dynamically encodes spatial patterns onto the scene.

By correlating the detected signals with the known patterns, high-resolution images are reconstructed from significantly fewer measurements than traditional methods. This system demonstrates enhanced imaging capabilities in low-light conditions and holds potential for applications in medical and biophysics.

Zoom link:  https://durhamuniversity.zoom.us/j/93205305920?pwd=dGd2K2lESmVReUwzVmhXK1FIWXBoQT09

Speaker is Serge Meimon (ONERA), Title is TBC

Speaker is Mariam Rashid (KAVLI Centre for Ethics, Science and the Public). This seminar is titled 'Public Engagement'.

Speaker is Jay Stephen (ATC). This seminar is titled 'ELT sky-subtraction working-group on airglow characterisation and sky-subtraction'.

Speaker is Dmitry Morozov (University of Glasgow). Title is TBC.

Speaker is Peter Wizinowich (KECK). Title is TBC.

Speaker is Ellen Schallig (University of Oxford). The seminar is titled 'Knitting together the WEAVE Large IFU'.

Speaker is Doug McDonald (Fraunhofer IOSB). Title is TBC.