On 04.04.2008 the international trade fair Analytica closed its doors - the 21st time the trade fair has been held. This year, too, visitors were impressed by a whole series of laser applications. That's because lasers are now an essential part of analytical chemistry and biology. From laser spectroscopy, laser nanosurgery to observation and control of chemical reactions in real time to the rapid heating of surfaces to several thousands of degrees Celsius in a fraction of a second - the range of possible applications for lasers in chemistry and biology is endless:

Gas sensors with laser light
PAS-Tech GmbH which was only founded in 2002 exhibited economical, compact gas sensors which operate using infra-red laser light and convert this to sound waves for evaluation. The gas sensors are used for emission, immission and process measurement and are also suitable for medical applications such as breathalyzer tests because of their high selectivity and sensitivity.

Phase modulation and ion mobility
The Institute of Chemistry at the University of Potsdam presented a laser-based oxygen micro-probe featuring new dual-frequency phase modulation technology, which can be used to accurately measure the level of oxygen in real time even in highly fluorescing green plant tissue. The second exhibit from Potsdam concerned an improved process for detecting weapons and explosives as well as industrial chemicals: an ion mobility (IM) spectrometry solution which uses a laser as an ionization source instead of radioactive substances. Compared to conventional IM spectrometry, the laser-based pendant operates with a higher degree of selectivity and sensitivity and in a broader dynamic range. What is more, the pendant is not disturbed by compound substances.

Lasers are kind to cells
Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH based in Bernried presented a Non-contact Laser Capture Microdissection (non-contact LCM) for isolating living adherent cells from a cell culture. Using the MicroBeam it is possible to extract selected cells in "actual condition" and transport them in a receptor tank in a non-contact way. The desired calls can be collected in this tank. These are then placed in a new cell culture dish and can continue to proliferate. This also works with a single cell which thus provides a simple method of cell cloning. The procedure is so kind to the cells, that even stem cells can be processed in this way without any risk.

Laser microdissection system with MMI CapLift technology
The single space microdissection system SmartCut Plus from Olympus features a high-precision UV solid-state laser which operates using picosecond impulses. It is particularly recommended for applications in pathology, forensic medicine or for training purposes. SmartCut Plus was specifically designed for easy use in routine micromanipulation of fixed and living cells and makes it possible to isolate cell groups as well as individual cells and cell components for molecular downstream analyses.

Cell surgery using ultra-short laser pulses
CellSurgeon from Rowiak GmbH is a new tool for researchers and developers from different areas of life sciences, which can be very useful for examining cells and cellular processes. The new nanodissection system is used for laser nanosurgery in living cells. By using ultra-short laser pulses it is possible to manipulate cells and sub-cellular structures in a contact-free and particularly gentle way. Specific applications include, for example, the transfection of cells, the targeted exclusion of cell organisms or the influencing and analysis of cell dynamic processes. The key component of the CellSurgeon is NIR Femtosecond laser, which is integrated in a microscope and sharply focused using a high-precision objectives. This generates very high intensities at the point of focus. These induce a microplasma which in turn creates a cutting or removal effect. In the process, directly adjacent structures remain virtually unaffected. This means that surgical incisions cause very little damage which is a major advantage particularly for the manipulation of living cells. The important features are precision of the procedure which is in the nanometer range and the excellent reproducibility of the cell-surgical incisions.