Query: Fluorescent quantum dots for microbial imaging

Candidate papers:

abstract: Abstract Quantum dots (QDs) with several unique optical and chemical features, are becoming desirable fluorescent tags for the biological applications that require long term and highly sensitive imaging. Besides, the conjugation of various functional biomolecules to QDs has enabled wide applications of QDs in biological imaging. This review focuses on the following four types of QDs: semiconductor quantum dots (semiconductor QDs) carbon nanodots (CDs) silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) and polymer dots (Pdots) and summarizes the recent advancements of using these QDs in imaging microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, and fungi. We hope that this review will promote the development of new fluorescent QDs for microbial imaging and extend the applications of QD based imaging techniques in cell biology and beyond.
author_names: Ge Gao

Yao-Wen Jiang

Wei Sun

Fu-Gen Wu
title: Fluorescent quantum dots for microbial imaging
year: 2018

abstract: Research on fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals (also known as quantum dots or qdots) has evolved over the past two decades from electronic materials science to biological applications. We review current approaches to the synthesis, solubilization, and functionalization of qdots and their applications to cell and animal biology. Recent examples of their experimental use include the observation of diffusion of individual glycine receptors in living neurons and the identification of lymph nodes in live animals by near infrared emission during surgery. The new generations of qdots have far reaching potential for the study of intracellular processes at the single molecule level, high resolution cellular imaging, long term in vivo observation of cell trafficking, tumor targeting, and diagnostics.
author_names: Xavier Michalet

Fabien Pinaud

Laurent A Bentolila

James M Tsay

Soren Doose

Jingyi Jessica Li

Gobalakrishnan Sundaresan

Anna M Wu

Sanjiv Sam Gambhir

Shimon Weiss
title: Quantum Dots for Live Cells, in Vivo Imaging, and Diagnostics
venue: Science
year: 2005

abstract: Fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) have the potential to revolutionize biological imaging, but their use has been limited by difficulties in obtaining nanocrystals that are biocompatible. To address this problem, we encapsulated individual nanocrystals in phospholipid block copolymer micelles and demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo imaging. When conjugated to DNA, the nanocrystal micelles acted as in vitro fluorescent probes to hybridize to specific complementary sequences. Moreover, when injected into Xenopus embryos, the nanocrystal micelles were stable, nontoxic <5 x 109 nanocrystals per cell) cell autonomous, and slow to photobleach. Nanocrystal fluorescence could be followed to the tadpole stage, allowing lineage tracing experiments in embryogenesis.
author_names: Benoit Dubertret

Paris A Skourides

David J Norris

Vincent Noireaux

Ali H Brivanlou

Albert Libchaber
title: In Vivo Imaging of Quantum Dots Encapsulated in Phospholipid Micelles
venue: Science
year: 2002

abstract: Multicolor optical coding for biological assays has been achieved by embedding different sized quantum dots (zinc sulfide capped cadmium selenide nanocrystals) into polymeric microbeads at precisely controlled ratios. Their novel optical properties (e.g. size tunable emission and simultaneous excitation) render these highly luminescent quantum dots (QDs) ideal fluorophores for wavelength and intensity multiplexing. The use of 10 intensity levels and 6 colors could theoretically code one million nucleic acid or protein sequences. Imaging and spectroscopic measurements indicate that the QD tagged beads are highly uniform and reproducible, yielding bead identification accuracies as high as 99.99% under favorable conditions. DNA hybridization studies demonstrate that the coding and target signals can be simultaneously read at the single bead level. This spectral coding technology is expected to open new opportunities in gene expression studies, high throughput screening, and medical diagnostics.
author_names: Mingyong Han

Xiaohu Gao

Jack Z Su

Shuming Nie
title: Quantum dot tagged microbeads for multiplexed optical coding of biomolecules
venue: Nature Biotechnology
year: 2001

abstract: Quantum dots having four different surface coatings were tested for use in in vivo imaging. Localization was successfully monitored by fluorescence imaging of living animals, by necropsy, by frozen tissue sections for optical microscopy, and by electron microscopy, on scales ranging from centimeters to nanometers, using only quantum dots for detection. Circulating half lives were found to be less than 12 min for amphiphilic poly(acrylic acid) short chain (750 Da) methoxy PEG or long chain (3400 Da) carboxy PEG quantum dots, but approximately 70 min for long chain (5000 Da) methoxy PEG quantum dots. Surface coatings also determined the in vivo localization of the quantum dots. Long term experiments demonstrated that these quantum dots remain fluorescent after at least four months in vivo.
author_names: Byron T Ballou

