Potentials and pitfalls of fluorescent quantum dots for biological imaging.
Fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals, known as quantum dots (QDs), have several unique optical and chemical features. These features make them desirable fluorescent tags for cell and developmental biological applications that require long-term, multi-target and highly sensitive imaging. The improved synthesis of water-stable QDs, the development of approaches to label cells efficiently with QDs, and improvements in conjugating QDs to specific biomolecules have triggered the recent explosion in their use in biological imaging. Although there have been many successes in using QDs for biological applications, limitations remain that must be overcome before these powerful tools can be used routinely by biologists.
Jaiswal
Jyoti K
JK
The Rockefeller University, Box 304, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 1002, USA.
Simon
Sanford M
SM
D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / Q000379:methods; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000494:pharmacology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008027:Light; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D045663:Quantum Dots; D012666:Semiconductors; D014162:Transfection
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes