Monday, 31 October 2005 - 3:55 PM
127c

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Labels and Optical Sensors in Live Cells

Daniel A. Heller1, Esther S. Jeng1, Tsun-Kwan Yeung2, Brittany M. Martinez3, Anthonie E. Moll3, Seunghyun Baik4, Thomas E. Eurell5, and Michael S. Strano3. (1) Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 104 RAL, Box 93-5, MC-712, 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, (2) Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 104 RAL, MC-712, 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, (3) Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 104 RAL, MC-712, 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, (4) School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, South Korea, (5) Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 3223 VMBSB MC-002, 2001 S Lincoln, Urbana, IL 61802

Complexes of DNA and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) exhibit long-lived, modifiable near-infrared fluorescence emission which was used to fabricate long-term labels and optical sensors within cells and tissues. Nanotube fluorescence is in the near-infrared region and does not photobleach under prolonged excitation, permitting continuous monitoring through biological media for experiments lasting several hours.

The transition of the DNA secondary structure from the B to Z conformation was detected via modulation of the intrinsic near-infrared fluorescence of SWNT. A reversible shift in emission energy of DNA-encapsulated nanotubes was found to closely match the thermodynamics of the transition of unbound DNA.

DNA-nanotube complexes were taken into endosomes, situated near the cell nucleus, and remained visible after multiple cell divisions. The sensors demonstrated optical detection of the DNA B-Z transition within mammalian cells, muscle tissue and whole blood.


See more of #127 - Nanomaterials for in vivo and in vitro Imaging and Chemical Sensing (TH015)
See more of Topical H – Biomedical Applications of Nanotechnology (Bionanotechnology)

See more of The 2005 Annual Meeting (Cincinnati, OH)