Photonic metamaterials and living cells: how they interact with each other and why it matters

While numerous applications of plasmonic metamaterials to sensing and imaging the living matter are well-established, the effects of such photonic structures on the living matter itself are less explored. I will describe the concept of a designer bio-photonic metamaterial that can be used to (a) elicit specific responses from the living cells cultured atop of it, and (b) transduce such responses to optical signals. I will describe how subtle cell-mechanics processes, such as curvature-induced endocytosis, are observed by using plasmonically enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy to monitor changes of the secondary structure of cellular proteins. Finally, I will discuss the opportunities for metamaterials-enabled imaging of materials (including cells) with sub-diffraction spatial resolution.