Optotransfection of mammalian cells based on a femtosecond laser and facilitated by gold nanorods.

The optotransfection of cells based on a femtosecond laser has attracted much attention owing to its high transfection efficiency and high cell viability since its first report by Konig. However, the low throughput in the original method also limits its use in practical applications. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been reported to function as local receivers of light to relax the requirement of accurate optical alignment for the optotransfection of single cells. However, the visible light used in such work is not suitable for penetrating deep tissues in certain applications. In this study, we employed gold nanorods (GNRs) and an infrared femtosecond laser at the wavelength of 980 nm to realize optotransfection of cells with GFP. It was found that the surface coating of GNRs exhibited a significant effect on the process of cell permeabilization.