Interface-Sensitive Epi-Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Microscopy for Imaging Cell Adhesion Dynamics.

ABSTRACT: Studying cell adhesion dynamics is critical to understand how cells interact with the extracellular matrix and how they migrate. Conventional microscopy techniques for interfacial studies either lack chemical information or require fluorescence labeling. We found that homodyne epi-coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (epi-CARS) microscopy, when focused as interfaces, has intrinsic interfacial selectivity. The interference of the back-reflected nonresonant signals amplifies the contrast of cell adhesion areas, generating a distinctive negative contrast at attachment areas, which reflects the distance between the cell membrane and the substrate with tens of nanometers precision. The Epi-CARS configuration also provides high contrasts for cellular lipid droplets when applied in the inverted

SUBMITTER: Zhou M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12632835 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature