While ultrasound is widely used to assess human anatomy and physiology, it plays a very minor role in the field of molecular imaging. Recent advances are beginning to address this limitation thanks to molecular tools that allow ultrasound waves to connect to specific cellular functions.
The first part of this course will cover gas vesicles, a new class of genetically encoded ultrasound contrast agents that serve as the ‘green fluorescent protein for ultrasound’. We will review gas vesicle laboratory production techniques, gas vesicles physical properties from a molecular standpoint, engineering strategies to turn gas vesicles into reporter genes and acoustic biosensors, current and foreseeable biosensing applications, and remaining bioengineering challenges.
The second part of this course will cover imaging strategies dedicated to sensitive, specific and high-resolution gas vesicle detection. We will review gas vesicles physical properties from an acoustics standpoint, specific challenges that arise when imaging gas vesicles, latest trends in gas vesicle detection, foreseeable imaging developments, and remaining imaging challenges.
