Lasing emission spectroscopy for bioanalytics and biomedicine.

Abstract

Lasing spectroscopy (LS) is emerging as a powerful extension of conventional fluorescence methods for highly sensitive bioanalytical detection. By exploiting stimulated emission and optical feedback mechanisms, LS generates narrow spectral linewidths, threshold-dependent emission, and highly directional radiation, enabling enhanced signal-to-noise ratios and improved sensitivity compared with traditional fluorescence spectroscopy. In bioanalytical systems, subtle molecular events such as biomolecular binding, conformational transitions, or local refractive-index changes can significantly modify lasing thresholds, emission intensity, or spectral position, providing sensitive optical readouts of biochemical processes. This review presents a comprehensive overview of LS methodologies and their emerging applications in biomedical research. The discussion is structured according to a graded framework of increasing optical and methodological complexity, beginning with mirrorless amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and random lasing (RL) in solid-state biomolecular matrices, followed by engineered photonic architectures, including distributed-feedback gratings and nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) structures. More advanced resonator-based configurations in liquids, such as Fabry–Pérot (FP) cavities, whispering-gallery-mode microresonators, and optofluidic droplet lasers, are also examined. Across these platforms, LS is shown to enable ultrasensitive bioanalytical detection and novel diagnostic strategies, including early detection of protein aggregation, monitoring nucleic-acid conformational states, tissue- and single-cell laser diagnostics, and label-free refractometric biosensing. Finally, the review highlights current technical challenges, including dye photostability, cavity engineering, and measurement standardization, and discusses future perspectives for translating lasing-based bioanalytics toward clinically relevant diagnostics in neurodegenerative diseases, oncology, metabolic disorders, and infectious diseases.