Laser- emitting aqueous bioreactors for ultrasensitive bioactivity analysis

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Fang, Guocheng; Tseng, Po- Hao; Liao, Jie; Zhu, Song; Zhou, Tian; Liu, Hangrui; Zhu, Hui; Jin, Dayong; Yang, Lan; Chen, Yu-Cheng
• 署名单位: University of Technology Sydney; Nanyang Technological University; Washington University (WUSTL); University of California System; University of California San Francisco; University of Technology Sydney
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-14020
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2425829122
• 发表日期: 2025-08-26
• 关键词: lasing droplets

摘要

Water droplets, acting as natural bioreactors and optical whispering- gallery- mode ous droplet lasers can only survive in air with a limited lifespan (<100 s) due to rapid evaporation, restricting their applications in bioreactions. To address this challenge, we introduce laser- emitting aqueous bioreactors (LEABs) in fluorocarbon oils. These LEABs enable stable laser emission and extend a droplet lifespan over 1,000- fold. LEABs enable the encapsulation of bioactive materials for long- term analysis with unique lasing characteristic fingerprints. The reactions within LEAB can interact with the most resonating light, enhancing detection sensitivity by over 100- fold compared to conventional WGM sensors. By integrating LEABs with microfluidic droplet technology, we demonstrated their application in monitoring enzyme activity and cellular metabolism at single- cell and multicellular levels. Furthermore, we showed the laser threshold- gated screening of single yeast. This platform can bridge the gap between laser technology and biochemical applications, broadening the scope of laser- based analysis.