Abnormal chemical environments at the cellular and sub-cellular levels are the cause of many disease states. Thus, there is a need for the ability to measure in real-time localized chemical environments inside living cells and tissues. Molecular imaging has the potential to monitor both normal and abnormal biochemical and physiological parameters in individual biological systems. However, current optical imaging technologies often lack sensitivity and specificity to environmental conditions and typically require exogenous probe that can perturb the system. We have developed of a suite of advanced molecular imaging probes based upon the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of gold nanoparticles and magnetite-silica-gold core-shell nanostructures that address many of these shortcomings. A SERS-based optical fiber sensor has been designed and tested to monitor metabolic species. In this approach, a thin layer of gold nanoparticles is immobilized onto a silica optical fiber. Strong Raman scattering molecules are immobilized on the surface of the gold nanoparticles. The SERS spectra of these reporter molecules are used to provide chemical information about the surrounding microenvironment. The fabrication and performance of a SERS-based optical fiber pH sensor will be presented.

Surface-enhanced Raman-based optical probes for biological applications

241st National Meeting (2011)

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