Multiphoton autofluorescence spectral analysis for fungus imaging and identification

We performed multiphoton imaging on fungi of medical significance. Fungal hyphae and spores of Aspergillus flavus, Micosporum gypseum, Micosoprum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, and Trichophyton tonsurans were found to be strongly autofluorescent but generate less prominent second harmonic signal. The cell wall and septum of fungal hyphae can be easily identified by autofluorescence imaging. We found that fungi of various species have distinct autofluorescence characteristics. Our result shows that the combination of multiphoton imaging and spectral analysis can be used to visualize and identify fungal species. This approach may be developed into an effective diagnostic tool for fungal identification.