Whispering Gallery Mode Micro/Nanolasers for Intracellular Probing at Single Cell Resolution

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Sensing
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Single-cell resolution is crucial for understanding cellular heterogeneity, disease pathophysiology, and precise diagnostics.
• Challenges in intracellular probing include the small cell size, low analyte content, and dynamic microenvironments.
• Whispering gallery mode (WGM) micro/nanolasers present unique advantages for intracellular applications due to their small mode volume and high-quality factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a focused overview of WGM micro/nanolasers for intracellular probing.
• To discuss WGM micro/nanolaser concepts, sensing mechanisms, and biocompatibility.
• To highlight recent advancements and future prospects in intracellular applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of WGM micro/nanolaser technology and principles.
• Analysis of sensing mechanisms for intracellular applications.
• Evaluation of biocompatibility and integration strategies for in vivo use.

Main Results:

• WGM micro/nanolasers demonstrate suitability for intracellular probing due to their bright, low-threshold emission and narrow linewidth.
• Recent progress covers cellular-level sensing and molecular-level detection within single cells.
• Feasibility for intracellular imaging applications has been explored.

Conclusions:

• WGM micro/nanolasers hold significant promise for advancing intracellular probing and single-cell analysis.
• Further research is needed to address challenges and fully realize the potential of these devices in biological applications.
• These nanolasers could revolutionize diagnostics, therapeutics, and fundamental cell biology research.