Ji-Xin Cheng Explained

Ji-Xin Cheng
Nationality:American
Fields:Biophotonics
Workplaces:Boston University (2017–present)
Purdue University (2003–2017)
Education:Bachelor of Science
Doctor of Philosophy
Alma Mater:University of Science and Technology of China (B.S. in 1994, PhD in 1998)
Thesis Title:Bond-selective Chemistry: from Local Mode Vibration to Optimal Control of Molecular Dynamics by Laser
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Doctoral Advisor:Qingshi Zhu
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Ji-Xin Cheng is an academic, inventor, and entrepreneur. He holds the Moustakas Chair Professorship in Optoelectronics and Photonics at Boston University.[1] His inventions span optical imaging, cancer diagnosis, neuromodulation, and phototherapy of infectious diseases. He holds positions of co-founder of Vibronic[2] and of Pulsethera.[3] He is also the scientific advisor of Photothermal Spectroscopy[4] and Axorus.[5]

Cheng is most known for his development of chemical imaging techniques,[6] focusing on molecular spectroscopic imaging in technology development, life science applications, and clinical translation.[7] His work has been recognized by the 2019 Ellis R. Lippincott Award from Optica,[8] the 2020 Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award from the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh,[9] and the 2024 SPIE Biophotonics Technology Innovator Award from International Society for Optics and Photonics.[10]

Cheng is a Fellow of Optica (the Optical Society of America)[11] and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.[12]

Education

Cheng obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Science and Technology of China in 1994. Later, he obtained a PhD in 1998 from the same institution. After completing his PhD, Cheng had one-year postdoc training at the University of Science and Technology of Hong Kong (1999).[1] From 2000 to 2003, he joined Sunney Xie's lab at Harvard University as a postdoc, where he and others worked on the development of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy.[13]

Career

In 2003, he joined Purdue University as assistant professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2009 and to professor in 2013.[14] In 2017, he was recruited to Boston University as the inaugural Moustakas Chair Professor in Optoelectronics and Photonics in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering.[1]

Since 2021, he has served as the Director of the Boston University Photonics Center Graduate Student Initiative.[15]

Cheng has co-founded companies, including Vibronix, in 2014,[2] and Pulsethera, in 2019.[3] He holds the position of scientific advisor at Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp. in Santa Barbara, California, and at Axorus in Paris.

Research

Cheng has authored 300+ peer-reviewed publications spanning the areas of coherent Raman microscopy, mid-infrared photothermal microscopy, transient absorption microscopy, electromagnetic and ultrasound waves for neutral modulation, phototherapy of infectious diseases, as well as medical applications of nanomaterials.[7]

Coherent Raman scattering microscopy

Cheng's research has focused on coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy across various aspects such as instrumentation, theory, and practical applications. His research introduced concepts like CARS microscope using picosecond excitation,[16] epi-detected CARS,[17] and polarization-sensitive CARS.[18] In 2002, he created a Green's function model that elucidates the contrast mechanism in CARS microscopy.[19] Additionally, he led the development of laser-scanning CARS integrated into a confocal microscope.[20] At Purdue University, his group led the development of multimodal nonlinear optical imaging using a CARS microscope.[21]

From 2013 onward, Cheng and his research team devised methods that allow for the rapid acquisition of Raman spectra at microsecond time scale per pixel, facilitating vibrational spectroscopic imaging of live organisms. One notable achievement includes the creation of a tuned amplifier array,[22] which enabled the development of the speediest Raman spectroscopic imaging system, capable of capturing a Raman spectrum in just 5 microseconds.[23] His team further developed frameworks for transforming hyperspectral data into chemical maps of prominent substances. Through vibrational spectroscopic imaging on human patient samples, Cheng and his collaborators identified cholesteryl ester as a pervasive metabolic indicator of highly malignant cancers.[24] [25]

