Second harmonic generating (SHG) nanoprobes: a new tool for biomedical imaging

Abstract

Fluorescence microscopy has profoundly changed how cell and molecular biology is studied in almost every aspect. However, the need of characterizing biological targets is largely unmet due to deficiencies associated with the use of fluorescent agents. Dye bleaching, dye signal saturation, blinking, and tissue autofluorescence can severely limit the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Given the photophysical properties are fundamentally different to the fluorescent agents currently used in biomedical research, second harmonic generating (SHG) nanoprobes can be suitable for biomedical imaging and can eliminate most of the drawbacks encountered in classical fluorescence systems.

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