We developed metasurface-enhanced mid-infrared microscopy for living cells, where cells are cultured on a metasurface-bottomed microwell and are probed from the bottom using a confocal laser scanning microscope with a quantum cascade laser (QCL) as the source. The mid-infrared light interacts with the cells through the near-field of the plasmonic nanoantennas in the metasurface, and the reflected light is detected in the far field. Using this setup, we imaged fixed cells at different vibrational bands for the chemical imaging of different biomolecules, including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Additionally, we have monitored the real-time adhesion and spreading of living cells on the metasurface with protein contrast.
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