Overtone photoacoustic microscopy

In 2011, Cheng and coworkers introduced overtone photoacoustic microscopy, which combined optical excitation of overtone vibration and acoustic detection of pressure transients to enable label-free bond-selective imaging of deep tissues.[26] In collaboration with Professor Michael Sturek at the Indiana University School of Medicine, his team developed intravascular vibration-based photoacoustic catheters that can perform video rate imaging of lipids in an arterial wall. In 2014, he co-founded Vibronix aiming to further develop vibrational imaging technologies into commercial microscopes and medical devices. In 2020, Vibronix received FDA approval for their first medical device, AcuSee, for ultrasound image-guided surgical removal of kidney stones. [27]

Mid-infrared photothermal (MIP) microscopy

In 2016, his team introduced a mid-infrared photothermal (MIP) imaging technique that overcame the limitations of traditional infrared spectroscopic imaging, achieving micromolar detection sensitivity and submicrometer spatial resolution for three-dimensional chemical imaging of live cells and organisms.[28] Concentrating on optical photothermal IR imaging, his research group have made contributions to technology advancement through a series of innovations. These innovations encompass widefield MIP,[29] optical phase detection,[30] and fluorescence detection.[31] His recent invention, single pulse digitization,[32] has facilitated real-time super-resolution infrared chemical imaging of living organisms at video rate.[33] In 2024, his group reported in Nature Methods a mid-infrared photothermal reporter for imaging enzymatic activities in live cells.[34]

In 2017, Photothermal Spectroscopy, with Cheng as a Scientific Advisor, announced mIRage, a commercial microscope for mid-infrared photothermal imaging.[35]

Transient absorption microscopy

In addition to his research on bond-selective chemical imaging, Cheng also made advancements in the field of high-resolution and high-speed transient absorption (TA) microscopy. In 2013, his team pioneered far-field super-resolution transient absorption imaging, breaking the conventional diffraction limit by achieving a spatial resolution of 200 nm through controlled electronic absorption saturation.[36] On the applications of TA spectroscopic imaging, his team was the first to use phase-sensitive TA imaging to distinguish metallic from semiconducting carbon nanotubes.[37] They also tracked single-walled carbon nanotubes in living cells using this method.[38] In 2019, they developed a technique combining TA spectroscopic imaging and phasor analysis to quantify HbA1c levels within individual red blood cells.[39] His group also unveiled a metabolic shift in melanoma from pigment-rich to lipid-rich as it progresses from primary to metastatic stages, potentially advancing the detection and treatment of this aggressive skin cancer.[40]

Neuromodulation with electromagnetic and ultrasound waves

Beyond Chemical Imaging, Cheng's research revolves around developing a set of tools designed to control cellular activity using electromagnetic or ultrasound waves. His group created a fiber optoacoustic emitter that transforms laser pulses into an extremely focused ultrasound field at the tip of the fiber, enabling precise stimulation of neurons at submillimeter accuracy and single-cell stimulation using a tapered fiber setup.[41] His team further expanded on their work to create a non-invasive brain modulation technique using optically generated focused ultrasound with extremely precise spatial targeting.[42] Additionally, he and coworkers created a microwave split ring resonator to generate gap-based ultrasound.[43] This device enables precise neural activity inhibition beyond the microwave's diffraction limit.

Phototherapy of infectious diseases

Under a lab-built transient absorption microscope, Cheng and his student Pu-Ting Dong accidentally found fast photobleaching of staphyloxanthin, a chromophore in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). He converted this failed imaging experiment into a therapy for the super-bug MRSA by synergizing the pigment photobleaching with hydrogen peroxide and conventional antibiotics.[44] Cheng, along with his coworkers, further discovered that certain wavelengths of light can deactivate natural light-absorbing molecules in a broad spectrum of bacteria and fungi, enabling the development of a therapy that sensitizes drug-resistant infections to low levels of hydrogen peroxide.[45]

