The LAser Microbeam Program (LAMP) was established on December 1, 1980, as a national user facility under the Biotechnology Resources Program, jointly sponsored by UC Irvine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Originally part of the UC Irvine School of Biological Sciences, LAMP became the core research program of UC Irvine Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic.

Under UC Irvine Professor Dr. Michael W. Berns, LAMP attracted the attention of philanthropist Dr. Arnold O. Beckman, leading to the Institute’s establishment in 1982. The main objective of LAMP (later referred to as the LAser Microbeam and Medical Program) was to use laser beams to study fundamental aspects of cell and developmental biology under the microscope.

For over 40 years, LAMMP supported core technology research development, collaboration, training, dissemination and service, attracting global collaborations. In 2019, NIH funding ceased due to a mandatory sunsetting rule. However, LAMP continues as an Institute priority due to ongoing developments and demand.

In 2018, thanks to a $1 million gift from the Beckman Laser Institute, Inc. non-profit, the Institute established the Michael and Roberta Berns LAser Microbeam Program (LAMP) Laboratory. This recognition was in honor of the Institute’s Founding Director, Dr. Berns, and his wife, Roberta. The donation enabled the renovation of an obsolete electron microscopy laboratory suite and the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment for advanced cell characterization, imaging, and manipulation.

LAMP investigations include:

• Laser-Induced Shock Waves: simulating traumatic brain injury and exploring cellular treatments
• Laser Tweezers: studying forces in chromosome separation during cell division
• Calcium Ion Concentration: investigating changes following neuronal cell injury and recovery
• Phagocytic Response: examining injured cells derived from Huntington’s disease
• Quantitative Phase Microscopy: developing a laser scissors and tweezers platform

Future LAMP directions include:

• Adoption of complex light for opto-mechanical stimulation and biological imaging
• New paradigms for nanoscopic optical trapping
• Exploring neurophotonic stimulation of cells