SERS-based plasmonic nanobiosensing in single living cells.
In this paper, we describe the development and application of a pH-sensitive plasmonics-active fiber-optic nanoprobe suitable for intracellular bioanalysis in single living human cells using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection. The effectiveness and usefulness of SERS-based fiber-optic nanoprobes are illustrated by measurements of intracellular pH in HMEC-15/hTERT immortalized "normal" human mammary epithelial cells and PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. The results indicate that fiber-optic nanoprobe insertion and interrogation provide a sensitive and selective means to monitor cellular microenvironments at the single cell level.
Scaffidi
Jonathan P
JP
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, 136 Hudson Hall, P. O. Box 90281, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
Gregas
Molly K
MK
Seewaldt
Victoria
V
Vo-Dinh
Tuan
T
D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002138:Calibration; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D036103:Nanotechnology