Nanomedicine

In his early career, Cheng explored medical applications of nanomaterials including gold nanorods and polymer micelles. His 2005 paper in PNAS indicates that gold nanorods, when excited at 830 nm, exhibit strong two-photon luminescence with polarization dependence, plasmon-enhanced absorption, and higher signal intensity than traditional fluorescent probes, making them promising candidates for in vivo imaging applications.[46]

In 2007, Cheng and collaborators investigated the photothermal effects of gold nanorods on tumor cells[47] and established that plasmon-resonant gold nanorods, with carefully modified surface chemistry, have the potential for use in image-guided therapies based on localized hyperthermia at low laser fluences.[48] His 2009 work highlighted the versatility of gold nanorods in the biomedical field, emphasizing their unique optical properties, surface chemistry control, and potential for both imaging and therapeutic applications, particularly in the context of cancer treatment.[49] In 2010, his team described in Nature Nanotechnology a membrane repair property of block co-polymer micelles and showed its effectiveness in repairing traumatic spinal cord injury.[50]

Selected awards and honors

Bibliography

Books

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ji-Xin Cheng, Ph.D. | College of Engineering. www.bu.edu.
  2. Web site: VibroniX.
  3. Web site: Dr. Ji-Xin Cheng, Founder – Pulsethera.
  4. Web site: Scientific Advisors.
  5. Web site: Axorus – High Acuity Artificial Retina. www.axorus.com.
  6. Vibrational spectroscopic imaging of living systems: An emerging platform for biology and medicine. Ji-Xin. Cheng. X. Sunney. Xie. November 27, 2015. Science. 350. 6264. aaa8870. PubMed. 10.1126/science.aaa8870. 26612955. 4653039 .
  7. Web site: Ji-Xin Cheng. scholar.google.com.
  8. Web site: Ellis R. Lippincott Award | Optica. www.optica.org.
  9. Web site: Dr. Ji-Xin Cheng Receives 2020 Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award | Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Program. www.bu.edu.
  10. Web site: Ji-Xin Cheng: The 2024 SPIE Biophotonics Technology Innovator Award. spie.org.
  11. Web site: Ji-Xin Cheng Honored by the Optical Society of America | College of Engineering. www.bu.edu.
  12. Web site: Fellow Directory – AIMBE.
  13. Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Microscopy: Instrumentation, Theory, and Applications. 2004 . 10.1021/jp035693v . Cheng . Ji-Xin . Xie . X. Sunney . The Journal of Physical Chemistry B . 108 . 3 . 827–840 .
  14. Web site: Principal Investigator. Label-free Spectroscopic Imaging Group – Purdue University.
  15. Web site: Graduate Education Committee Contacts | Photonics Center. www.bu.edu.
  16. An Epi-Detected Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (E-CARS) Microscope with High Spectral Resolution and High Sensitivity. Ji-xin. Cheng. Andreas. Volkmer. Lewis D.. Book. X. Sunney. Xie. February 1, 2001. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 105. 7. 1277–1280. CrossRef. 10.1021/jp003774a.
  17. Web site: System and method for epi-detected coherent anti-stokes raman scattering microscopy.
  18. Web site: System and method for polarization coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering microscopy.
