Direct observation of nanoparticle diffusion in cytoplasm of single plant cells realized by photoinjection with femtosecond laser amplifier

Diffusion is an important process for molecular transport inside plant cells. Recent advancement in plant physiological study demands verification of the diffusion process at the single cell level. In this work, the real-time intracellular diffusion of nanoparticles in the cytoplasm of single plant cells was realized using photoinjection with femtosecond laser amplifier. The diffusion behavior was analyzed by estimating the diffusion coefficient in cytoplasm. In addition, the effect of particle size to the photoinjection efficiency and diffusion was evaluated. Surprisingly, the intercellular diffusion of nanoparticles between single plant cells was also directly observed.