Acousto-optogenetics bandpass stabilizer: A programmable platform for mapping single-cell phenotypic life

Yuxin Wang1, Yue Quan1, Shizheng Zhou1

  • 1Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, 999078, Macau.

Materials Today. Bio
|July 24, 2025
PubMed

Insights

This study introduces acoustic modulation to control cell rotation, significantly reducing photobleaching in fluorescence imaging. This innovation enables artifact-free drug screening and enhances precision oncology by improving clinical predictability.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Photobleaching limits fluorescence-based drug screening accuracy, leading to false positives/negatives.
  • Current phototoxicity mitigation strategies compromise imaging resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an active photobleaching intervention strategy using acoustic modulation.
  • To establish a quantitative framework linking acoustic parameters to photobleaching kinetics.
  • To enable artifact-free drug response analysis and enhance precision oncology.

Main Methods:

  • Employing ultra-low-frequency acoustic modulation (500-2000 Hz) for 3D cellular rotation.
  • Utilizing an Acousto-Optogenetics Bandpass Stabilizer for tunable phototoxicity control.
  • Developing FlowMind, an AI-powered software for automated single-cell dynamic library processing.

Main Results:

  • Acoustic frequency scanning demonstrated a bandpass-filter effect on photobleaching, peaking at 1500 Hz.
  • Achieved approximately 30-fold fluorescence preservation compared to static conditions.
  • Demonstrated significant variations in drug screening sensitivity for calcium channel blockers.

Conclusions:

  • Acoustic modulation offers programmable control of photostability, revolutionizing fluorescence-based assays.
  • The developed Acousto-Optogenetics Bandpass Stabilizer and FlowMind software enable artifact-free drug screening.
  • This paradigm shift promises enhanced clinical predictability in patient-tailored therapeutic regimens for precision oncology.

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