Raman-stable isotope technology for tracking single-cell plant metabolism

Real-time tracking of single-cell plant metabolism with stable isotope (SIP) and micro-Raman has enhanced the understanding of photosynthetic functional reactions attributed to CO2 utilization. For instance, a Haematococcus lacustris cell was cultured with different levels of 13CO2 isotope substitution (1,2) for tracking its astaxanthin accumulation by micro-Raman (3,4). Raman-SIP has shown high accuracy using scatterplots between 13C and 12C Raman intensities during its 10-day evolution (5). Therefore, this technology has promise for future applications. Figure adapted from Yonamine et al. and Hiramatsu et al.