Optical Nanomaterials for Advanced Bioimaging Applications

Abstract

Bioimaging plays a pivotal role in modern biomedical research that provides vital insights about complex biological structures and biochemical processes. Optical nanomaterials have emerged as a powerful bioimaging tool due to their unique properties that include tunable optical characteristics, bright emission with high photostability, and biocompatibility. This review provides a comprehensive overview about optical nanomaterials for advanced bioimaging and highlights their potential applications in various biomedical disciplines. First, we discuss different classes of optical nanomaterials, with their basic properties that make them unique for bioimaging applications. Next, we discuss the functional modifications of nanoparticles that are required for bioimaging applications. Next, we focus on their applications in cellular/subcellular imaging and super-resolution imaging. Lastly, we discuss the associated challenges and opportunities in disease diagnosis, therapeutic response monitoring, and precision medicine guidance.