J. Paul Robinson Lab

Google Scholar Link to see our publications

LASER INDUCED BREAKDOWN SPECTROSCOPY: We have combined Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) with lanthanide-antibody tags to create a unique way to detect pathogens or toxins. We currently designed and built a custom LIBS instrument and we plan to move this to a field deployable hand-held instrument for biological detection. The opportunities extend from bioterrorism, to food pathogens and chemical contaminants. This exciting technology has the opportunity for an innovative approach that incorporates detection, diagnostics and quantification. (Funded by USDA)

ELASTIC LIGHT SCATTER: We developed a technology for identification of bacterial pathogens using elastic light scatter (ELS). It uses a laser to interrogate a bacterial colony and the scatter forms a unique pattern onto an imaging sensor. We have developed a number of projects from this technology including new approaches to classification, instrumentation and automation. (Funded by USDA)

Here is a link that explanins ELS....   and lots more on this page

SINGLE PHOTON SPECTROSCOPY: We are very excited about the opportunities in expanding our current PMT/APD photon measurement technologies to single photon (SP) detection. Of particular interest is the unique expansion of spectral analysis in flow cytometry using single photon detectors. Here is a link to a recent paper on single photon detector design by our collaborator Masaonobu  Yamamoto. We have developed our own unique high-speed, low-noise detector and we are moving toward building a 42 ch array detector which we believe will be transformational in biological imaging and the first such detector ever created. The opportunities for integration into multiple detection technologies are endless! Single photon detectors will one day replace many current photon detectors.  (Funded by NSF)

Here is a link to a recent book we published on this topic

NANO-PARTICLE DETECTION: It seems everyone wants to study nano-particles (NP) but few if any technologies can actually achieve measurement of single NPs and let alone characterize them. We have designed a Blu-Ray based technology as a Point Of Care (POC) technology that can analyze particles as small as 20nm. We want to advance this technology by integrating multiple fluorescent detection options, and in the future determine how to sort or separate these particles. There are many applications for this technology – detection of cancer-markers in plasma, monitoring cancer after therapy, monitoring HIV or HBV or potentially any perhaps any viral disease or even plastic particles in the environment.

Here is a Youtube link about this project

    SPECTRAL SORTING PROJECT:   We recently (Nov, 2020) installed Propel's latest sorter - the Bigfoot. This sorter has 60 detectors and 9 lasers, and is the most sophisticated sorter on the market. It has some special attributes related to spectral sorting. We have recently been testing the sorter by sorting single E. coli or S. aureus organisms directly onto petri dishes. We can sort a single organism into any specific location on the dish. One goal is to expand our database of known organisms using eleastic light scatter technology (see above).

Some of our Software Projects

1. High Throughput Flow Cytometry Analysis

New Book from Purdue University Cytometry Laboratories and University of Modena, Italy

http://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-981-10-4499-1

Chapters

1. Microenvironment Cytometry   Paul J. Smith, Victoria Griesdoorn, Oscar F. Silvestre, Rachel J. Errington

2. Rare Cells: Focus on Detection and Clinical Relevance
Sara De Biasi, Lara Gibellini, Milena Nasi, Marcello Pinti, Andrea Cossarizza

3. “E All’ottavo Giorno, Dio Creò La Citometria … and on the 8th Day, God Created Cytometry”   J. Paul Robinson

4. Cytomics of Oxidative Stress: Probes and Problems
José-Enrique O’Connor, Guadalupe Herrera, Francisco Sala-de-Oyanguren, Beatriz Jávega, and Alicia Mortinex-Romeroa

5. Flow Cytometry in Multi-center and Longitudinal Studies
Anis Larbi

6. Validation—The Key to Translatable Cytometry in the 21st    Century   Virginia Litwin, Cherie Green, Alessandra Vitaliti

7. Flow Cytometry in Microbiology: The Reason and the Need
Cidália Pina-Vaz, Sofia Costa-de-Oliveira, Ana Silva-Dias, Ana Pinto Silva, Rita Teixeira-Santos and Acácio Gonçalves Rodrigues

8. Flow Cytometer Performance Characterization, Standardization, and Control   Lili Wang, Robert A. Hoffman

9. Alternative Approaches for Analysis of Complex Data Sets in Flow Cytometry   Carmen Gondhalekar

10. Photon Detection: Current Status   Masanobu Yamamoto

11. Identification of Small-Molecule Inducers of FOXP3 in Human T Cells Using High-Throughput Flow Cytometry  Rob Jepras, Poonam Shah, Metul Patel, Steve Ludbrook, Gregory Wands, Gary Bonhert, Andrew Lake, Scott Davis and Jonathan Hill

12. Cancer Stem Cells and Multi-drug Resistance by Flow Cytometry  Jordi Petriz

We present cytometry and confocal microscopy education and research material, maintain the cytometry email archive,and links to cytometry web sites and suppliers worldwide.

Our goal is to share high-quality information and to maintain electronic crossroad for cytometry. In 1993, we established the first web site in cytometry. It has matured and evolved with time. We did this because of our interest and dedication to the philosophy of sharing educational material.

A new project we are involved with is an NIH SPARC grant - you can see this project here