Biophoto - a scientific discipline that studies the phenomena and methods associated with the interaction of biological objects and photons [1] .
Content
General view
Biophotonics studies various aspects of the interaction of biological objects and photons. This primarily concerns the emission, detection, absorption, reflection, modification and generation of electromagnetic radiation from the light or close to it range in various biological objects. For example, molecules, cells, tissues, organisms and materials.
Two main areas of work are distinguished. The first thing that the term biophotonics usually refers to is the use of light to obtain information about the state of biological objects. That is, the use of optical methods for the study and diagnosis of biological molecules, cells and tissues. In this case, one of the main advantages is the preservation of the integrity of the membrane of the studied cells [2] .
The second area of research, more traditional and has been under development for a long time, is the use of light as an instrument for influencing biological tissues, that is, as an energy carrier, for example, in surgery or therapy [1] .
Some Examples of Biophotonics Methods
Using the Foerster resonant energy transfer
The so-called Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET ), is named after the German physicist Theodor Ferster who described it in 1946. The method is based on the phenomenon of fluorescence during energy transfer between two chromophores , a donor and an acceptor, which occurs without intermediate emission of photons and is the result of a dipole-dipole interaction between them. Ferster transfer has become one of the most used methods in biophotonics. It makes it possible to study even subcellular media [3] .
Optogenetics
Optogenetics , one of the methods of biophotonics used to study nerve cells . It is based on the introduction, by genetic engineering methods, into their membrane of special channels - opsins , which respond to excitation by light, which, in turn, is provided by the use of lasers and optoelectronic equipment [4] .
2006 year
Laser scalpel
In biophotonics, the method of cutting , ablation and sintering (joining) the edges of living biological tissue is the use of a laser scalpel . Its important advantage compared with a conventional scalpel is the low invasiveness of the operation due to the small width of the incision, the simultaneous coagulation of blood vessels and a significant reduction in bleeding. In addition, laser radiation is completely sterile . Due to all of the above, the wound healing period is reduced by two to three times [5] .
See also
- Fluorescence in biological research
- Optogenetics
- Photonics
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Biophotonics // Official site of the Laboratory of Photonics and Nonlinear Spectroscopy, Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov (Unavailable link) . Date of treatment March 21, 2015. Archived March 4, 2016.
- ↑ Center for Biophotonics // Kings College Official Website (London)
- ↑ Ferster energy transfer // Dictionary of nanotechnological terms. Website Rusnano.com
- ↑ Cell imaging: Light activated - Nature Magazine, 456, 826-827 (December 11, 2008) | doi: 10.1038 / 456826a; Published online 10 December 2008
- ↑ Laser scalpel // Portal of surgery Bone-surgery.ru [ specify ]