Multiscale photoacoustic tomography using reversibly switchable bacterial phytochrome as a near-infrared photochromic probe.
Abstract
Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) of genetically encoded probes allows for imaging of
targeted biological processes deep in tissues with high spatial resolution; however,
high background signals from blood can limit the achievable detection sensitivity.
Here we describe a reversibly switchable nonfluorescent bacterial phytochrome for
use in multiscale photoacoustic imaging, BphP1, with the most red-shifted absorption
among genetically encoded probes. BphP1 binds a heme-derived biliverdin chromophore
and is reversibly photoconvertible between red and near-infrared light-absorption
states. We combined single-wavelength PAT with efficient BphP1 photoswitching, which
enabled differential imaging with substantially decreased background signals, enhanced
detection sensitivity, increased penetration depth and improved spatial resolution.
We monitored tumor growth and metastasis with ∼ 100-μm resolution at depths approaching
10 mm using photoacoustic computed tomography, and we imaged individual cancer cells
with a suboptical-diffraction resolution of ∼ 140 nm using photoacoustic microscopy.
This technology is promising for biomedical studies at several scales.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/12772Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1038/nmeth.3656Publication Info
Yao, Junjie; Kaberniuk, Andrii A; Li, Lei; Shcherbakova, Daria M; Zhang, Ruiying;
Wang, Lidai; ... Wang, Lihong V (2016). Multiscale photoacoustic tomography using reversibly switchable bacterial phytochrome
as a near-infrared photochromic probe. Nat Methods, 13(1). pp. 67-73. 10.1038/nmeth.3656. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/12772.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Junjie Yao
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Our mission at PI-Lab is to develop state-of-the-art photoacoustic tomography (PAT)
technologies and translate PAT advances into diagnostic and therapeutic applications,
especially in functional brain imaging and early cancer theranostics. PAT is the most
sensitive modality for imaging rich optical absorption contrast over a wide range
of spatial scales at high speed, and is one of the fastest growing biomedical imaging
technologies. Using numerous endogenous and exogenous contrasts, PAT can

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