  19. Green's function formulation for third-harmonic generation microscopy. Ji-Xin. Cheng. X. Sunney. Xie. July 1, 2002. JOSA B. 19. 7. 1604–1610. opg.optica.org. 10.1364/JOSAB.19.001604. 2002JOSAB..19.1604C .
  20. Laser-Scanning Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Microscopy and Applications to Cell Biology. Ji-Xin. Cheng. Y. Kevin. Jia. Gengfeng. Zheng. X. Sunney. Xie. July 1, 2002. Biophysical Journal. 83. 1. 502–509. 10.1016/S0006-3495(02)75186-2. 12080137 . 1302164 . 2002BpJ....83..502C .
  21. Web site: Multimodal platform for nonlinear optical microscopy and microspectroscopy.
  22. Web site: System and method for multiplex spectroscopic imaging.
  23. Microsecond scale vibrational spectroscopic imaging by multiplex stimulated Raman scattering microscopy. Chien-Sheng. Liao. Mikhail N.. Slipchenko. Ping. Wang. Junjie. Li. Seung-Young. Lee. Robert A.. Oglesbee. Ji-Xin. Cheng. March 12, 2015. Light: Science & Applications. 4. 3. e265. 10.1038/lsa.2015.38. 26167336 . 4498251 . 2015LSA.....4E.265L .
  24. Cholesteryl ester accumulation induced by PTEN loss and PI3K/AKT activation underlies human prostate cancer aggressiveness. Shuhua. Yue. Junjie. Li. Seung-Young. Lee. Hyeon Jeong. Lee. Tian. Shao. Bing. Song. Liang. Cheng. Timothy A.. Masterson. Xiaoqi. Liu. Timothy L.. Ratliff. Ji-Xin. Cheng. March 4, 2014. Cell Metabolism. 19. 3. 393–406. 10.1016/j.cmet.2014.01.019. 24606897. 3969850.
  25. Web site: Methods for determining aggressiveness of a cancer and treatment thereof.
  26. Label-Free Bond-Selective Imaging by Listening to Vibrationally Excited Molecules. Han-Wei. Wang. Ning. Chai. Pu. Wang. Song. Hu. Wei. Dou. David. Umulis. Lihong V.. Wang. Michael. Sturek. Robert. Lucht. Ji-Xin. Cheng. June 10, 2011. Physical Review Letters. 106. 23. 238106. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.238106. 21770549. 3398792. 2011PhRvL.106w8106W .
  27. Web site: Food and Drug Administration.
  28. Depth-resolved mid-infrared photothermal imaging of living cells and organisms with submicrometer spatial resolution. Delong. Zhang. Chen. Li. Chi. Zhang. Mikhail N.. Slipchenko. Gregory. Eakins. Ji-Xin. Cheng. September 2, 2016. Science Advances. 2. 9. e1600521 . 10.1126/sciadv.1600521. 27704043. 5040478. 2016SciA....2E0521Z .
  29. Ultrafast chemical imaging by widefield photothermal sensing of infrared absorption. Yeran. Bai. Delong. Zhang. Lu. Lan. Yimin. Huang. Kerry. Maize. Ali. Shakouri. Ji-Xin. Cheng. July 5, 2019. Science Advances. 5. 7. eaav7127 . 10.1126/sciadv.aav7127. 31334347. 6641941. 1811.07405 . 2019SciA....5.7127B .
  30. Bond-selective transient phase imaging via sensing of the infrared photothermal effect. Delong. Zhang. Lu. Lan. Yeran. Bai. Hassaan. Majeed. Mikhail E.. Kandel. Gabriel. Popescu. Ji-Xin. Cheng. December 11, 2019. Light: Science & Applications. 8. 1. 116. 10.1038/s41377-019-0224-0. 31839936 . 6904725 . 1811.11140 . 2019LSA.....8..116Z .
  31. Fluorescence-Detected Mid-Infrared Photothermal Microscopy. Yi. Zhang. Haonan. Zong. Cheng. Zong. Yuying. Tan. Meng. Zhang. Yuewei. Zhan. Ji-Xin. Cheng. August 4, 2021. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 143. 30. 11490–11499. 10.1021/jacs.1c03642. 34264654. 8750559.
