Polymer-Based Amplification of Cellular Protein Detection

Fluorescent staining of cells and tissues is critical in the field of histology because it enables scientists to visualize the locations of cellular molecules such as proteins. Current methods of staining require expensive materials, are time-consuming, and may require high-quality microscopes with which to view the results. A novel polymerization-based amplification approach uses visible light to non-covalently attach highly-fluorescent nanoparticles to targeted proteins, increasing sensitivity and signal intensity, as well as allowing multiple targets to be stained in a single cell.