Optical Life Metrology Research Team

Team Director

Takuro Ideguchi

Dr. rer. nat.

Contact

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Optical Life Metrology Research Team,
RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics

2-1, Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan

Outline

Microscopic observation of biological specimens such as cells and tissues is a fundamental technique in life sciences. We develop advanced laser-based, label-free quantitative imaging methods that enable visualization of molecular and structural information without staining. Our research includes vibrational microscopy for quantitative chemical analysis and high-sensitivity scattering microscopy for spatiotemporal characterization of microstructures and nanoparticles. Using these original technologies, we also investigate biophysical phenomena such as intracellular thermal dynamics. Through these efforts, we aim to pioneer Optical Life Metrology—an interdisciplinary field bridging photonics and the life sciences.

Fields

Interdisciplinary science and engineering,Physics,Biology / Biochemistry,Engineering

Keywords

Laser, Spectroscopy, Microscopy, Biophotonics, Bioimaging

Subjects

  1. Optical Life Metrology Enabled by Advanced Laser Technologies

Conceptual illustration of the developed bidirectional quantitative scattering microscope

Selected Publications

  1. Horie, K., Toda, K., Nakamura, T., and Ideguchi, T.: “Bidirectional quantitative scattering microscopy,” Nature Communications 16, 9712 (2025).
  2. Toda, K., and Ideguchi, T.: “Ludwig-Soret microscopy with the vibrational photothermal effect,” PNAS 122, e2510703122 (2025).
  3. Tamamitsu, M., Toda, K., Fukushima, M., Badarla, V. R., Shimada, H., Ota, S., Konishi, K., and Ideguchi, T.: “Mid-infrared wide-field nanoscopy,” Nature Photonics 18, 738–743 (2024).
  4. Hashimoto, K., Nakamura, T., Kageyama, T., Badarla, V. R., Shimada, H., Horisaki, R., and Ideguchi, T.: “Upconversion time-stretch infrared spectroscopy,” Light: Science & Applications 12, 48 (2023).
  5. Hashimoto, K., Badarla, V. R., Kawai, A., and Ideguchi, T.: “Complementary Vibrational Spectroscopy,” Nature Communications 10, 4411 (2019).

Members

Takuro IdeguchiTeam Director