Hydrogel Microlasers for Versatile Biomolecular Analysis Based on a Lasing Microarray

Abstract

Biological microlasers have advanced rapidly in recent years, demonstrating their immense potential to use lasing emission as a sensing signal for monitoring molecular interactions. [1-6] Such lasers are known for their distinct advantages in terms of signal amplification, narrow linewidth, and strong intensity, which lead to unprecedented detection sensitivity of tiny changes in biological systems. [7-11] Most biolasers were realized through the introduction of fluorescent biomolecules (gain) into millimeter-sized resonators, resulting in difficulties for further applications. As such, whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microlasers have come into play for their high Q factor, low mode volume, and miniaturized size. [12-15] A plethora of biocompatible materials have been used to form microlasers in recent years, including proteins, poly(lactic acid), starch, lipids, liquid crystals, cellulose, and polymers. [13,16-26] To move a step forward, it is essential to realize microlasers with the versatility to design, control, and functionalize different biostructures and molecules within the cavity. Hydrogels, one of the most popular biomaterials, have received tremendous attention for its high versatility among biocompatible materials over decades. [27,28] Endowed with unique 3D network structures and a porous interface, hydrogels enjoy priority in a wide range of applications in drug delivery, therapeutics, tissue engineering, and biosensing devices. [29-31] Hydrogels can be used to encapsulate

Optical Resonator Enhanced Photovoltaics and Photocatalysis: Fundamental and Recent Progress

“…Furthermore, the coupling between WGM cavity and PC cavity was also presented by the Ta et al and the Gong et al [84,85] The semispherical structure of liquid droplets can support the WGM resonance owing to the high refractive index contrast between droplets and the surrounding air. Besides the semispherical droplets, the bottom DBR reflector also plays an important role in the resonance like reducing the laser threshold or achieving the single-mode laser emission.…”

Topological Encoded Vector Beams for Monitoring Amyloid‐Lipid Interactions in Microcavity

“…Many types of optical microcavities, including FP cavity, whisperinggallery mode microcavity, plasmonics, and photonic crystals, have been widely employed for lasing and bioassay. [18,[60][61][62][63] In particular, FP cavity provides a whole-body interaction between the light and the gain medium, in contrast to the evanescent interaction in ring resonator sensors or gold plasmonic sensors. Limited by the resonance mechanism, observing transverse mode in plasmonics and ring resonators is nearly impossible.…”

Fiber Optofluidic Microlasers: Structures, Characteristics, and Applications

“…[214,215] Through inkjet printing, microlaser matrices, consist of spherical caps, have demonstrated the full-color laser displays and versatile biomolecule and biostructure manipulation. [216,217] Compared to the fluorescence with a linewidth of 30-50 nm, the laser possesses a narrow linewidth (less than a few nanometers) and shows much better multiplexing capability. Particularly, single-mode laser emission with subnanometer linewidths over a broad spectral range enables massive spectral multiplexing for cell labeling.…”

“…Different biocompatible materials have been employed to form a biolaser, such as gelatin, [235] amyloids, [171] polysaccharides, [236] starch, [237] lipids, [25] DNA, [238] silk, [239] liquid crystal, [240] wood, [241] and hydrogels. [217,242,243] Biolasers can be used as a micro/nanoscale device implanted or integrated into living cells. [24,218] In 2018, Fikouras et al designed semiconductor nanodisks and injected them into different cells to support intracellular nanolasers, which further lead to the optical barcoding and tagging in a tiny space.…”

“…Different biocompatible materials have been employed to form a biolaser, such as gelatin, [ 235 ] amyloids, [ 171 ] polysaccharides, [ 236 ] starch, [ 237 ] lipids, [ 25 ] DNA, [ 238 ] silk, [ 239 ] liquid crystal, [ 240 ] wood, [ 241 ] and hydrogels. [ 217,242,243 ] Biolasers can be used as a micro/nanoscale device implanted or integrated into living cells. [ 24,218 ] In 2018, Fikouras et al.…”