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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Polarization-Sensitive Two-Photon Microscopy for a Label-Free Amyloid Structural Characterization
Published on: September 8, 2023
Fluorescence polarization standard for near infrared spectroscopy and microscopy
Rafal Luchowski1, Pabak Sarkar, Shashank Bharill
1Center for Commercialization of Fluorescence Technologies (CCFT), Department of Molecular Biology & Immunology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA. rluchows@hsc.unt.edu
Abstract:
We present studies of polarized absorption [linear dichroism (LD)] and fluorescence polarization of the styryl derivative (LDS 798) embedded in oriented poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films. These films were oriented by progressive stretching up to eight folds. Both vertical and horizontal components of absorptions and fluorescence were measured and dichroic ratios were determined for different film stretching ratios. The dichroic ratio and fluorescence anisotropy values were analyzed as a function of PVA film stretching ratio by fitting according to the previously developed theory. For maximum stretching ratios, exceptionally high anisotropy (approximately 0.8) and polarization (approximately 0.9) values have been measured. The stretched films have high polarization values also for isotropic excitation in a wide spectral range (500-700 nm). Such films can be conveniently used as high polarization standards and we envision they will also have applications in near infrared (NIR) imaging microscopy, where they can be used for correcting an instrumental factor in polarization measurements.
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