SERS analysis of single cells and subcellular components: A review

SERS is a rapidly advancing and non-destructive technique that has been proven to be more reliable and convenient than other traditional analytical methods. Due to its sensitivity and specificity, this technique is earning its place as a routine and powerful tool in biological and medical studies, especially for the analysis of living cells and subcellular components. This paper reviewed the research progress of single-cell SERS that has been made in the last few years and discussed challenges and future perspectives of this technique. The reviewed SERS platforms have been categorized according to their nature into the following types: (1) colloid-based, substrate-based, or hybrid; (2) ligand-based or ligand-free, and (3) label-based or label-free. The advantages and disadvantages of each type and their potential applications in various fields are thoroughly discussed. [Display omitted] •SERS is an effective technique for rapid and nondestructive analysis of single cells.•Single cell SERS can be classified as colloidal-based, substrate-based, or hybrid.•Label-based and ligand-based SERS platforms exhibit an excellent specificity.•Single-cell SERS is useful for early-stage diagnostics of various diseases.