Vibrational imaging of collagen type I fibers (Conference Presentation)

Characterizing collagen, a key extracellular matrix component, is essential for understanding physiological and pathological processes. This study analyzes collagen type I in rat tail using nonlinear optical imaging modalities: vibrationally sensitive sum-frequency generation (SFG), third-order sum-frequency generation (TSFG), and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. We investigate the vibrational signatures of fibrillar collagen type I in two spectral regions: the CH stretching region (2800-3000 cm-1) and the amide I region (1600-1700 cm-1). Our results highlight the benefits of multiple nonlinear optical techniques for comprehensively understanding biological tissues. SFG, TSFG, and CARS emerge as powerful tools in biomedical research. This multimodal approach deepens our understanding of collagen structure and function, and pave the way for future applications in tissue engineering and disease diagnosis.