My research project is focused on the design and synthesis of novel chromophores for application in the study of peptide aggregation through the utilization of ultrafast laser spectroscopy. Synthetic organic chemistry is being used to synthesis a biologically compatible chromophore, structurally similar to that found in GFP, which possesses strong two-photon emission (TPE) characteristics suitable for spectroscopic study using ultrafast laser systems and non-linear spectroscopy. The TPE of the synthesized chromophores are being characterized, investigating their fluorescence quantum yields and cross-sections for the purposes of determining their viability as biological probes. The chromophore will be attached to a peptide segment of α-synuclein or other interesting peptides and spectroscopic techniques will used to perform a detailed investigation into the aggregation properties of the peptide systems using a combination of circular dichroism, two-photon excited fluorescence up-conversion, time-correlated single-photon-counting, and near-field scanning optical microscopy.