Wednesday, 21st November 2007 (2899 views)

A new nanotechnology technique using gold nanoparticles has been developed to detect chemical reactions within living cells, according to Science Daily.

The study was undertaken by a team of bioengineering researchers at the University of California, Berkeley led by Professor Luke Lee, the director of the institution's Biomolecular Nanotechnology Centre.

Gold particles measuring between 20 and 30 nanometres in length were coupled with cytochrome c, a protein, to create a more easily detectible image under light.

The protein was then tracked by the research team to determine how and when it was absorbed, providing the first real-time view of how the molecular dynamics of a cell function.

According to Professor Lee, the method is a non-invasive way to "capture the chemical fingerprints of molecules" and has the potential to be applied to developments in stem cell research.

He added that the molecular imaging technique could also aid in biomedical diagnostics and cell-based drug discovery.

In 2005, an article written by Professor Lee on artificial optics was featured on the cover of the journal Science.

 

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