Single cell imaging with near-field terahertz scanning microscopy.

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Microscopy
• Terahertz Spectroscopy

Background:

• Terahertz (THz) imaging offers non-destructive analysis for biological and biomedical applications.
• Conventional THz imaging systems suffer from low spatial resolution, limiting their utility for cellular studies.
• There is a need for advanced THz microscopy techniques to overcome resolution limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a high-performance near-field THz time-domain spectroscopy scanning microscope.
• To achieve high spatial resolution for imaging single biological cells.
• To investigate cellular morphology changes during natural dehydration processes.

Main Methods:

• A coherent THz time-domain spectroscopy system was coupled with a photoconductive antenna microprobe.
• A single watermelon pulp cell was prepared on a quartz slide and covered with a polyethylene film.
• Transmission mode imaging was employed using the developed near-field THz microscope.

Main Results:

• The near-field THz microscope successfully imaged the morphology of a single watermelon pulp cell.
• Direct imaging of cellular changes during the natural dehydration process was achieved.
• The system demonstrated high performance in capturing fine cellular structures.

Conclusions:

• The developed near-field microscopy approach provides label-free and non-destructive single-cell imaging.
• This technique offers a new avenue for studying biological samples using THz radiation.
• The high spatial resolution overcomes limitations of conventional THz imaging for cellular analysis.