Archive for category: News

Now, in collaboration with Rongguang Liang at the University of Arizona’s Wyant College of Optical Sciences, the director of dentistry at UC Irvine’s Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic and a professor of surgery has developed a commercial intraoral camera with the ability to screen for cancer.

The current method for oral cancer detection involves a professional looking into the mouth and feeling for lumps. Oral cancer lesions are largely heterogeneous, so they present in many different, easy-to-miss forms. Since treatment is planned around an oral biopsy, it’s best to be able to identify and take a sample from the most dangerous part of the lesion.

“There’s everything from little dots with severe cancer to little dots that are healthy and to little areas that are in between,” Wilder-Smith says. “Just by looking at it, I don’t know where to biopsy, because I can’t tell where the most severe disease is.”

Testing has shown that her and Liang’s intraoral camera will boost the accuracy of oral cancer detection from 40 to 60 percent to 87 to 93 percent. This will change dentistry for end-users, says hygienist Cherie Wink, a researcher at the Beckman Laser Institute and an instructor in San Joaquin Valley College’s dental hygiene program.

“As a clinician,” she says, “this device will eliminate the guesswork in interpreting clinical findings, leading to earlier diagnoses and improved patient outcomes.”

The project, which started in 2008, received funding from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health. A patent was recently secured with help from UCI Beall Applied Innovation, which oversees all the campus’s patents and licensing efforts. Alvin Viray, its associate director of licensing, is proud to be part of the project.

“Dr. Wilder-Smith has been nothing short of exceptional,” he says. “Her development of an imaging device for oral cancer detection is both innovative and commercially valuable, while promising to make a profound impact on public health.”

UC Irvine and the University of Arizona own the camera’s patent. While the device has not been licensed yet, Wilder-Smith will soon be seeking a second stage of investors, and Viray is in licensing discussions.

The camera has already seen 10 prototypes. One was smartphone-based and took the form of a phone case that, when connected to an intraoral camera, could image oral lesions. There is currently a final prototype being used for testing and algorithm fine-tuning. The next step is to evaluate it for manufacturing.

In her career at the Beckman Laser Institute, Wilder-Smith has also worked on other devices. She was part of a team that redesigned tools generating aerosol emissions so they would stop spreading aerosol-transmissible illnesses, such as colds and the flu.

Wilder-Smith has also been involved in studies linking topical oral treatments to changes in the microbiome and the gastrointestinal tract, which can have far-reaching consequences for whole-body health. But her main focus now remains on the intraoral camera.

“Quite simply, my goal is to improve oral cancer outcomes,” she says, “because it’s the only major cancer whose outcomes are still getting worse.”

Click here to read full article on UC Irvine News.

The UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge is proud to announce the funding of a diverse range of innovative cancer research projects at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and its pediatric cancer affiliate, Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC).

Through the unwavering support of dedicated participants, donors and supporters who collectively raised more than $1 million in 2023, the UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge has awarded grants to 23 pilot projects and early phase clinical trials, reaching a remarkable milestone of 123 funded projects since 2017. These projects are poised to revolutionize the future of cancer diagnosis, treatment and cures.

By registering for the 2024 UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge, you can help fund the next round of innovative cancer research projects.

TRACK 1: PILOT PROJECTS

Enhancing the Efficacy of Radiation Therapy by Surgically Targeted Radiation-Sensitizer Loaded Hydrogels: Translation of in Vitro Results to a Post-Resection Rat Brain Tumor Model
Investigator
Henry Hirschberg, PhD, The Beckman Laser Institute, UC Irvine School of Medicine
This research project has as its aim to enhance the therapeutic effects of image guided radiation therapy in the treatment of primary brain cancer. A slow-release delivery system for compounds termed radiation sensitizers, known to enhance the effects of radiation therapy, will be implanted in the cavity formed after surgical removal of a major portion of the tumor. Enhancing the site-specific ability of radiation to selectively kill tumor cells, while spearing normal tissue, would result in a higher chance of cure and reduce unwanted treatment side effects. The development of the proposed therapeutic modality would potentially not only improve the prognosis of patients suffering from primary and metastatic brain tumors but would also be applicable to other forms of operable cancer, such as breast and lung.

Dr. Maxim Shcherbakov, Assistant Professor, UCI Samueli School of Engineering,  recently received the prestigious National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award. His project, “Bridging Infrared and Visible Photonics with Chip-ready Nonlinear and Quantum Metadevices,” addresses the problem of efficient frequency conversion on a chip.  The project explores the nonlinear and quantum properties of phonon-polaritonic materials, offering a framework for on-chip light management with unprecedented bandwidth, footprint and efficiency.

The research will connect signals across five octaves of light through nonlinear and quantum light-matter interactions in designer nanostructures called photonic-phononic metasurfaces. Photonic-phononic metasurfaces will be conceived using modern tools of nanotechnology, as well as rigorous numerical design approaches and state-of-the-art optical testing tools, including femtosecond lasers and single-photon correlation techniques.

The results of Dr. Shcherbakov’s research will pave the way to better, more efficient signaling on a chip, which will allow seamless integration of heterogeneous photonic platforms and chiplets. The broader societal impact extends to advancements in on-chip photonics, impacting computing, signal processing, telecommunication, quantum information, and biophotonics.

An essential component of the project is an integrated educational effort to train a diverse group of future semiconductor microelectronics and quantum information specialists. Through clean room training, hands-on experience with quantum communication protocols and public talks, the team will play an important role in shaping the landscape of high-tech research and education of tomorrow.

About the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Activities pursued by early-career faculty should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from early-career faculty at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.

About the U.S. National Science Foundation

The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science; advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and secure national defense. NSF is the only federal agency whose mission supports all fields of fundamental science and engineering disciplines, from mathematics, engineering and geosciences to biological, behavioral and computer sciences.

