Polymersomes containing quantum dots for cellular imaging

Polymersomes containing quantum dots for cellular imaging

Quantum dots (QDs) are highly fluorescent and stable probes for cellular and molecular imaging. However, poor intracellular delivery, stability, and toxicity of QDs in biological compartments hamper their use in cellular imaging. To overcome these limitations, we developed a simple and effective method to load QDs into polymersomes (Ps) made of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-poly(2-methyloxazoline) (PD...

New Strategies for Tagging Quantum Dots for Dynamic Cellular Imaging

Compact biocompatible quantum dots functionalized for cellular imaging.

We present a family of water-soluble quantum dots (QDs) that exhibit low nonspecific binding to cells, small hydrodynamic diameter, tunable surface charge, high quantum yield, and good solution stability across a wide pH range. These QDs are amenable to covalent modification via simple carbodiimide coupling chemistry, which is achieved by functionalizing the surface of QDs with a new class of h...

Cytotoxicity and cellular imaging of quantum dots protected by polyelectrolyte

The nanocomposites of poly-diallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) and CdTe quantum dots (QDs) (i.e. QDs-PDADMAC nanocomposites) have been prepared based on electrostatic interaction and their fluorescence stability in aqueous solution has been investigated. MTT method (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method) was used to study their cytotoxicity and A549 lung c...

In vivo molecular and cellular imaging with quantum dots.

Quantum dots (QDs), tiny light-emitting particles on the nanometer scale, are emerging as a new class of fluorescent probe for in vivo biomolecular and cellular imaging. In comparison with organic dyes and fluorescent proteins, QDs have unique optical and electronic properties: size-tunable light emission, improved signal brightness, resistance against photobleaching, and simultaneous excitatio...