International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Raman spectroscopy (RS) can be used to determine the chemical composition and structure of various samples without the need for labeling and extensive sample preparation. This technique is particularly convenient for biological applications since the Raman signal is not hidden by water molecules. Due to the low Raman cross-section of most biomolecules, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has also been developed for the molecular detection of specimens in minute concentrations, while tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) has emerged as a powerful tool for nanoscale chemical, structural and morphological imaging of biomaterials. In this issue, several recent scientific advances in RS, SERS and TERS, for the study of biosystems, are presented at the experimental and theoretical levels, and original biological and biomedical applications of these techniques are described.

Dr. Sébastien Bonhommeau
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Raman spectroscopy (TERS)
molecular detection
chemical characterization
biomolecules
biomaterials
biomedical applications

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 3460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Radiation from UV-A to Red Light Induces ROS-Dependent Release of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps

by Grigory Arzumanyan, Kahramon Mamatkulov, Yersultan Arynbek, Darya Zakrytnaya, Anka Jevremović and Nina Vorobjeva

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5770; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065770 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1842

Abstract

Neutrophils release decondensed chromatin or extracellular traps (NETs) in response to various physiological and pharmacological stimuli. Apart from host defensive functions, NETs play an essential role in the pathogenesis of various autoimmune, inflammatory, and malignant diseases. In recent years, studies have been performed on photo-induced NET formation, mainly activated by UV radiation. Understanding the mechanisms of NET release under the influence of UV and visible light is important to control the consequences of the damaging effects of electromagnetic radiation. Raman spectroscopy was applied to record characteristic Raman frequencies of various reactive oxygen species (ROS) and low-frequency lattice vibrational modes for citrulline. NETosis was induced by irradiation with wavelength-switchable LED sources. Fluorescence microscopy was used to visualize and quantify NET release. The ability of five wavelengths of radiation, from UV-A to red light, to induce NETosis was investigated at three different energy doses. We demonstrated, for the first time, that NET formation is activated not only by UV-A but also by three spectra of visible light: blue, green, and orange, in a dose-dependent manner. Using inhibitory analysis, we established that light-induced NETosis proceeds through NADPH oxidase and PAD4. The development of new drugs designed to suppress NETosis, especially when induced by exposure to intense UV and visible light, can help to mitigate light-induced photoaging and other damaging effects of electromagnetic radiation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Raman Spectroscopy for Chemical and Structural Characterization in Biology 2.0)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

18 pages, 4131 KiB

Open AccessReview

Label-Free Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Analysis of Proteins: Advances and Applications

by Linjun Cai, Guilin Fang, Jinpin Tang, Qiaomei Cheng and Xiaoxia Han

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 13868; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232213868 - 10 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2109

Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is powerful for structural characterization of biomolecules under physiological condition. Owing to its high sensitivity and selectivity, SERS is useful for probing intrinsic structural information of proteins and is attracting increasing attention in biophysics, bioanalytical chemistry, and biomedicine. This review starts with a brief introduction of SERS theories and SERS methodology of protein structural characterization. SERS-active materials, related synthetic approaches, and strategies for protein-material assemblies are outlined and discussed, followed by detailed discussion of SERS spectroscopy of proteins with and without cofactors. Recent applications and advances of protein SERS in biomarker detection, cell analysis, and pathogen discrimination are then highlighted, and the spectral reproducibility and limitations are critically discussed. The review ends with a conclusion and a discussion of current challenges and perspectives of promising directions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Raman Spectroscopy for Chemical and Structural Characterization in Biology 2.0)

► Show Figures