Biophotonic probes for bio-detection and imaging

 Sensitive detection and imaging in bio-microenvironment is highly desired in biophotonic and biomedical applications. However, conventional photonic materials inevitably show incompatibility and invasiveness to bio-systems. To address this issue, Scientists in China reviewed recent progresses of biophotonic probes, including bio-lasers, biophotonic waveguides, and bio-microlenses, made from biological entities with inherent biocompatibility and minimal invasiveness, with applications for bio-detection and imaging. These biophotonic probes open up entirely new windows for biophotonic researches and biomedical applications.

The rapid development of biophotonics and biomedical sciences makes a high demand on photonic structures that are capable of manipulating light at small scales for sensitive detection of biological signals and precise imaging of cellular structures in bio-microenvironment. Unfortunately, conventional photonic structures based on artificial materials (either inorganic or toxic organic) inevitably show incompatibility and invasiveness when interfacing with biological systems.

The design of biophotonic probes from the abundant natural materials, particularly biological entities such as virus, cells and tissues, with the capability of multifunctional light manipulation at target sites can greatly increase the biocompatibility and minimizes the invasiveness to biological microenvironment.In a new paper published in Light Science & Application, a team of scientists, led by Professor Baojun Li and Professor Hongbao Xin from Institute of Nanophotonics, Jinan University, China, reviewed the intriguing progresses of emerging biophotonic probes made from biological entities, such as virus, bacteria, cells and tissues, for bio-detection and imaging.

They systematically reviewed three biophotonic probes with different optical functions, i.e., biological lasers for light generation, cell-based biophotonic waveguides for light transportation, and bio-microlenses for light modulation.To realize their potential biomedical applications of photonic probes, effective control and modulation of light generation are particularly important in various biochemical environments.

In this regard, the unique properties of light emitted by lasers, including high intensity, directionality and monochromatic emission, have rendered lasers one of the most useful tools in biomedical applications. Unlike traditional laser devices, bio-lasers utilize biological entities such as cells, tissues and virus, as part of the cavity and/or gain medium in a biological system. Bio-lasers can be categorized into three types, i.e., cell lasers, tissue lasers and virus lasers.

These bio-lasers avoid the biohazards of conventional laser devices. Since their optical output is tightly related to the biological structures and activities of the biological systems, bio-lasers can serve as highly sensitive tools in a range of biomedical applications, including cellular tagging and tracking, diagnostics, intracellular sensing, and novel imaging. For example, whispering gallery modes (WGM) microdisks with slightly different diameters resulted in obviously different lasing output spectra. Intracellular cell lasers realized by incorporating these microdisks into cells enabled tagging and tracking of individual cells from large cell populations at the same time.

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Novel technique to characterise chemical composition and structure of samples

 Raman spectroscopy is an essential technique used in the study of materials – including nanostructures – and biological systems to analyse their composition. Its applications range from the medical industry to planetary explorations.

Despite their popularity as a non-destructive, fast and efficient tool for the identification and verification of various substances, Raman spectrometers have historically been bulky and expensive. In an effort to make them smaller, affordable and capable of delivering actionable results, an initiative under the EU-funded IoSense project has developed a new system with an on-chip technology. It can be used to produce handheld scanners or even be incorporated into a smartphone.

A news release by project partner Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum (imec) states that existing handheld products in the market "fail to reach the desired performance for high-end applications largely because of the limited scaling capacity of conventional dispersive Raman spectrometry whereby scattered light is focused on a slit." It adds: "Scaling while maintaining high spectral resolution (< 1nm) means reducing the size of the slit which immediately limits the optical throughput. Thanks to a new concept for which a patent is pending imec has now been able to overcome this performance barrier."

The news item notes that "both high optical throughput and high spectral resolution can be reached in a miniaturized device," thanks to the "massive parallelization of waveguide interferometers integrated monolithically on top of a CMOS image sensor." It further says: "This novel system is built in imec's SiN [silicon nitride] biophotonics platform which guarantees robustness and compatibility with high-volume manufacturing."

Diverse applications

According to Pol Van Dorpe, principal member of the technical staff at imec, the areas where the new technology could be implemented include "food analysis, melanoma detection, or skin hydration. In the medical domain, we see opportunities for in-line measurements during surgery or endoscopy. And for space exploration, the ability to perform material analysis with a compact system is of tremendous value."

