UAlbany, Leibniz Institute Partner to Launch Center for Biophotonic Technology and Artificial Intelligence
By Mike Nolan
ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 10, 2024) — Igor Lednev and Jürgen Popp have built a strong connection over their use of Raman spectroscopy, a laser-based technique that can identify and characterize materials.
Now, the two scientists are cementing their partnership through a new center at the University at Albany.
Lednev, a chemist at UAlbany, and Popp, the scientific director of the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology in Germany, celebrated the launch of the Center for Biophotonic Technology and Artificial Intelligence (CeBAI) this week. The two-day event included attendees from both institutions, along with researchers from AIM Photonics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Based at UAlbany’s Life Sciences Research Building, the joint center will be equipped with novel instrumentation from the Leibniz Institute and set up new pathways for collaborative research opportunities.
“The Leibniz Institute is a world leader in the advancement of photonics technologies,” said Lednev, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the College of Arts and Sciences and faculty member at The RNA Institute. “By combining the experience and expertise of the two institutions, this center will elevate our joint research activity to the next level and speed up the commercialization of newly developed technologies.”
“We have been talking for quite a long time about how to foster the collaboration between Igor’s research group and our institute,” Popp added. “This is an exciting opportunity to translate knowledge, create new tools and commercialize our work.”
Laser Focused
Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive analytical tool that works by shining monochromatic (laser) light on a sample and measuring the scattered radiation. No two samples produce the same scattered light, offering a unique measurement (similar to a fingerprint). The results are instantaneous, with the sample preserved for future testing.
Lednev has pioneered the use of Raman spectroscopy, coupled with advanced machine learning methods, for forensic applications and medical diagnostics over the last decade.
His accomplishments include the development of new and innovative approaches for the identification and characterization of biological stains, gunshot residue, hair and other trace evidence recovered at a crime scene, and a noninvasive, early diagnostics of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
“If successful, our technologies can directly help address many challenges faced by the criminal justice system and offer new methods for medical diagnostics that can improve the quality of life for patients and families,” said Lednev. “We are excited to continue moving our research forward and soon make these innovative tools available to the public.”
Nearly 4,000 miles across the globe, in Jena, Germany, Jürgen Popp has spent a career dedicated to the research and application of biophotonic and Raman spectroscopic methods to solve biomedical challenges. Among his areas of research focus is the development of Raman spectroscopic methods for rapid diagnosis and a targeted therapy of infectious diseases as well as for intraoperative tumor diagnostics.
Through the new center, Popp hopes to not only partner in research, but also create new start-ups.
Lednev has already co-founded multiple companies, including SupreMEtric LLC and Early Alzheimer’s Diagnostics LLC, both funded through Small Business Technology Transfer grants. Popp is the co-founder of Biophotonics Diagnostics GmbH, a company focused on AI-based analysis of Raman spectroscopic data.
“Raman spectroscopy is a universal technique that can be used in many different applications,” Popp said. “We believe the work at this new joint center could lead to multiple spin-off companies that are focused on creating tools to improve forensic investigations and disease diagnostics.”
Promoting Scientific Exchange
In June 2022, Lednev and Popp made their collaboration official through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between UAlbany and the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology.
The five-year agreement is focused on promoting scientific exchange between the two research labs, combining expertise at both institutions and offering training and exchange opportunities for students and postdoctoral fellows.
Ewelina Mistek-Morabito, a recent PhD graduate from UAlbany, has been hired as a full-time program manager at CeBAI. She previously worked as a postdoctoral research associate in the Lednev lab on a project sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and has several years of industry experience with NMS Labs, a company providing diagnostic services in forensic and medical fields.
In recognition of his significant scientific achievements, and partnership with the University, Popp was awarded the honorary doctorate of the State University of New York during UAlbany’s Commencement 2023 festivities. President Rodríguez and Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Carol Kim officially conferred the honorary degree in front of more than 3,000 new graduates at the University-wide undergraduate ceremony.