Evaluation of genetically expressed absorbing proteins using photoacoustic spectroscopy

Genetically expressed contrast agents are of great interest in the life sciences as they allow the study of structure and function of living cells and organisms. However, many commonly used fluorescent proteins present disadvantages when used in mammalian organisms, such as low near-infrared absorption and photostability. In this study, a variety of genetically expressed fluorescent proteins and novel chromoproteins were evaluated using photoacoustic spectroscopy. The results showed that chromoproteins provide stronger photoacoustic signals, better spectral stability, and exhibit less photobleaching than fluorescent proteins.