Organic Biophotonic Nanoparticles: Porphysomes and Beyond

Biophotonic nanoparticles have been of increasing interest for their ability to both image and treat disease. The majority of biophotonic nanoparticles developed have been inorganic in nature. Only recently has there been an increase in the number of organic nanoparticles being engineered for biophotonic applications. Porphysomes were the first organic biophotonic nanoparticle to be reported with properties characteristic of both traditional inorganic and organic nanoparticles. Here, we discuss their discovery, multifunctional capabilities, and other organic biophotonic nanoparticles that have been developed since their advent.