In Vivo Biosensing Using Resonance Energy Transfer

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Biosensing
• Molecular Imaging

Background:

• Biosensing advances understanding of molecular processes in biology and pathology.
• Optical methods, particularly fluorescence, offer sensitive detection in complex media.
• Resonance energy transfer (RET) biosensors utilize energy transfer for molecular detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review RET-based optical transducers for in vivo sensing in mice.
• To discuss energy transfer mechanisms and their role in in vivo imaging.
• To highlight the advantages of infrared imaging for in vivo biosensing.

Main Methods:

• Focus on dyes, fluorescent proteins, and nanoparticles as RET transducers.
• Examples of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET), and chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET) in vivo.
• Discussion of energy transfer mechanisms and their application in mammalian models.

Main Results:

• RET-based sensors enable sensitive optical detection in vivo.
• Infrared imaging improves sensitivity and reduces tissue autofluorescence.
• Various optical transducers (dyes, proteins, nanoparticles) are effective for in vivo RET sensing.

Conclusions:

• RET-based optical biosensors are powerful tools for in vivo molecular imaging.
• Infrared imaging is crucial for enhanced sensitivity and specificity in complex biological environments.
• These technologies hold significant promise for advancing our understanding of in vivo biological and pathological processes.