Label-free SERS in biological and biomedical applications: Recent progress, current challenges and opportunities

To achieve an insightful look within biomolecular processes on the cellular level, the development of diseases as well as the reliable detection of metabolites and pathogens, a modern analytical tool is needed that is highly sensitive, molecular-specific and exhibits fast detection. Surface-enhanced...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy, 2018-05, Vol.197, p.56-77
Main Authors: Zheng, Xiao-Shan, Jahn, Izabella Jolan, Weber, Karina, Cialla-May, Dana, Popp, Jürgen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological application
Biomedical application
Label-free detection
Nanotechnology
Raman spectroscopy
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering
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Summary:To achieve an insightful look within biomolecular processes on the cellular level, the development of diseases as well as the reliable detection of metabolites and pathogens, a modern analytical tool is needed that is highly sensitive, molecular-specific and exhibits fast detection. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is known to meet these requirements and, within this review article, the recent progress of label-free SERS in biological and biomedical applications is summarized and discussed. This includes the detection of biomolecules such as metabolites, nucleic acids and proteins. Further, the characterization and identification of microorganisms has been achieved by label-free SERS-based approaches. Eukaryotic cells can be characterized by SERS in order to gain information about the outer cell wall or to detect intracellular molecules and metabolites. The potential of SERS for medically relevant detection schemes is emphasized by the label-free detection of tissue, the investigation of body fluids as well as applications for therapeutic and illicit drug monitoring. The review article is concluded with an evaluation of the recent progress and current challenges in order to highlight the direction of label-free SERS in the future. [Display omitted] •A description of SERS and label-free SERS is given.•Recent biological and biomedical applications of label-free SERS are highlighted.•The challenges and opportunities of label-free SERS are critically discussed.
ISSN:1386-1425
DOI:10.1016/j.saa.2018.01.063