Photoacoustic molecular imaging

We have developed different photoacoustic molecular imaging technologies, with the emphasis on improving detection sensitivity and imaging depth. For example, we developed reversible photoacoustic molecular imaging, based on a genetically encoded non-fluorescent near-infrared bacterial phytochrome. This technology enables single-wavelength differential imaging that substantially enhances detection sensitivity to tens of cancer cells and achieves sub-optical-diffraction resolution. With these technology advancements, photoacoustic molecular imaging gains the sufficient sensitivity to detect tumor metastasis and tissue hypoxia in vivo.

  1. J. Brunker , J. Yao , J. Laufer , S. E. Bohndiek, ‘Photoacoustic imaging using genetically expressed reporters: a review’, Journal of Biomedial Optics, 2017, 22 (7), 070901-070901
  2. J. Yao, Andrii Kaberniuk, Lei Li , Daria Shcherbakova , Ruiying Zhang , Lidai Wang , Guo Li , Vladislav Verkhusha, Lihong Wang, ‘Reversibly switchable photoacoustic tomography using bacterial phytochrome as a genetically-encoded near-infrared photochromic probe’, Nature Methods, 13(1), 2016, 67-73.
  3. J. Yao, Xia, J., Maslov, K.I., Nasiriavanaki, M., et al., “Noninvasive photoacoustic computed tomography of mouse brain metabolism in vivo”, Neuroimage, 2013. 64(1): p. 257-266.
  4.  [Zhang, Y., J. Yao], Chi Zhang, Lei Li, Lihong V. Wang, Younan Xia, ‘Optical-Resolution Photoacoustic Microscopy for Volumetric and Spectral Analysis of Histological and Immunochemical Samples’, Angewandte Chemie, 2014, 53 (31), p. 8099-8103