Stuttgart 2012 – scientific programme

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MO: Fachverband Molekülphysik

MO 14: Poster 2: Biomolecules, Electronic Spectroscopy, Experimental Techniques, Quantum Chemistry, Various Topics

MO 14.2: Poster

Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 16:30–19:00, Poster.IV

Label-free and quantitative mapping of nucleic acids in cells and tissues — •Paola Piredda, Venkatnarayan Ramanathan, Gregor Hehl, and Andreas Volkmer — 3rd Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart, 57 Pfaffenwaldring 70569 Stuttgart , Germany

In histopathology and tumor diagnostics, hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining is conventionally used to visualize cells in tissues. Hematoxylin specifically binds to nucleoprotiens resulting in blue coloration of the cell nuclei in bright-field microscopy. Although being a gold standard, H&E staining is an invasive technique and one cannot harness quantitative information of, for instance, nucleic acid densities. To circumvent these limitations, a label-free and quantitative imaging technique exploiting the intrinsic biomolecular vibrations of cellular species is desirable. In this work, we demonstrate the quantitative mapping of nucleic acid densities within the nuclei of adipocytes, keratinocytes and endothelial (HDMEC) cells by using confocal Raman microspectroscopy. These are some of the typical cells found in different layers of skin. We have identified the backbone phosphodiester and nucleobases' ring breathing vibrations as unique nucleic acid markers. The proposed method offers the potential for a label-free, rapid and quantitative mapping of nuclei in tissues by means of coherent Raman scattering microscopy and its application in tumor diagnostics.