Meta-surface plasmon resonance microscopy for sensitive, high-throughput, and long-term label-free analysis of cell adhesion dynamics

Quantitative, label-free monitoring of dynamic cell adhesion remains challenging. Meta-Surface Plasmon Resonance Microscopy (Meta-SPRM) is a novel platform integrating bright-field microscopy with engineered Meta-SPR nanocup arrays. This system simultaneously acquires bright-field images and Meta-SPRM signals, enabling their computational separation and co-analysis to provide multifaceted insights into cell-substrate interactions. Meta-SPRM offers sensitive, high-throughput, and long-term label-free quantification of cell adhesion strength and distribution. It captures dynamic processes like cell spreading and migration at micrometer lateral resolution. Notably, Meta-SPRM signals spatially correlate with key focal adhesion proteins (Integrin-β1, Vinculin), and an intrinsic intracellular signal polarity correlates with cell migration direction. Meta-SPRM provides a powerful, label-free tool for dynamic cell adhesion studies, overcoming limitations of traditional methods.