title: Optical injection of gold nanoparticles into living cells.
abstract: The controlled injection of nanoscopic objects into living cells with light offers promising prospects for the development of novel molecular delivery strategies or intracellular biosensor applications. Here, we show that single gold nanoparticles from solution can be patterned on the surface of living cells with a continuous wave laser beam. In a second step, we demonstrate how the same particles can then be injected into the cells through a combination of plasmonic heating and optical force. We find that short exposure times are sufficient to perforate the cell membrane and inject the particles into cells with a survival rate of >70%.
authors.affiliation: Photonics and Optoelectronics Group, Department of Physics and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universtität München , Amalienstrasse 54, 80799, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Theobald
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lohmüller
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feldmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D016466:CHO Cells; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D006046:Gold; D007834:Lasers; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006046:Gold
keywords: Nanoparticles; nanoinjection; optical force; plasmonic heating