For studying biological systems, optical microscopy techniques in which photons act as an intermediary between the biological system and the solid-state world remain paramount. In this project, we seek to develop new tools for microbiology based on electrochemical sensing of metabolites. These tools give us new insight into microbial communities, including those that may be pathogenic and those that may benefit human health (such as in the gut microbiome).

Over the past several decades, a variety of imaging techniques have enabled a wide range of studies of the structure, function, and dynamics of molecules at the single-molecule level. However, popular fluorescent single-molecule techniques generally cannot directly resolve temporal changes that occur on sub-millisecond timescales, as imaging times must accommodate the relatively slow rate of photon emission from single fluorophores.