Raman Imaging Reveals Insights into Membrane Phase Biophysics in Cells

Cellular membranes are essential components of all living organisms. They are composed of a complex mixture of lipids with diverse chemical structures and crucial biological functions. The dynamic and heterogeneous nature of cellular membranes presents a challenge for studying their biophysical properties and organization in vivo. Raman imaging, particularly coherent Raman scattering techniques such as stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, have emerged as powerful tools for studying cellular membranes with high spatial and temporal resolution and minimal perturbation. In this Review, we discuss the scientific importance and technical challenges of characterizing membrane composition in cellular contexts and how the advances of Raman imaging can provide unique insights into membrane phase behavior and organization. We also highlight recent applications of Raman imaging in studying cellular membranes and implications in diseases. In particular, the discovery of phase separation and a solid-phase intracellular membrane on endoplasmic reticulum is reviewed in detail, shedding light on the biology of lipotoxicity.