Technique for Reversible Permeabilization of Live Cells for Intracellular Delivery of Quantum Dots

摘要

Nanomaterials are comparable in size to various biomolecules (1 to 100 nm), and have unique properties such as enhanced electrical conductivity, increased chemical reactivity, and novel optical properties that make them attractive candidates for various biomed-ical applications. Their comparable size and unique optical properties have been utilized to develop efficient tools for sub-cellular imaging and delivery of biomolecules. Traditional bimolecular delivery methods utilize plasmids, cationic polymers, lipids, and viruses that have inherent disadvantages such as degradation in physiological solutions, and the need for complex conjugation techniques. Quantum dots (QDs) are nanometer-sized semiconductor crystals typically between 2 and 6 nm in diameter. QDs have high chemical and biochemical stability, and their small size and large surface area allow simultaneous conjugation with multiple biomolecules. They have several advantages over traditional fluorescent molecules (organic dyes), such as high resistance to photo bleaching and tunable emission wavelength based on their core diameter and composition, making them highly desirable for different biomedical applications as imaging agents and biomolecular delivery vehicles.