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US 6,855,551 B2Granted
Biological applications of quantum dots
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsMoungi G. Bawendi, Vikram C. Sundar, Frederic V. Mikulec
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Abstract
The present invention provides a composition comprising fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals associated to a compound, wherein the nanocrystals have a characteristic spectral emission, wherein said spectral emission is tunable to a desired wavelength by controlling the size of the nanocrystal, and wherein said emission provides information about a biological state or event.
Claims40
A method of detecting biological moieties comprising:
- providing a plurality of compositions capable of characteristic spectral emissions, the composition comprising a compound and a semiconductor nanocrystal associated with the compound, wherein each of the members of the plurality is characterized in that:
- the nanocrystal of the member of the plurality has an emission spectrum distinct from the other members of the plurality and a quantum yield of greater than 10% in water, and
- the compound of the member of the plurality has a corresponding biological moiety distinct from other biological moieties in the sample;
- allowing a sample containing or suspected of containing one or more biological moieties to interact with the compositions;
- and
- monitoring the spectral emission of each interaction between each composition and each biological moiety of the sample, wherein the interaction between the biological moiety and the composition comprises a noncovalent interaction.
3 more elements
A method of detecting biological moieties comprising:
- providing a plurality of compositions capable of characteristic spectral emissions, the composition comprising a compound and a semiconductor nanocrystal associated with the compound, wherein each of the members of the plurality is characterized in that:
- the nanocrystal of the member of the plurality has an emission spectrum distinct from the other members of the plurality, and
- the compound of the member of the plurality has a corresponding biological moiety distinct from other biological moieties in the sample and is associated with the nanocrystal by a ligand having at least one linking group for attachment to the nanocrystal spaced apart from a hydrophilic group by an alkyl or alkenyl group;
- allowing a sample containing or suspected of containing one or more biological moieties to interact with the compositions;
- and
- monitoring the spectral emission of each interaction between each composition and each biological moiety of the sample, wherein the interaction between the biological moiety and the composition comprises a noncovalent interaction.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.