The application of quantum dots, gold nanoparticles and molecular switches to optical nucleic-acid diagnostics

This review discusses the application of quantum dots (QDs), gold nanoparticles (NPs), and molecular switches in optical nucleic-acid diagnostics. The size-dependent optical properties of nanoscale materials, as well as the ability to tailor both material and surface composition of NPs, create excit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:TrAC, Trends in analytical chemistry (Regular ed.) Trends in analytical chemistry (Regular ed.), 2009-03, Vol.28 (3), p.292-306
Main Authors: Russ Algar, W., Massey, Melissa, Krull, Ulrich J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analytical chemistry
Chemical and thermal methods
Chemistry
Colorimetry
Electrochemiluminescence
Exact sciences and technology
Fluorescence
Fluorescence resonance energy transfer
General, instrumentation
Gold nanoparticle
Molecular beacon
Molecular switch
Nucleic acid
Quantum dot
Silver nanoparticle
Spectrometric and optical methods
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Summary:This review discusses the application of quantum dots (QDs), gold nanoparticles (NPs), and molecular switches in optical nucleic-acid diagnostics. The size-dependent optical properties of nanoscale materials, as well as the ability to tailor both material and surface composition of NPs, create exciting new possibilities in nucleic-acid analyses. Similarly, molecular assemblies of nucleic acids that generate “on-off” responses at the single-molecule (or particle) level offer significant advantages in diagnostics. Areas of interest in this review include: 1) QDs and fluorescence-in-situ-hybridization, microarrays, fluorescence resonance energy transfer and signal enhancement; 2) gold or silver NPs and colorimetric detection, fluorescence quenching, chemiluminescence, and electrochemiluminescence; and, 3) advances in the design of molecular beacons, hairpin probes and other diagnostic nucleic-acid constructs. We provide brief perspectives on the potential application of lanthanide NPs as optical probes, and the potential of nucleic-acid diagnostics in living cells.
ISSN:0165-9936
1879-3142
DOI:10.1016/j.trac.2008.11.012