Raman spectroscopy, which uses the inelastic scattering of light falling on a material, is named after Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930. The technique involves the analysis of vibrational, rotational and other low-frequency modes in a system. Light interacts with matter in various ways, transmitting through some materials, while reflecting or scattering off others. Both the material and the wavelength of the light have an impact on this interaction. Spectroscopy refers to the study of this light.

The IoSense (Flexible FE/BE Sensor Pilot Line for the Internet of Everything) project that supported part of imec's work was set up to develop "the base for increased manufacturing capacity for discrete and integrated sensors and sensor system solutions in Europe including design development and test for different key application oriented supply chains" as stated on the project website. IoSense targets several areas such as smart mobility society energy and health.

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How Biophotonics Is Revolutionizing Non-Invasive Medical Diagnostics

 Biophotonics is rapidly reshaping modern medicine by enabling non-invasive, real-time, and highly precise diagnostic techniques. By using light to probe biological tissues, researchers and clinicians can now detect diseases at earlier stages—often without surgery, radiation exposure, or physical contact.

Technologies such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescence imaging, Raman spectroscopy, and photoacoustic imaging allow clinicians to visualize cellular and molecular changes with exceptional resolution. These methods are proving especially impactful in cancer diagnostics, ophthalmology, dermatology, and cardiovascular medicine.

One of the greatest strengths of biophotonics lies in its ability to combine speed, safety, and accuracy. Patients benefit from faster diagnosis and reduced discomfort, while healthcare systems gain cost-effective and repeatable diagnostic tools. As artificial intelligence and nanotechnology merge with biophotonics, the future promises even smarter, personalized diagnostic solutions.

Biophotonics is no longer just a research discipline—it is becoming a cornerstone of next-generation healthcare.

Spectroscopic approaches, including Raman and infrared spectroscopy, further enhance diagnostic precision by revealing the molecular composition of tissues. These methods can distinguish between healthy and diseased cells based on subtle biochemical signatures, offering promising applications in cancer detection, metabolic disorder analysis, and infectious disease diagnostics. The ability to perform rapid, label-free measurements makes these techniques particularly attractive for clinical settings.

Beyond diagnostics, biophotonics plays a critical role in real-time monitoring and guided therapies. Photoacoustic imaging combines optical contrast with ultrasound resolution to visualize blood vessels, oxygen saturation, and tissue perfusion deep within the body. Laser-based therapeutic techniques, guided by optical feedback, enable precise treatment of tumors, vascular lesions, and neurological disorders while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

The integration of biophotonics with artificial intelligence and machine learning is accelerating its clinical impact. AI-driven image analysis enhances pattern recognition, automates diagnosis, and improves accuracy by learning from vast datasets. This convergence supports personalized medicine, allowing clinicians to tailor diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to individual patients based on optical biomarkers.

As research advances, biophotonics continues to expand beyond hospitals into wearable health monitoring devices, point-of-care diagnostics, and global health applications. Its ability to deliver fast, safe, and cost-effective solutions positions biophotonics as a cornerstone technology for the future of precision medicine, ultimately improving patient outcomes and transforming healthcare systems worldwide.

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Biophotonics Research Awards: Illuminating the Future of Science and Medicine

Biophotonics stands at the crossroads of light and life, transforming the way we observe, diagnose, and treat biological systems. By harnessing the interaction between photons and living matter, biophotonics research is unlocking powerful tools for healthcare, environmental monitoring, and advanced scientific discovery.

The Biophotonics Research Awards celebrate outstanding researchers, innovators, and interdisciplinary teams who are advancing this rapidly evolving field. These awards recognize excellence in areas such as biomedical imaging, optical diagnostics, laser-based therapies, biosensing technologies, and light-driven biological analysis.

From non-invasive cancer detection and real-time cellular imaging to neural photostimulation and wearable optical sensors, biophotonics continues to redefine precision, safety, and efficiency in modern science. Award recipients exemplify scientific rigor, originality, and real-world impact—bridging fundamental research with clinical and industrial applications.

By honoring visionary contributions, the Biophotonics Research Awards aim to inspire global collaboration, accelerate innovation, and shine a light on research that improves lives and shapes the future of medicine and technology.

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• Subtle optical wave patterns and photon trails

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Internationally Renowned Tyndall Biophotonics Researcher Secures Award to Develop New Medical Diagnostics and Treatment Tools

 Professor Stefan Andersson-Engels has been awarded €5.3 million through the SFI Research Professorship Programme, which will underpin the Biophotonics Group at Tyndall National Institute for the next five years. The funding will be used to advance the fundamental understanding of biophotonics science, the application of light-based technologies to life sciences and medicine.

This award will foster the development of new diagnostic and guidance tools to meet proven clinical needs. These will be implemented in the clinical setting of neonatology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, and the GI tract, as well as oral cancer screening, and will be guided by 20 clinical and pre-clinical collaborators.

The objectives of the award are to provide better healthcare and outcomes for patients, and to grow economic activity through the commercialisation of the resulting technologies. This will be achieved through partnerships with existing MedTech companies. Professor Andersson-Engels and his team have already created two start-up companies since the formation of the Biophotonics Group in 2016, one of which was in partnership with the National Cancer Centre in the Netherlands. The team has also transferred technologies to companies in the areas of cancer boundary detection and the monitoring of babies during childbirth.

The objective of Professor Andersson-Engels’ project is to use the unique properties of light, a safe, non-invasive method for humans that can accurately detect specific cells, for diagnostic purposes such as gastrointestinal diagnostics for malignancies and inflammatory bowel diseases, in-vivo oral cancer delineation and diagnosis. As light can only penetrate short distances into tissue, Professor Andersson-Engels will seek to address this challenge, and aim to facilitate light-based diagnostics and therapy deep inside the body, permitting use for many more diseases.

Commenting on the award, Professor Andersson-Engels said: “I am delighted to be continuing our important work with the talented team across Tyndall, UCC, and IPIC. With the medical devices sector in Ireland recognised as one of the five emerging global hubs, it is an exciting time for the Biophotonics Group to forge close collaborations with companies, clinicians and research centres for the faster development and deployment of more accurate, less invasive diagnostic treatment methods for cancer and other diseases.”

Professor Andersson-Engels has an impressive track record, receiving several prizes for his research achievements, and his work on the development and commercialisation of technology has been critical to ensuring that patients will benefit from the results of scientific research. His pioneering work in the area of ALA-PDT (Photodynamic therapy) using the topical application of aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a photosensitizing agent for the treatment of non–melanoma skin cancer is currently one of the first lines of treatment at most skin cancer clinics around the world.

Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Dr Ciarán Seoighe, said: “Recruiting and retaining world-leading scientific talent to Ireland is a key priority for SFI in partnership with our higher education institutions. Professor Andersson-Engels’ exceptional international track record will help to drive Ireland’s position at the forefront of photonics research. His work will contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of people by the invention and application of new technologies, as well as boosting industry engagement. We wish him every success with his research programme.” 

Surgical Oncologist, Head of Medical Affairs and Research, Centre for Early Cancer Detection at The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Professor Theo Ruers said: “We at The Netherlands Cancer Institute, have established a very strong and fruitful collaboration with the Biophotonics@Tyndall team over the last few years throughout the first phase of the Professorship Award.  Our complementary skill sets have led to a spin-off company, multiple publications, and patents as well as collectively attracting EU and Health Holland funding.  This collaboration is a win-win for both parties, and we expect the coming phase to be even more productive and impactful.”

Director of IPIC, the SFI Research Centre for Photonics, Professor Paul Townsend concluded: “This award further strengthens IPIC’s outstanding research team by providing the scientific vision and knowledge to steer existing photonic device integration towards innovative new applications in the biomedical areas. Furthermore, by continuing this world-class biophotonics research programme at IPIC and Tyndall, we can underpin strong collaborative partnerships with other Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres, such as APC, through projects that will present huge opportunities at a global level and again raise Ireland’s research credentials in the biomedical space.”

This award will foster the development of new diagnostic and guidance tools to meet proven clinical needs. These will be implemented in the clinical setting of neonatology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, and the GI tract, as well as oral cancer screening, and will be guided by 20 clinical and pre-clinical collaborators.

The objectives of the award are to provide better healthcare and outcomes for patients, and to grow economic activity through the commercialisation of the resulting technologies. This will be achieved through partnerships with existing MedTech companies. Professor Andersson-Engels and his team have already created two start-up companies since the formation of the Biophotonics Group in 2016, one of which was in partnership with the National Cancer Centre in the Netherlands. The team has also transferred technologies to companies in the areas of cancer boundary detection and the monitoring of babies during childbirth.

The objective of Professor Andersson-Engels’ project is to use the unique properties of light, a safe, non-invasive method for humans that can accurately detect specific cells, for diagnostic purposes such as gastrointestinal diagnostics for malignancies and inflammatory bowel diseases, in-vivo oral cancer delineation and diagnosis. As light can only penetrate short distances into tissue, Professor Andersson-Engels will seek to address this challenge, and aim to facilitate light-based diagnostics and therapy deep inside the body, permitting use for many more diseases.

Commenting on the award, Professor Andersson-Engels said: “I am delighted to be continuing our important work with the talented team across Tyndall, UCC, and IPIC. With the medical devices sector in Ireland recognised as one of the five emerging global hubs, it is an exciting time for the Biophotonics Group to forge close collaborations with companies, clinicians and research centres for the faster development and deployment of more accurate, less invasive diagnostic treatment methods for cancer and other diseases.”

Professor Andersson-Engels has an impressive track record, receiving several prizes for his research achievements, and his work on the development and commercialisation of technology has been critical to ensuring that patients will benefit from the results of scientific research. His pioneering work in the area of ALA-PDT (Photodynamic therapy) using the topical application of aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a photosensitizing agent for the treatment of non–melanoma skin cancer is currently one of the first lines of treatment at most skin cancer clinics around the world.

Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Dr Ciarán Seoighe, said: “Recruiting and retaining world-leading scientific talent to Ireland is a key priority for SFI in partnership with our higher education institutions. Professor Andersson-Engels’ exceptional international track record will help to drive Ireland’s position at the forefront of photonics research. His work will contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of people by the invention and application of new technologies, as well as boosting industry engagement. We wish him every success with his research programme.” 

Surgical Oncologist, Head of Medical Affairs and Research, Centre for Early Cancer Detection at The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Professor Theo Ruers said: “We at The Netherlands Cancer Institute, have established a very strong and fruitful collaboration with the Biophotonics@Tyndall team over the last few years throughout the first phase of the Professorship Award.  Our complementary skill sets have led to a spin-off company, multiple publications, and patents as well as collectively attracting EU and Health Holland funding.  This collaboration is a win-win for both parties, and we expect the coming phase to be even more productive and impactful.”

Director of IPIC, the SFI Research Centre for Photonics, Professor Paul Townsend concluded: “This award further strengthens IPIC’s outstanding research team by providing the scientific vision and knowledge to steer existing photonic device integration towards innovative new applications in the biomedical areas. Furthermore, by continuing this world-class biophotonics research programme at IPIC and Tyndall, we can underpin strong collaborative partnerships with other Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres – including INFANT and APC – through projects that will present huge opportunities at a global level and again raise Ireland’s research credentials in the biomedical space.”

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Biophotonics Research: Illuminating Life Through Light-Based Science

 Introduction

Biophotonics research is a rapidly advancing interdisciplinary field that explores the interaction between light and biological systems. By combining principles from physics, biology, engineering, and medicine, biophotonics enables groundbreaking innovations in medical diagnostics, imaging, and therapy. From detecting diseases at their earliest stages to guiding precision treatments, biophotonics is reshaping the future of healthcare and life sciences.

What Is Biophotonics?

Biophotonics focuses on the generation, manipulation, and detection of light to study biological materials—from single molecules and cells to complex tissues and organs. Unlike conventional techniques, light-based methods are often non-invasive, highly sensitive, and capable of real-time analysis.

Key light sources used in biophotonics include lasers, LEDs, and fluorescence-based systems, while detection methods range from optical sensors to advanced imaging platforms.

Key Areas of Biophotonics Research

🔍 Biomedical Imaging

Techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and multiphoton imaging allow researchers and clinicians to visualize biological structures with extraordinary resolution—often without damaging living tissue.

🧬 Optical Biosensing

Biophotonic sensors can detect minute biological changes, enabling early diagnosis of cancer, infectious diseases, and metabolic disorders through light–matter interactions.

💡 Phototherapy and Light-Based Treatments

From photodynamic therapy for cancer to laser-based surgeries and wound healing, biophotonics supports targeted, minimally invasive medical treatments with improved patient outcomes.

🧪 Cellular and Molecular Analysis

Biophotonics tools help scientists study protein interactions, gene expression, and cellular dynamics at the nanoscale, driving discoveries in molecular biology and biotechnology.

Why Biophotonics Matters

Biophotonics research plays a critical role in advancing precision medicine, reducing diagnostic time, and improving treatment accuracy. Its non-invasive nature makes it particularly valuable for continuous monitoring and personalized healthcare solutions.

Beyond medicine, biophotonics also contributes to environmental monitoring, food safety, neuroscience, and pharmaceutical research.

Future Directions

The future of biophotonics lies in artificial intelligence–driven imaging, lab-on-a-chip optical devices, wearable photonic sensors, and quantum-enhanced bioimaging. As technology evolves, biophotonics will continue to bridge the gap between fundamental science and real-world applications.

Conclusion

Biophotonics research is more than a scientific discipline—it is a transformative approach to understanding life through light. By illuminating biological processes with precision and clarity, biophotonics is paving the way for smarter diagnostics, safer therapies, and a deeper understanding of living systems.

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Ophthalmology Tool Could Allow Earlier Retinal Disease Diagnoses

 Optoretinography (ORG), a technique that allows in vivo observation of cellular movement in the eye at the nanoscale, could provide a robust, noninvasive way to evaluate retinal health and detect blinding eye diseases, like age-related macular degeneration, earlier.

An international research team, led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), tested the feasibility of using ORG as a tool to access the optical expression of electrical activity within the eye’s rod photoreceptors — specifically, the rod early receptor potential generated in the disk membranes, which is challenging to access in electrophysiology. Rod photoreceptors are the cells that support vision in low light, and are often the first to deteriorate at the onset of retinal disease.

The researchers investigated whether rod photoreceptors exhibit an early receptor potential that produces a rapid, minute electromechanical contraction. They found that rod photoreceptors undergo a rapid contraction of up to 200 nm within about 10 milliseconds of light reaching the retina.

When the researchers combined these measurements with biophysical modeling, they further found that the rapid rod photoreceptor movements are initiated when rhodopsin — the eye’s light-sensitive molecule — is light-activated. Rhodopsin activation is an initial step in the body’s conversion of light into electrical signals that the brain can interpret as vision.

“The ‘twitch’ of the eye’s night-vision cells is akin to the ignition spark of vision,” professor Tong Ling said. “We have long known that these cells produce electrical signals when they absorb light, but no one had, until now, ever reported the accompanying mechanical contraction of these cells inside the living eyes of humans or rodents. The findings reveal a fundamental step in the process by which rod photoreceptors detect light and send visual information to the brain. These cells make up about 95% of all photoreceptors in the human retina.”

The researchers used an ultrahigh-resolution point-scan OCT system to image light-triggered electrical activity in rodent rod photoreceptors in vivo. They combined OCT with an unsupervised learning approach to separate the light-evoked response of the rod’s outer segment tips from the retinal pigment epithelium-Bruch’s membrane complex.

In humans, the researchers used ORG with an adaptive optics line-scan OCT to facilitate high-speed recordings in rod photoreceptors.

By enabling noninvasive, in vivo optical imaging of rhodopsin activation, OCT could extend the diagnostic capability of ORG, allowing personalized, objective assessment of rod dysfunction in inherited and age-related eye diseases.

Existing tools to study and measure rod photoreceptor function are inadequate. The in vivo techniques are limited in their sensitivity, specificity, and cellular resolution, while the ex vivo approaches are too invasive to be used on patients.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to see this phenomenon in rod cells in a living eye,” professor Ramkumar Sabesan said. “Rod dysfunction is one of the earliest signs of many retinal diseases, including AMD and retinitis pigmentosa. Being able to directly monitor the rods’ response to light gives us a powerful tool for disease detection and tracking treatment responses earlier and with greater sensitivity than any conventional diagnostic instrument.”

The ability to accurately measure rod photoreceptor viability will allow researchers to assess the structural and functional integrity of rods with high sensitivity and resolution. Together with a technique developed by the team in 2024, which measures the rod photoreceptors’ relatively slow movements in response to dim visual stimuli, the new approach will provide valuable method for clinicians to detect and monitor rod function.

ORG also allows researchers to visualize the movements of other types of cells in a living person’s eye. This could lead to a better understanding of how retinal cells work and their relationship with neighboring cells. From a clinical standpoint, it could allow more detailed, and potentially earlier, diagnoses of retinal diseases, especially those that primarily affect the photoreceptors.

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