Developing innovative efficient and sensitive spectroscopic and optical techniques for studying biomedically relevant molecules, structures and processes in vitro and in vivo is a field of rapidly growing interest. This symposium book covers novel and exciting approaches in biomedical spectroscopy. Several chapters deal with infrared and Raman spectroscopy. These complimentary vibrational spectroscopic techniques are capable of monitoring molecular structures as well as structural changes. Such studies are of interest for understanding diseases at a molecular level as well as for developing techniques for efficient early diagnosis based on molecular structural information. The chapters demonstrate also applications vibrational spectroscopy in proteomics and the characterization of micro organisms. The second section of the book introduces surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), demonstrates the application of the effect in the biomedical field and develops the concept of multifunctional nanosensors. The measurement of intrinsic optical signals from biological objects such as nerve tissue are discussed in the next section of the book. Chapters deal also with Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy. Other chapters illustrate how photons of very different energies, in the Terahertz and in the ultra violet range, can be used to retrieve molecular structural information from native biomolecules. The electrical properties of protein molecules adsorbed onto a gold substrate are studied by using a scanning Kelvin nanoprobe in a microarray format. The final chapters in the book demonstrate the powerful combination of different spectroscopic techniques for the characterization of biomolecules as well as native and engineered biomaterials. These chapters combine information from Raman and Inelastic Neutron Scattering, optical absorbance and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), 1H NMR, and 129Xe NMR X-ray diffraction and fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

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Katrin Kneipp received her Diplom and Ph.D. degree in Physics and Dr.sc. in Physical Chemistry from Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany. Her current research interests at Harvard Medical School include single molecule and nanoscale spectroscopies and their broad interdisciplinary applications. Ricardo F. Aroca, obtained his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Chile, PhD in Chemistry from Moscow State University. Presently he is University Professor at the University of Windsor.and fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada. His research is in surface-enhanced vibrational spectroscopy and its analytical applications. Nanostructure fabrication and characterization. Harald Kneipp received his Diplom in Physics from Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, and a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the Academy of Sciences in Berlin. He conducted research in the fields of plasma physics, nonlinear optics, and laser physics and development. His current interests include applications of lasers and optical spectroscopy at the frontiers of science and medicine. After graduating with a BSc (Hons) from University College Dublin (NUI) Edeline Wentrup-Byrne obtained her PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Her research interests include the use of vibrational spectroscopy to study naturally occurring biomaterials, the surface-modification of fluorinated bone-repair materials (ePTFE) and the development of degradable polymeric scaffolds for use in bone repair applications. In addition, she is working with a multi-disciplinary team and a Brisbane-based industry Tissue Therapies to develop a novel skin wound-healing bandage therapy. Currently she is a member of the Tissue Repair and Regeneration Program in the QUT Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation.