Surface plasmon excitation using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer: Live cell and bacteria sensing.

We report an accessory for beam collimation to be used as a plug-in for a conventional Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. The beam collimator makes use of the built-in focusing mirror of the FTIR spectrometer which focuses the infrared beam onto the pinhole mounted in the place usually reserved for the sample. The beam is collimated by a small parabolic mirror and is redirected to the sample by a pair of plane mirrors.

Surface plasmon resonance-based infrared biosensor for cell studies with simultaneous control.

We report a label-free infrared surface plasmon biosensor with a double-chamber flow cell for continuous monitoring of morphological changes in cell culture exposed to various stimuli. In this technique, the monolayer of cultured cells is divided into two halves by a barrier, allowing the treatment of one half while the other serves as control. We demonstrate the advantages of this setup in test experiments that track kinetics of the IEC-18 cell layer response to variations in extracellular Ca2+ concentration.

Surface plasmon-based infrared spectroscopy for cell biosensing.

Cell morphology is often used as a valuable indicator of the physical condition and general status of living cells. We demonstrate a noninvasive method for morphological characterization of adherent cells. We measure infrared reflectivity spectrum at oblique angle from living cells cultured on thin Au film, and utilize the unique properties of the confined infrared waves (i.

Real-time sensing of cell morphology by infrared waveguide spectroscopy.

We demonstrate that a live epithelial cell monolayer can act as a planar waveguide. Our infrared reflectivity measurements show that highly differentiated simple epithelial cells, which maintain tight intercellular connectivity, support efficient waveguiding of the infrared light in the spectral region of 1.4-2.

Real-time monitoring of epithelial cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions by infrared surface plasmon spectroscopy.

The development of novel technologies capable of monitoring the dynamics of cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions in real time and a label-free manner is vital for gaining deeper insights into these most fundamental cellular processes. However, the label-free technologies available today provide only limited information on these processes. Here, we report a new (to our knowledge) infrared surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based methodology that can resolve distinct phases of cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion of polarized Madin Darby canine kidney epithelial cells.

Real-time monitoring of transferrin-induced endocytic vesicle formation by mid-infrared surface plasmon resonance.

We report on the application of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the mid-infrared wavelength range, for real-time and label-free sensing of transferrin-induced endocytic processes in human melanoma cells. The evanescent field of the mid-infrared surface plasmon penetrates deep into the cell, allowing highly sensitive SPR measurements of dynamic processes occurring at significant cellular depths. We monitored in real-time, infrared reflectivity spectra in the SPR regime from living cells exposed to human transferrin (Tfn).

Infrared surface plasmon resonance: a novel tool for real time sensing of variations in living cells.

We developed a novel surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method, based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, as a label-free technique for studying dynamic processes occurring within living cells in real time. With this method, the long (micrometer) infrared wavelength produced by the FTIR generates an evanescent wave that penetrates deep into the sample. In this way, it enables increased depth of sensing changes, covering significant portions of the cell-height volumes.