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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
A Label-free Technique for the Spatio-temporal Imaging of Single Cell Secretions
Published on: November 23, 2015
Three-Dimensional Label-Free Observing of the Self-Assembled Nanoparticles inside a Single Cell at Nanoscale
Huige Zhou1,2,3, Yuecong Guo1,2, Tianyu Fu4
1New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
Abstract:
Understanding the intracellular behavior of nanoparticles (NPs) plays a key role in optimizing the self-assembly performance of nanomedicine. However, conducting the 3D, label-free, quantitative observation of self-assembled NPs within intact single cells remains a substantial challenge in complicated intracellular environments. Here, we propose a deep learning combined synchrotron radiation hard X-ray nanotomography approach to visualize the self-assembled ultrasmall iron oxide (USIO) NPs in a single cell. The method allows us to explore comprehensive information on NPs, such as their distribution, morphology, location, and interaction with cell organelles, and provides quantitative analysis of the heterogeneous size and morphologies of USIO NPs under diverse conditions. This label-free, in situ method provides a tool for precise characterization of intracellular self-assembled NPs to improve the evaluation and design of a bioresponsive nanomedicine.
