Ji-Xin Cheng

Chemical microscopy using intrinsic fingerprint spectroscopic signals from molecular vibrations as a contrast mechanism opens a new window for understanding life at the molecular level and enables molecule-based diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Yet, the vibrational signals from chemical bonds is weaker than the fluorescence signal from a dye by many orders of magnitude. Detecting such weak signal from a tight focus (i.e., a small volume of ~1 femtoliter) under a microscope is extremely challenging and was considered nearly impossible. Ji-Xin Cheng devoted his career to overcoming such daunting barrier through developing advanced chemical microscopes over the past 25 years. In this lecture, Cheng will tell his journey of serendipity-driven innovation, scientific discovery, clinical translation, and entrepreneurship in the growing field of chemical imaging.