  32. Nanosecond-resolution photothermal dynamic imaging via MHZ digitization and match filtering. Jiaze. Yin. Lu. Lan. Yi. Zhang. Hongli. Ni. Yuying. Tan. Meng. Zhang. Yeran. Bai. Ji-Xin. Cheng. December 7, 2021. Nature Communications. 12. 1. 7097. 10.1038/s41467-021-27362-w. 34876556. 8651735. 2021NatCo..12.7097Y .
  33. Video-rate mid-infrared photothermal imaging by single-pulse photothermal detection per pixel. Jiaze. Yin. Meng. Zhang. Yuying. Tan. Zhongyue. Guo. Hongjian. He. Lu. Lan. Ji-Xin. Cheng. June 16, 2023. Science Advances. 9. 24. eadg8814 . 10.1126/sciadv.adg8814. 37315131. 10266719. 2023SciA....9G8814Y .
  34. Mapping enzyme activity in living systems by real-time mid-infrared photothermal imaging of nitrile chameleons. Hongjian. He. Jiaze. Yin. Mingsheng. Li. Chinmayee Vallabh Prabhu. Dessai. Meihui. Yi. Xinyan. Teng. Meng. Zhang. Yueming. Li. Zhiyi. Du. Bing. Xu. Ji-Xin. Cheng. January 8, 2024. Nature Methods. 21 . 2 . 342–352. 10.1038/s41592-023-02137-x. 38191931 . 266871423 . 11165695.
  35. Web site: Publications using the mIRage microscope with O-PTIR and IR+Raman.
  36. Far-field imaging of non-fluorescent species with subdiffraction resolution. Pu. Wang. Mikhail N.. Slipchenko. James. Mitchell. Chen. Yang. Eric O.. Potma. Xianfan. Xu. Ji-Xin. Cheng. June 12, 2013. Nature Photonics. 7. 6. 449–453. 10.1038/nphoton.2013.97. 24436725 . 3891596 . 2013NaPho...7..449W .
  37. Fast detection of the metallic state of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes using a transient-absorption optical microscope. Yookyung. Jung. Mikhail N.. Slipchenko. Chang Hua. Liu. Alexander E.. Ribbe. Zhaohui. Zhong. Chen. Yang. Ji-Xin. Cheng. November 19, 2010. Physical Review Letters. 105. 21. 217401. PubMed. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.217401. 21231351. 2010PhRvL.105u7401J .
  38. Label-free imaging of semiconducting and metallic carbon nanotubes in cells and mice using transient absorption microscopy. Ling. Tong. Yuxiang. Liu. Bridget D.. Dolash. Yookyung. Jung. Mikhail N.. Slipchenko. Donald E.. Bergstrom. Ji-Xin. Cheng. January 12, 2012. Nature Nanotechnology. 7. 1. 56–61. www.nature.com. 10.1038/nnano.2011.210. 22138864 . 2012NatNa...7...56T .
  39. Polarization-sensitive stimulated Raman scattering imaging resolves amphotericin B orientation in Candida membrane. Pu-Ting. Dong. Cheng. Zong. Zeina. Dagher. Jie. Hui. Junjie. Li. Yuewei. Zhan. Meng. Zhang. Michael K.. Mansour. Ji-Xin. Cheng. January 12, 2021. Science Advances. 7. 2. eabd5230. 10.1126/sciadv.abd5230. 33523971. 7787481. 2021SciA....7.5230D .
  40. Multimodal Metabolic Imaging Reveals Pigment Reduction and Lipid Accumulation in Metastatic Melanoma. Hyeon Jeong. Lee. Zhicong. Chen. Marianne. Collard. Fukai. Chen. Jiaji G.. Chen. Muzhou. Wu. Rhoda M.. Alani. Ji-Xin. Cheng. January 12, 2021. BME Frontiers. 2021. 10.34133/2021/9860123. 37849907. 10521760.
  41. Non-genetic photoacoustic stimulation of single neurons by a tapered fiber optoacoustic emitter. Linli. Shi. Ying. Jiang. Fernando R.. Fernandez. Guo. Chen. Lu. Lan. Heng-Ye. Man. John A.. White. Ji-Xin. Cheng. Chen. Yang. July 14, 2021. Light: Science & Applications. 10. 1. 143. 10.1038/s41377-021-00580-z. 34257273 . 8277806 . 2012.09930 . 2021LSA....10..143S .
