High-resolution imaging of cellular dopamine efflux using a fluorescent nanosensor array

Significance Cells communicate between themselves using waves of chemical concentration that change in both direction and time. Existing methods are not able to capture this spatial and temporal dependence at the necessary resolution to study the influence of cellular morphology. This study utilizes arrays of fluorescent nanosensors based on single-walled carbon nanotubes placed under and around neuroprogenitor cells to label-free image the efflux of the neurotransmitter dopamine. We use the spatiotemporal resolution of this approach to resolve where on the cell surface dopamine is released and how cell morphology affects the location of release sites.