B Christoffer Lagerholm

Lauren A Ernst

Marcel P Bruchez

Alan S Waggoner
title: Noninvasive imaging of quantum dots in mice.
venue: Bioconjugate chemistry
year: 2004

abstract: Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are among the most promising emerging fluorescent labels for cellular imaging. However, it is unclear whether QDs, which are nanoparticles rather than small molecules, can specifically and effectively label molecular targets at a subcellular level. Here we have used QDs linked to immunoglobulin G (IgG) and streptavidin to label the breast cancer marker Her2 on the surface of fixed and live cancer cells, to stain actin and microtubule fibers in the cytoplasm, and to detect nuclear antigens inside the nucleus. All labeling signals are specific for the intended targets and are brighter and considerably more photostable than comparable organic dyes. Using QDs with different emission spectra conjugated to IgG and streptavidin, we simultaneously detected two cellular targets with one excitation wavelength. The results indicate that QD based probes can be very effective in cellular imaging and offer substantial advantages over organic dyes in multiplex target detection.
author_names: Xingyong Wu

Hongjian Liu

Jianquan Liu

Kari N Haley

Joseph A Treadway

J Peter Larson

Nianfeng Ge

Franklin V Peale

Marcel P Bruchez
title: Immunofluorescent labeling of cancer marker Her2 and other cellular targets with semiconductor quantum dots
venue: Nature Biotechnology
year: 2003

abstract: Robust and bright light emitters, semiconductor nanocrystals [quantum dots (QDs) have been adopted as a new class of fluorescent labels. Six years after the first experiments of their uses in biological applications, there have been dramatic improvements in understanding surface chemistry, biocompatibility, and targeting specificity. Many studies have shown the great potential of using quantum dots as new probes in vitro and in vivo. This review summarizes the recent advances of quantum dot usage at the cellular level, including immunolabeling, cell tracking, in situ hybridization, FRET, in vivo imaging, and other related technologies. Limitations and potential future uses of quantum dot probes are also discussed.
author_names: A Paul Alivisatos

Weiwei Gu

Carolyn A Larabell
title: Quantum dots as cellular probes.
venue: Annual review of biomedical engineering
year: 2005

abstract: Fluorescent calcium sensors are widely used to image neural activity. Using structure based mutagenesis and neuron based screening, we developed a family of ultrasensitive protein calcium sensors (GCaMP6) that outperformed other sensors in cultured neurons and in zebrafish, flies and mice in vivo. In layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons of the mouse visual cortex, GCaMP6 reliably detected single action potentials in neuronal somata and orientation tuned synaptic calcium transients in individual dendritic spines. The orientation tuning of structurally persistent spines was largely stable over timescales of weeks. Orientation tuning averaged across spine populations predicted the tuning of their parent cell. Although the somata of GABAergic neurons showed little orientation tuning, their dendrites included highly tuned dendritic segments (5 40 um long) GCaMP6 sensors thus provide new windows into the organization and dynamics of neural circuits over multiple spatial and temporal scales.
author_names: Tsai-Wen Chen

Trevor J Wardill

Yi Sun

Stefan R Pulver

Sabine L Renninger

Amy Baohan

Eric R Schreiter

Rex A Kerr

Michael B Orger

Vivek Jayaraman

Loren L Looger

Karel Svoboda

Douglas S Kim
title: Ultra sensitive fluorescent proteins for imaging neuronal activity
venue: Nature
year: 2013

abstract: Advances in molecular biology, organic chemistry, and materials science have recently created several new classes of fluorescent probes for imaging in cell biology. Here we review the characteristic benefits and limitations of fluorescent probes to study proteins. The focus is on protein detection in live versus fixed cells: determination of protein expression, localization, activity state, and the possibility for combination of fluorescent light microscopy with electron microscopy. Small organic fluorescent dyes, nanocrystals "quantum dots" autofluorescent proteins, small genetic encoded tags that can be complexed with fluorochromes, and combinations of these probes are highlighted.
author_names: Ben N G Giepmans

Stephen R Adams

Mark H Ellisman

Roger Tsien
title: The Fluorescent Toolbox for Assessing Protein Location and Function
venue: Science
year: 2006

abstract: In 1873, Ernst Abbe discovered that features closer than ~200 nm cannot be resolved by lens based light microscopy. In recent years, however, several new far field super resolution imaging techniques have broken this diffraction limit, producing, for example, video rate movies of synaptic vesicles in living neurons with 62 nm spatial resolution. Current research is focused on further improving spatial resolution in an effort to reach the goal of video rate imaging of live cells with molecular (1 5 nm) resolution. Here, we describe the contributions of fluorescent probes to far field super resolution imaging, focusing on fluorescent proteins and organic small molecule fluorophores. We describe the features of existing super resolution fluorophores and highlight areas of importance for future research and development.
author_names: Marta Fernandez-Suarez

Alice Y Ting
title: Fluorescent probes for super resolution imaging in living cells
venue: Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
year: 2008