We are two undergraduate researchers who study metabolic imaging methods with a focus on NAD(P)H conformations. The goal of our research is to review some of the different types of imaging strategies present for monitoring specific data about cellular metabolism. To summarize, we begin to answer the research question \u201cwhat are the different types of metabolic imaging methods and what are the underlying mechanisms that make these methods useful?\u201d This is a review of research; thus, the primary method of data collection was an intensive reading of numerous research papers about the utility of each method presented. This presentation is an informative review rather than a conducted experimental study. The major concepts are Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM), Anisotropy Decay, and Spectrum Shape analysis. All three of these methods are proven to be effective at representing marked changes of bound vs. free NAD(P)H. Moving forward, this research allows us to take a deeper dive into analyzing NADH conformations in health vs. unhealthy tissue. The eventual goal will be human testing. We culminate the review with an analysis of the current and potential application of these methods to disease diagnostics. With the goals of achieving PhDs and MDs, this aligns with our future occupations. With further research, metabolic imaging has the potential to provide useful data in disease diagnostics.<\/p>\n
Authors:<\/strong> Nick Majer and\u00a0Karthik Sastry<\/p>\n Faculty Advisor:<\/strong> Paul Urayama, Department of Physics<\/p>\n