  42. Optically-generated focused ultrasound for noninvasive brain stimulation with ultrahigh precision. Yueming. Li. Ying. Jiang. Lu. Lan. Xiaowei. Ge. Ran. Cheng. Yuewei. Zhan. Guo. Chen. Linli. Shi. Runyu. Wang. Nan. Zheng. Chen. Yang. Ji-Xin. Cheng. November 3, 2022. Light: Science & Applications. 11. 1. 321. 10.1038/s41377-022-01004-2. 36323662 . 9630534 . 2204.09119 . 2022LSA....11..321L .
  43. Ultraefficient thermoacoustic conversion through a split ring resonator. 2020 . 10.1117/1.AP.2.3.036006 . Lan . Lu . Li . Yueming . Yang-Tran . Tiffany . Jiang . Ying . Cao . Yingchun . Cheng . Ji-Xin . Advanced Photonics . 2 . 3 . 036006 . 2020AdPho...2c6006L . free .
  44. Annihilation of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) via Photobleaching of Staphyloxanthin . IEEE. May 2018 . 1–2 .
  45. Web site: Eradication of broad-spectrum multi-drug fungal pathogens through photoinactivation of a detoxifying enzyme. 10 March 2020 . 11223 . 112230U . 10.1117/12.2546838 . 216397238 .
  46. In vitro and in vivo two-photon luminescence imaging of single gold nanorods. Haifeng. Wang. Terry B.. Huff. Daniel A.. Zweifel. Wei. He. Philip S.. Low. Alexander. Wei. Ji-Xin. Cheng. November 12, 2005. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 102. 44. 15752–15756. 10.1073/pnas.0504892102. free . 16239346. 1276057. 2005PNAS..10215752W .
  47. Gold Nanorods Mediate Tumor Cell Death by Compromising Membrane Integrity. Ling. Tong. Yan. Zhao. Terry B.. Huff. Matthew N.. Hansen. Alexander. Wei. Ji-Xin. Cheng. February 12, 2007. Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.). 19. 20 . 3136–3141. 10.1002/adma.200701974. 19020672. 2584614. 2007AdM....19.3136T .
  48. Hyperthermic effects of gold nanorods on tumor cells. Terry B.. Huff. Ling. Tong. Yan. Zhao. Matthew N.. Hansen. Ji-Xin. Cheng. Alexander. Wei. February 12, 2007. Nanomedicine (London, England). 2. 1. 125–132. 10.2217/17435889.2.1.125. 17716198. 2597406.
  49. Gold nanorods as contrast agents for biological imaging: optical properties, surface conjugation and photothermal effects. Ling. Tong. Qingshan. Wei. Alexander. Wei. Ji-Xin. Cheng. February 12, 2009. Photochemistry and Photobiology. 85. 1. 21–32. 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2008.00507.x. 19161395. 2818790.
  50. Effective repair of traumatically injured spinal cord by nanoscale block copolymer micelles. Yunzhou. Shi. Sungwon. Kim. Terry B.. Huff. Richard B.. Borgens. Kinam. Park. Riyi. Shi. Ji-Xin. Cheng. January 12, 2010. Nature Nanotechnology. 5. 1. 80–87. 10.1038/nnano.2009.303. 19898498 . 2843695 . 2010NatNa...5...80S .
  51. Web site: The Craver Award – Applied Analytical Vibrational Spectroscopy.
  52. Web site: Photonics Professor Ji-Xin Cheng's Student Wins SPIE Translational Research Award for 2018 | Photonics Center. www.bu.edu.
  53. Web site: Ji-Xin Cheng Receives 2019 Ellis R. Lippincott Award. www.photonics.com.
  54. 2020 Microscopy Today Innovation Awards. Charles. Lyman. September 12, 2020. Microscopy Today. 28. 5. 20–24. Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/S1551929520001364.
  55. Web site: Ji-Xin Cheng Named 2022 BU Innovator of the Year | College of Engineering. www.bu.edu.
  56. Web site: Charles DeLisi Award and Lecture | College of Engineering. www.bu.edu.

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