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Automated System for Single Molecule Fluorescence Measurements of Surface-immobilized Biomolecules
Published on: November 2, 2009
Mechanical Trap Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Three-Dimensional Surface Molecular Imaging of Single Live
Qianru Jin1, Ming Li2,3, Beril Polat1
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
Abstract:
Reported is a new shell-based spectroscopic platform, named mechanical trap surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MTSERS), for simultaneous capture, profiling, and 3D microscopic mapping of the intrinsic molecular signatures on the membrane of single live cells. By leveraging the functionalization of the inner surfaces of the MTs with plasmonic gold nanostars, and conformal contact of the cell membrane, MTSERS permits excellent signal enhancement, reliably detects molecular signatures, and allows non-perturbative, multiplex 3D surface imaging of analytes, such as lipids and proteins on the surface of single cells. The demonstrated ability underscores the potential of MTSERS to perform 3D spectroscopic microimaging and to furnish biologically interpretable, quantitative, and dynamic molecular maps in live cell populations.
