Thus, for fixed cell Raman spectroscopy, we recommend dry-fixation with unbuffered saline as a superior method to formaldehyde or methanol fixation.

Finally, a comparison of dry-fixed and live cell spectra revealed effects due to the hydration state of the cells since they were recovered upon rehydrating dry-fixed samples. We also assessed the stability of dry-fixed cells over time and found that they were stable for at least 5 months. It’s also responsible for maintaining the cell’s shape. Its function is to serve as a reservoir and maintain turgor pressure in the cell. Plant cells contain a large central vacuole that is full of water. We compared the Raman spectroscopy of saline dry-fixed cells with the more commonly used formaldehyde and methanol fixation and found that dry-fixed cell spectra preserved more cellular information than either chemical fixative. Animal cells do not have a rigid cell wall, which is one of the reasons there are more cell types, organs, and tissues. In this article, we compared the suitability of dry-fixation with saline versus chemical fixatives. However, many chemicals that are widely used for cell fixation directly affect cellular biomolecules, yielding Raman spectra with missing or altered information.

While live cell analysis is the most accurate approach for cellular Raman spectroscopy, the analysis of fixed cells has proved to be very useful, particularly in collaborative projects where samples need to be serially examined by different laboratories or stored and reanalyzed at a later date. Raman spectroscopy enables the label-free assessment of cellular composition.

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