Humans have
always been curious about the power and significance of light. This curiosity
is evident in ancient religious texts, paintings, literary works, and much
more. In the world of light-based technology, photons are the key elementary
particles. And the branch of science that deals with the generation, detection,
and control of photons for carrying out several functions such as processing
data and measuring changes in physical parameters is called photonics.
Photonics finds applications in a wide range of disciplines and one of them is
biology and medicine. This field of photonics that deals with the interaction
of light and a biological substance is called biophotonics, which is
extensively used in life science research and biomedical diagnosis, therapy,
imaging, surgery, and more.A guest post by Sharad Singh
The market
for biophotonics is witnessing a tremendous progress in recent years. The
market growth can be attributed to the emergence of nanotechnology, development
in biosensors, rising incidence of chronic diseases, growing government
initiatives, and the availability of funds for research and development in
biophotonics. The research firm Allied Market Research states that the global
biophotonics market size is anticipated to accrue a sum of $63.1
billion by 2022, thereby growing at a CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period,
2016-2022.
Companies
and organizations in the biophotonics space are aiming to grab a greater market
share and survive the competition by bringing innovations as well as adopting
strategies such as partnerships and mergers and acquisitions (M&As). In
October ‘18, Gooch & Housego, a photonics technology company acquired
Integrated Technologies Ltd. (ITL), an Ashford-based manufacturing company with
the aim of expanding its presence in the life and health sciences space. The
University of St. Andrews recently developed a low-damage optical technique
that is said to transform the world of biomedicine.
Gooch & Housego Buys Integrated Technologies
Gooch &
Housego recently completed the purchase of ITL. The latter offers full product
development, design, manufacturing, and after-sales service for the commercialization
of medical diagnostic, electromechanical and laboratory instruments. The aim of
the deal is to extend Gooch & Housego’s presence in the life and health
sciences domain and the allow its entry into system-based products. Based in
England, Gooch & Housego is a photonics technology company that researches,
designs, engineers, and manufactures advanced photonic systems, components, and
instrumentation for sectors such as life sciences, scientific research, and
more.
A Ray of Hope for Biomedicine
The new optical
imaging technique was discovered by the team of researchers at the University
of St. Andrews in collaboration with that of the Centre for Dynamic Imaging, a
laboratory within the Institute. The research which was published in Optics
Letters on 1st November ’18 reveals that while the use of light technology for
assessing biomedical diseases is witnessing a major transformation, the light
to image can cause injury to delicate biological samples. Light-sheet
fluorescence microscopy is a geometry which enables high-resolution imaging
with less optical damage. This is because it illuminates a sample with a thin
sheet of light. With this, other areas of the sample are prevented from
unnecessary light exposure. The team at the University explored how to examine
samples in this geometry using longer wavelengths of illumination. They used
three units of optical energy (photons) to excite fluorescent labels in the
sample. This led to less scattering of
light and greater penetration of light into the sample. Adrià
Escobet-Montalbán, lead author of the study said, “The use of Bessel beams in
three-photon light-sheet fluorescence microscopy will make it possible to image
large samples with high resolution which is crucial for biomedical and
neuroscience research.”
The
potential of biophotonics is huge due to its ability to drive and shape a
fast-growing market of the future. However, to stay ahead of the competition,
companies and lawmakers must enhance the cooperation between researchers,
doctors, and companies. Moreover, novel strategies are required to increase the
commercialization of promising biophotonic innovations.Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources
