Expert view: Investigating drug carriers and in vitro models with advanced analytical imaging techniques

I started working with Raman microscopy as a PhD student and the drug delivery systems I was investigating exhibited phenomena that could not be explained with common analytical tools. Therefore, I searched for a non-invasive analytical method that allowed for visualisation of the sample composition with inherent chemical selectivity that avoids the use of marker molecules. Using Raman microscopy I was able to explain the discovered phenomena and since then Raman techniques have played a significant role in my academic career.

What were the most exciting findings that you discovered in your recent studies and how did Raman imaging contribute to the results?

Raman imaging elucidated the behaviour of drugs within their drug delivery systems, including interactions with the carrier materials, as well as their physicochemical stability and release. Even more exciting, the interaction of novel therapeutics with human cells and tissues in physiological as well as in diseased state could successfully be visualised.