Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 3/2013

Using a multimodal biophotonic holographic workstation, the early step of an infection process, i.e. the approach of the parasitic organism to a host cell, is modelled and analyzed. The workstation allows three‐dimensional, sitespecific optical positioning of several bacteria at the host cell's surface with simultaneous monitoring of the bacterial dynamics and cell morphology. (Picture: B. Kemper et al., pp. 260–266 in this issue). (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 8/2013

Nonlinear photoperturbation of chromatin with femtosecond laser pulses. M. Tomas et al. present a novel method to visualize how the mobility of nuclear proteins changes in response to localized DNA damage. Picture: M. Tomas et al., 647–657 in this issue     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 4/2013

High magnification photomicrograph of a microcalcification (dark blue concretion) in benign breast tissue that was a target for stereotactic breast needle biopsy. Raman spectra of breast tissue such as those shown were modeled and decision algorithms developed using model‐based parameters that accurately distinguished benign breast lesions from breast cancer. Picture: N. C. Dingari et al., pp. 371–381 in this issue     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 2/2013

Employing Raman microspectroscopy, biochemical fingerprint patterns of human and porcine cartilage were obtained in this study. Using this non‐contact screening tool, it was also shown that prolonged in vitro culture can lead to phenotypic changes in chondrocytes. Picture: M. Pudlas et al., pp. 206–212 in this issue)     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 5/2014

The cover image illustrates the working principle of the coupled external cavity photonic crystal (PC) enhanced fluorescence. The resonantly reflected laser wavelength from the PC provides feedback to the diode. The cavity then lases at the resonant wavelength of the PC. Addition of biomolecules to the surface of the PC shifts the resonant reflected wavelength, which in turns changes the lasing wavelength of the PC. This configuration tunes the lasing wavelength of the cavity to the resonant wavelength of the PC, thus eliminating the need to adjust the incident angle of the detection instrument when the PC is altered by surface chemistry layers or by capture molecules. This scheme leads to ～10 increase in the electromagnetic enhancement factor compared to ordinary photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence. Using this method we achieve ～105 improvement in the limit of detection of a fluorophore‐tagged protein compared to its detection on an unpatterned glass substrate. (Picture: A. Pokhriyal et al., pp. 331–339 in this issue)     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 3/2012

Tip‐enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) on amyloid fibrils – from concept to the actual experiment. A lateral resolution of two nanometers, enough to distinguish distinct amino acids on a protein, is demonstrated. Using the vibrational fingerprint of the molecules no further labeling is required and a direct identification of the primary protein structure is in reach. (Picture: T. Deckert‐Gaudig et al., pp. 215–219 in this issue)     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 1/2012

Raman spectroscopy has been used in this study to obtain biochemical fingerprint patterns of collagen fibers in native aortic heart valve tissues. Using this non‐contact screening tool, we were able to monitor the increasing damage of collagen fibers due to enzymatic treatment or cryopreservation. (Picture: M. Votteler et al., pp. 47–56 in this issue)     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 7/2012

The cover illustrates the measurement of human skin carotenoid levels based on pressure mediated reflection spectroscopy. Carotenoids have a widespread distribution in fruits and vegetables, are taken up through the diet, and play an important role in tissue health through their function as antioxidants. Their characteristic absorption in the blue/green spectral range can be quantified in human tissue such as the thumb and tracked upon dietary supplementation. (Picture: I. V. Ermakov and W. Gellermann, pp. 442–453, in this issue)     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 7/2014

Handheld OCT scanner in use in a primary care physician's office. The handheld scanner is equipped with an LCD touch screen, providing the physician with a traditional surface image as well as a corresponding depth‐resolved OCT image. The device‐mounted display enables the physician to maintain attention on the patient, rather than look at a traditional monitor display. (Picture: R. L. Shelton et al., pp. 525–533 in this issue)     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 9/2011

An example of Pallasea cancelloides – benthic Baikal amphipod employed for the studies of stress conditions. (Picture: D.V. Axenov‐Gribanov et al., pp. 619–626 in this issue)     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 2/2012

Scars typically evolve through a series of successive stages with characteristic tissue morphologies. These panels show second harmonic generation images of, from left to right, normal skin tissue, hypertrophic scar and mature scar that are precisely diagnosed by a computer. Autofluorescence is shown green. Image height: 1.5 mm. (Picture: T. Kelf et al., pp 159–167 in this issue)     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 6/2014

Mid‐infrared illumination of a scanning probe tip enables to highlight phosphate mineral in ultra‐resolved (30 nm) images, here of a standardly polished human bone section, featuring individual fibrils, and a canaliculus surrounded by enhanced mineral density material. (Picture: T. Geith, S. Amarie, S. Milz, F. Bamberg, F. Keilmann, pp. 418–420, in this issue)Letters     

Cover Picture: J. Biophotonics 8/2014

Optical induction of smooth muscle contraction using a femtosecond‐pulsed laser: When femtosecond laser pulses (yellow beam) are focused on the cytosol of the smooth muscle cell (upper left), free electrons (blue particle) are generated in the focal area. Laser‐induced free electrons subsequently induce intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS, red particles), which are amplified via inter‐mitochondrial networks. Amplified ROS signals can stimulate the sarcoplasmic reticulum to release calcium ion (green particles) into the cytosol. Locally increased calcium ion can induce global calcium wave in whole cytosolic area through intrinsic calcium‐induced calcium release process. This calcium wave propagates to adjacent cells via a gap‐junction, which is located at the plasma membrane. Thus, femtosecond‐pulsed laser stimulation into a single muscle cell can induce contraction of whole tissue (lower right) via intrinsic cascades, which are composed of low‐density plasma, ROS, calcium ion, and calcium‐induced calcium propagation. (Picture: J. Yoon et al., pp. 597–606 in this issue)     

Back Cover: J. Biophotonics 4/2013

Co‐registered reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) imaging and multiphoton microscopy (MPM) imaging of human skin in vivo provide complementary information about the cellular structures of skin. MPM image shows cytoplasm and nucleus, while RCM image shows cellular membranes and intercellular materials. Picture: H. Wang et al., pp. 305–309 in this issue     

Back Cover: J. Biophotonics 3/2013

Resonance Raman microspectroscopy enables in‐cell spatio‐temporal redox analysis of cytochromes in mitochondria (Picture: M. Kakita, M. Okuno, H. Hamaguchi, pp. 256–259 in this issue). (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: J. Biophoton. 5/2008

A 3‐D fluorescence lifetime rendering of an alexa‐488 labelled mouse embryo. Contrast can be observed between the extrinsic label (～1360 ps) and autofluorescence signal (～1030 ps) excited at 485 nm. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)