Breakthrough in Quantum Dot Theory

Because of their extraordinary brightness and photostability, quantum dots (QDs) have are used for long-term, tracking of particles living cells and other complex systems. One of their major limitations is blinking, an intermittent loss of fluorescence that interrupts particle tracking.  Blinking, however, is the primary method used to confirm nanoparticle aggregation status in situ.  A recently-published paper by Jessica Winter, assistant professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, describes a new class of quantum dot-based composite nanoparticles that solve these two seemingly irreconcilable problems by exhibiting near-continuous, alternating-color fluorescence. These materials will greatly enhance particle tracking in cell biology, biophysics, and fluid mechanics.

Dr. Winters was recently interviewed about her researech in a podcast located here: http://www.genengnews.com/gen-podcasts/new-nanoparticles-for-biomedical-testing/335

     Ref: Alternating-Color Quantum Dot Nanocomposites for Particle Tracking,  Gang Ruan and Jessica O. Winter, Nano Lett.,  http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nl103233b.