title: Advances in fluorescence imaging with quantum dot bio-probes.
abstract: After much effort in surface chemistry development and optimization by several groups, fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals probes, also known as quantum dots or qdots, are now entering the realm of biological applications with much to offer to biologists. The road to success has been paved with hurdles but from these efforts has stemmed a multitude of original surface chemistries that scientists in the biological fields can draw from for their specific biological applications. The ability to easily modulate the chemical nature of qdot surfaces by employing one or more of the recently developed qdot coatings, together with their exceptional photophysics have been key elements for qdots to acquire a status of revolutionary fluorescent bio-probes. Indeed, the unique properties of qdots not only give biologists the opportunity to explore advanced imaging techniques such as single molecule or lifetime imaging but also to revisit traditional fluorescence imaging methodologies and extract yet unobserved or inaccessible information in vitro or in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UCLA, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. fpinaud@chem.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinaud
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Michalet
authors.forename: Laurent A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bentolila
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tsay
authors.forename: Soren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doose
authors.forename: Jack J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Gopal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iyer
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D002863:Chromogenic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D005453:Fluorescence; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D045663:Quantum Dots; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D002863:Chromogenic Compounds; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes