title: Applications of fiber-optics-based nanosensors to drug discovery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fiber-optic nanosensors are fabricated by heating and pulling optical fibers to yield sub-micron diameter tips and have been used for in vitro analysis of individual living mammalian cells. Immobilization of bioreceptors (e.g., antibodies, peptides, DNA) selective to targeting analyte molecules of interest provides molecular specificity. Excitation light can be launched into the fiber, and the resulting evanescent field at the tip of the nanofiber can be used to excite target molecules bound to the bioreceptor molecules. The fluorescence or surface-enhanced Raman scattering produced by the analyte molecules is detected using an ultra-sensitive photodetector.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article provides an overview of the development and application of fiber-optic nanosensors for drug discovery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The nanosensors provide minimally invasive tools to probe subcellular compartments inside single living cells for health effect studies (e.g., detection of benzopyrene adducts) and medical applications (e.g., monitoring of apoptosis in cells treated with anticancer drugs).
authors.affiliation: Duke University, Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics, 305 Teer Building, Box 90271, Durham, NC 27708, USA +1 919 660 8520 ; +1 919 613 9145 ; tuan.vodinh@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Tuan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vo-Dinh
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scaffidi
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gregas
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Seewaldt