title: Vibrational spectroscopic imaging of living systems: An emerging platform for biology and medicine.
abstract: Vibrational spectroscopy has been extensively applied to the study of molecules in gas phase, in condensed phase, and at interfaces. The transition from spectroscopy to spectroscopic imaging of living systems, which allows the spectrum of biomolecules to act as natural contrast, is opening new opportunities to reveal cellular machinery and to enable molecule-based diagnosis. Such a transition, however, involves more than a simple combination of spectrometry and microscopy. We review recent efforts that have pushed the boundary of the vibrational spectroscopic imaging field in terms of spectral acquisition speed, detection sensitivity, spatial resolution, and imaging depth. We further highlight recent applications in functional analysis of single cells and in label-free detection of diseases.
authors.affiliation: Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. jcheng@purdue.edu xie@chemistry.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Ji-Xin
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. jcheng@purdue.edu xie@chemistry.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: X Sunney
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001695:Biology; D005740:Gases; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*; D014732:Vibration
chemical_list: D005740:Gases