is rather intended as afirst map for readers who are new to thisfield. The emerging
discipline covers a growing multitude of technologies and applications; moreover,
many applications in medicine and the life sciences require the combined use of
different technologies.
&Important Fields of Application
Fundamental biomedical research:Cell biology, molecular biology: understand-
ing of life processes, and also the origin and genesis of diseases, on a cellular
and molecular level.
Pharmacological research:Drug development, for example, target evaluation,
high-throughput screening (HTS) and/or high-content screening (HCS) of
drug candidates, drug delivery.
Laboratory tests, point of care (POC) diagnostics:Analysis of body liquids, for
example, in allergology, immunology, hematology, cardiology, epidemiology,
endocrinology, medical microbiology; Optical sensing, for example, optical
oximetry.
Clinical diagnostics, therapy control, and therapy:(Methods in clinical routine
or testing): see Table 1.1.
Regenerative medicine:Stem cell research, tissue engineering, transfection of
genetic material.
Environmental monitoring, food safety:On-site testing and monitoring of
harmful compounds in air, water, and food, for example, pathogens,fine dust,
pollen, chemicals.
Process control:Controlling composition and quality of pharmaceuticals,
nutrition and cosmetics.
Security applications:Detection of harmful biological and chemical substances
and weapons.
&Important Methods and Technologies
Spectroscopy
.Absorption (THz, microwaves, IR, UV–Vis).
.Emission (allfluorescence methods: one-photon/multi-photonfluorescence,
FRET, FRAP, FLIM, FLIP).
.Elastic and inelastic light scattering (e.g., Rayleigh, Raman, CARS, SRS,
SERS, TERS, Mie, LIDAR).
Light Microscopy
.Fluorescence microscopy (observing autofluorescence or usingfluorescence
labels, e.g., proteins), including sub-diffraction techniques (optical nano-
6j1 Introduction to Biophotonics