A Look at Recent Advances in Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging and Its Biological Applications

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and Zhengzhou University have published a review article in the journal Talanta, describing the latest developments in surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRI) and its biological applications (1). SPRI is a powerful technique that can visualize refractive index changes and observe interactions between nanoscale objects in an imaging manner. The technique has attracted attention because of its high sensitivity, label-free samples, simple operation, and rapid detection. In the article, the authors discussed the principle of SPRI and recent developments in prism-coupled and non-prism coupled SPRI techniques, respectively. They also reviewed major advances in biological applications of SPRI, including cells, viruses, bacteria, exosomes, and biomolecules.

Pathogenic bacteria, Epidemic bacterial infection | Image Credit: © nobeastsofierce - stock.adobe.com

Traditional SPR systems are mainly based on spectral analysis, which is a basic way of detecting SPR signals. However, the lack of imaging capabilities hinders their wider application. Combining SPR technology with a camera to acquire two-dimensional (2D) image information, as in SPRI, overcomes this limitation. The authors discussed two types of SPRI configurations in the study, which are prism-coupled and non-prism coupled. They also reviewed the experimental results obtained from these configurations and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each configuration and the potential applications in different fields.

It was not only the technical developments in SPRI that received focus in this review article (1), The authors also reviewed the biological applications of SPRI (1). The high sensitivity and label-free features of SPRI make it a promising technology for studying interactions between cells, viruses, bacteria, exosomes, and biomolecules. The authors provided examples of recent advances in these sub-fields and highlight the potential of SPRI in various biological applications. They also discussed the challenges and limitations of the current technology and provide an outlook on the development of SPRI in the future.

In summary, the review article provided a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in SPRI and its biological applications. The authors demonstrated the potential of SPRI in various fields and provided insights into the future development of this technology.

Reference

(1) Huo, Z.; Li, Y.; Chen, B.; Zhang, W.; Yang, X.; Yang, X.Recent advances in surface plasmon resonance imaging and biological applications. 2023, 255, 124213. DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.124213