|
|
Loading ...
|
|
|
|
|
pages views since
05/19/2016 : 157560
· Members : 7
· News : 926
· Downloads : 0
· Links : 0
|
|
|
|
|
Innovation in Biomedical Imaging: Silver Nanoislands 10,000,000x Signal Amplitude
|
|
|
|
Posted by Okachinepa on 10/31/2024 @
Courtesy of SynEvol
Credit: Takeo Minamikawa
With instruments far more advanced than the conventional light microscope, biologists now can investigate the complex architecture found inside living cells. Methods such as Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence have become indispensable for non-invasive biological process monitoring.
These techniques generate electronic transitions in fluorescence or molecular vibrations in Raman spectroscopy using a light source, usually a laser.
These methods have drawbacks despite their benefits. Raman signals are frequently quite weak, and fluorescent tags can disrupt regular cell activities. Sensitive biological molecules may be harmed by boosting the laser's intensity or exposure duration in an attempt to intensify the signal.
Using metal substrates or nanostructures to magnify the signal, researchers have created surface-enhanced versions of these techniques to get around issue. These improvements, nevertheless, may also jeopardize the integrity of the cell.
Courtesy of SynEvol
Credit: Takeo Minamikawa
Now, researchers from Osaka University presented a novel technique for the long-range amplification of fluorescence and Raman signals using a dense random array of Ag nanoislands in a work that was published on October 28 in the journal Light: Science & Applications.
The analyte molecules are separated from metal structures by a column-structured silica layer that is 100 nm thick. This layer is both sufficiently thick to shield the molecules under study and sufficiently thin to allow the plasmons—collective electromagnetic oscillations in the metal layer—to improve the spectroscopic signal.
Lead author Takeo Minamikawa states, "We showed that the range of influence of plasmons in metals can exceed 100 nanometers, far beyond what conventional theory predicted."
The researchers demonstrated that the signal may be amplified by an astounding 10 million times by employing these biocompatible sensor substrates. Furthermore, the metal nanostructures are perfect for biological systems that traditional techniques can harm because they never come into close touch with the molecules under study.
According to lead author Mitsuo Kawasaki, "our substrates' mechanical robustness and chemical stability make them suitable for a wide range of applications, including environmental pollutant detection or medical diagnosis."
Additionally, a thin-film fabrication method known as sputtering can be used to swiftly and large-scale generate the sensor substrates. This can lead to the deployment of new biosensing devices in healthcare and industrial contexts at a lower cost.
|
|
|
