Issue 9, 2018

Stable, small, specific, low-valency quantum dots for single-molecule imaging

Abstract

We have developed a strategy for synthesizing immediately activable, water-soluble, compact (∼10–12 nm hydrodynamic diameter) quantum dots with a small number of stable and controllable conjugation handles for long distance delivery and subsequent biomolecule conjugation. Upon covalent conjugation with engineered monovalent streptavidin, the sample results in a population consisting of low-valency quantum dots. Alternatively, we have synthesized quantum dots with a small number of biotin molecules that can self-assemble with engineered divalent streptavidin via high-affinity biotin–streptavidin interactions. Being compact, stable and highly specific against biotinylated proteins of interest, these low-valency quantum dots are ideal for labeling and tracking single molecules on the cell surface with high spatiotemporal resolution for different biological systems and applications.

Graphical abstract: Stable, small, specific, low-valency quantum dots for single-molecule imaging

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 nov 2017
Accepted
21 jan 2018
First published
24 jan 2018

Nanoscale, 2018,10, 4406-4414

Stable, small, specific, low-valency quantum dots for single-molecule imaging

J. Lee, X. Feng, O. Chen, M. G. Bawendi and J. Huang, Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 4406 DOI: 10.1039/C7NR08673C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements