Hazen Babcock

These are some setups that I designed, built and used.

QPM/HyperSpectral/Fluorescence Microscope

This microscope was built for the ARPA-H/DARTS (Defeating Antibiotic Resistance through Transformative Solutions) program. It combines QPM (quantative phase microscopy), conventional fluorescence microscopy and hyperspectral fluorescence microscopy in a single setup. A high NA 20x air objective is used to facilitate large field of view (FOV) acquisitions for high sample throughput. A galvanometer is used to rapidly scan the hyperspectral excitation line across the FOV of the microscope.

QPM/Optical Tweezers/Patterned Photobleaching/HyperSpectral/Fluorescence Microscope

This microscope was built for the DARPA Friend Or Foe (FOF) Program. It combines QPM (quantative phase microscopy), conventional fluorescence microscopy, hyperspectral fluorescence microscopy, optical tweezers and patterned photobleaching in a single setup.

SARS-CoV-2 LAMP/CRISPR Detection Cartridge Imager

This setup was built to image the entire cartridge of a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic device (center right side of image). It used two high power LEDs and a large aperture machine vision camera lens for dye detection at fluorescein and texas red wavelengths. It was used to study the transport of the sample lysis buffer and the mixing and transport of the readout reaction mixture across the cartridge. Similar to the 'SARS-CoV-2 LAMP/CRISPR reaction chamber imager' (see below) it was also used to study the kinetics of the readout reaction and the homogenity of the reaction mixture.

SARS-CoV-2 LAMP/CRISPR Detection Reaction Chamber Imager

This setup was built to image the reaction chamber of a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic device (center right side of image). It used two high power LEDs for dye detection at fluorescein and texas red wavelengths. It was used to study the kinetics of the readout reaction and the homogenity of the reaction mixture.

Real Time Digital PCR Machine

Most current digital PCR machines only measure endpoints, you set up the reaction, run X cycles and then measure the fluorescence of the wells/droplets, however for some applications it is very useful to be able to follow the kinetics of the reaction in real time. An example is optimizing LAMP reactions, it's good to know what the success fraction is (the endpoint measurement), but being able to also measure the time to result is even better. This setup was designed to be capable of 4 channel fluorescence imaging in real time of reactions in the wells of a Thermo-Fisher MAP16 digital PCR plate.

5 Color 8 Focal Plane Microscope

This microscope was designed to image 5 different colors and 8 focal planes at the same time. It's purpose was to improve the throughput of spatial transcriptomics measurements such as MERFISH. The design is based on a simpler 8 focal plane single color microscope I constructed while I was working in Harvard's Center for Advanced Imaging. Prof. Jeff Moffitt (Harvard Medical School) and I successfully applied for a NIH R21 grant one goal of which was to build this microscope, unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic intervened.