Click here to learn more on the NFS website.

Irvine, Calif., May 6, 2024 – A research team headed by chemists at the University of California, Irvine has discovered a previously unknown way in which light interacts with matter, a finding that could lead to improved solar power systems, light-emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers and other technological advancements.

In a paper published recently in the journal ACS Nano, the scientists, joined by colleagues at Russia’s Kazan Federal University, explain how they learned that photons can obtain substantial momentum, similar to that of electrons in solid materials, when confined to nanometer-scale spaces in silicon.

“Silicon is Earth’s second-most abundant element, and it forms the backbone of modern electronics. However, being an indirect semiconductor, its utilization in optoelectronics has been hindered by poor optical properties,” said lead author Dmitry Fishman, UC Irvine adjunct professor of chemistry.

He said that while silicon does not naturally emit light in its bulk form, porous and nanostructured silicon can produce detectable light after being exposed to visible radiation. Scientists have been aware of this phenomenon for decades, but the precise origins of the illumination have been the subject of debate.

“In 1923, Arthur Compton discovered that gamma photons possessed sufficient momentum to strongly interact with free or bound electrons. This helped prove that light had both wave and particle properties, a finding that led to Compton receiving the Nobel Prize in physics in 1927,” Fishman said. “In our experiments, we showed that the momentum of visible light confined to nanoscale silicon crystals produces a similar optical interaction in semiconductors.”

An understanding of the origin of the interaction requires another trip back to the early 20^th century. In 1928, Indian physicist C.V. Raman, who won the 1930 Nobel Prize in physics, attempted to repeat the Compton experiment with visible light. However, he encountered a formidable obstacle in the substantial disparity between the momentum of electrons and that of visible photons. Despite this setback, Raman’s investigations into inelastic scattering in liquids and gases led to the revelation of what is now recognized as the vibrational Raman effect, and spectroscopy – a crucial method of spectroscopic studies of matter – has come to be known as Raman scattering.

“Our discovery of photon momentum in disordered silicon is due to a form of electronic Raman scattering,” said co-author Eric Potma, UC Irvine professor of chemistry. “But unlike conventional vibrational Raman, electronic Raman involves different initial and final states for the electron, a phenomenon previously only observed in metals.”

For their experiments, the researchers produced in their laboratory silicon glass samples that ranged in clarity from amorphous to crystal. They subjected a 300-nanometer-thick silicon film to a tightly focused continuous-wave laser beam that was scanned to write an array of straight lines. In areas where the temperature did not exceed 500 degrees Celsius, the procedure resulted in the formation of a homogenous cross-linked glass. In areas where the temperature exceeded 500 C, a heterogeneous semiconductor glass was formed. This “light-foamed film” allowed the researchers to observe how electronic, optical and thermal properties varied on the nanometer scale.

“This work challenges our understanding of light and matter interaction, underscoring the critical role of photon momenta,” Fishman said. “In disordered systems, electron-photon momentum matching amplifies interaction – an aspect previously associated only with high-energy – gamma – photons in classical Compton scattering. Ultimately, our research paves the way to broaden conventional optical spectroscopies beyond their typical applications in chemical analysis, such as traditional vibrational Raman spectroscopy into the realm of structural studies – the information that should be intimately linked with photon momentum.”

Potma added: “This newly realized property of light no doubt will open a new realm of applications in optoelectronics. The phenomenon will boost the efficiency of solar energy conversion devices and light-emitting materials, including materials that were previously considered not suitable for light emission.”

Co-authors on this study included Jovany Merham, a UC Irvine junior specialist in chemistry, and Kazan Federal University researchers Sergey Kharintsev, Elina Battalova and Aleksey Noskov. The project received financial support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Kazan Federal University.

UC Irvine’s Brilliant Future campaign: Publicly launched on Oct. 4, 2019, the Brilliant Future campaign aims to raise awareness and support for the university. By engaging 75,000 alumni and garnering $2 billion in philanthropic investment, UC Irvine seeks to reach new heights of excellence in student success, health and wellness, research and more. The School of Physical Sciences plays a vital role in the success of the campaign. Learn more by visiting https://brilliantfuture.uci.edu/uci-school-of-physical-sciences.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UC Irvine faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UC Irvine news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at https://news.uci.edu/media-resources.

Click here to read full article on the UCI School of Physical Sciences website.

Click here to read full article on UCI News.

Photo Credit: Paul Kennedy

Petra Wilder-Smith, Director of Dentistry of UCI Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic and Professor of Surgery of UCI School of Medicine, was awarded UCI Beall Applied Innovation’s 2023 Innovator of Year during a ceremony held on Monday, April 29, 2024.  Wilder-Smith was recognized for her wide range of global and community collaborations on light-based approaches to oral health, including periodontology, dental-decay-de- and remineralization and biofilm.  Her work spans predictive and diagnostic, as well as therapeutic innovation and applications.

The UCI Innovator Awards Ceremony is an annual event, created by UCI Beall Applied Innovation and hosted at the Cove at UCI to recognize UCI researchers who are working actively to promote commercialization of university research.  The Innovator of Year awarded to Wilder-Smith recognizes distinguished innovators who have demonstrated excellence by developing a breakthrough idea, process or technology and shown its transformational potential to improve lives and create economic value.

About the UCI Beall Applied Innovation Innovator Awards

UCI Beall Applied Innovation, with generous support from Don and Ken Beall, created the annual UCI Innovator Awards to recognize UCI researchers working actively to promote commercialization of university intellectual property, which supports industry growth and moves inventions from the lab to market to benefit humankind.

Click here to learn more about Petra Wilder-Smith.

Click here to visit the UCI Beall Applied Innovation website and learn more about the 2023 Innovator Award recipients.