Tiny structures generate powerful beams for enhanced optical imaging
Using DNA as a scaffold, engineers create synthetic nanomaterial that could pave the way for rapid and more accurate diagnostic testing from a single molecule By Catherine Graham / Published Jan 19, 2021
Even the smallest molecule can tell a big story. For instance, observing a single molecule can throw light on underlying biological processes in the human body. In fact, molecular imaging procedures which are noninvasive and painless are being used to diagnose and manage the treatment of COVID-19, cancer, heart disease, and other serious health conditions.
One of the more promising techniques for single molecule imaging is surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, or SERS. By focusing a laser beam on the sample, SERS detects changes in molecules based upon how they scatter light, and can identify specific molecules through their unique Raman spectra: a sort of molecular f