• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Core Science Resources at QI

Core Science Resources at QI

  • Expertise & Facilities
    • Statistics & Chemometrics
    • Electron Microscopy
    • Fluorescence Microscopy
    • Chemical Imaging & Infrared Spectroscopy
    • Flow Cytometry
    • Mass Spectrometry
  • Research
    • Analytical Techniques for Food Authentication
    • Low-field NMR Spectroscopy
    • Multiple Reaction Monitoring Mass Spectrometry
  • Publications
  • Shared Resources
    • Example Datasets for Download
  • Latest News
  • About us

Chemical Imaging & Infrared Spectroscopy

You are here: Home / Expertise & Facilities / Chemical Imaging & Infrared Spectroscopy

About the technique

Infrared spectroscopy is a workhorse in chemical analysis, because IR spectra are characteristic for chemical compounds, and their intensities are proportional to the concentration. These features allow us to answer questions such as: What is it made of? Is it pure?

Beyond that, the IR spectra can give information about the structure and function of biopolymers. Information on the spatial variation of the composition within a small sample can be obtained with the combination of a spectrometer and a microscope in a confocal setup. The result is a hyperspectral data cube where each X,Y element is associated with a spectrum, from which information about the chemical composition can be extracted. An image is then obtained by assigning each pixel a colour determined by the result of the spectral analysis. Because IR spectra contain large amounts of parallel information, different images can be plotted for individual components like protein, starch, or lipids. Unlike most conventional microscopy techniques, this process does not require any staining.

Equipment

Nicolet iN10 MX FTIR imaging system

Nicolet iN10MX FTIR imaging system
Nicolet iN10MX FTIR imaging system
  • Spatial resolution 10 micron in aperture mode (diffraction-limited), 25/50 micron in fast scanning mode
  • Point, Line and Area scans
  • Transmission, reflection and ATR measurements
  • Advanced data manipulation and image analysis
  • External sampling station for routine transmission and ATR-FTIR measurements

We can provide advice on sampling, measurement, and data analysis. We also carry out one-off sample analyses for external customers and work on industrial contracts. We welcome interaction with external organixations, particularly with a view to collaboration. Please contact us for more information.

Contact

Prof Kate Kemsley
+44 (0)1603 255000

Primary Sidebar

About the Quadram Institute

The Quadram Institute is at the forefront of a new interface between food science, gut biology and health. It will develop solutions to worldwide challenges in food-related disease and human health, and bring together the interdisciplinary teams and work with appropriate international organisations to address these major issues.

Latest News

  • New publication – Will that spud go off?
  • New publication – What’s in a bottle?
  • New publication – Phenolic inhibitors of the conversion of rice straw and husks into bioethanol
  • New publication – Lodging resistance in Brassica napus
  • ASU becomes CSR

Latest videos

Footer

Core Science Resources
Quadram Institute
Norwich Research Park
NR4 7UA UK
kate.kemsley@quadram.ac.uk

© Quadram Institute Bioscience
Privacy and Cookies

 

Copyright © 2022 · Business Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in