Biophotonics of lipid droplets: from natural optical resonators to highly precise sensors of dynamic processes in adipocytes

Colleagues from the department, Rok Podlipec, Ana Krišelj, and Matjaž Humar, in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology and colleagues from the Helmholtz Center in Munich, have published an article in ACS Sensors on an exceptionally precise method for studying rapid dynamic processes at the level of individual adipocytes. In the study, they employed laser‑excited so‑called “whispering gallery mode” (WGM) optical resonances in lipid droplets of live primary adipocytes, achieving nanometer‑scale accuracy in measuring droplet size, which significantly surpasses the resolution of conventional microscopy. By monitoring their dynamics, they explored complex responses to pharmacological agents, variability among individual cells—undetectable with standard bulk assays—and early changes in cell viability, faster than conventional tests. The presented method paves the way for investigations of metabolism and obesity‑related diseases at the level of single adipocytes and tissues.

More information can be found here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssensors.5c03272