title: Carbon nanotubes allow capture of krypton, barium and lead for multichannel biological X-ray fluorescence imaging.
abstract: The desire to study biology in situ has been aided by many imaging techniques. Among these, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping permits observation of elemental distributions in a multichannel manner. However, XRF imaging is underused, in part, because of the difficulty in interpreting maps without an underlying cellular 'blueprint'; this could be supplied using contrast agents. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be filled with a wide range of inorganic materials, and thus can be used as 'contrast agents' if biologically absent elements are encapsulated. Here we show that sealed single-walled CNTs filled with lead, barium and even krypton can be produced, and externally decorated with peptides to provide affinity for sub-cellular targets. The agents are able to highlight specific organelles in multiplexed XRF mapping, and are, in principle, a general and versatile tool for this, and other modes of biological imaging.
authors: Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.|School of Physical Sciences, Ingram Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NH, UK.
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Serpell
authors: Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
authors: Reida N
authors: RN
authors: Rutte
authors: Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK.
authors: Kalotina
authors: K
authors: Geraki
authors: Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Elzbieta
authors: E
authors: Pach
authors: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Martincic
authors: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Magdalena
authors: M
authors: Kierkowicz
authors: Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
authors: Sonia
authors: S
authors: De Munari
authors: Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.|Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK.
authors: Kim
authors: K
authors: Wals
authors: Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
authors: Ritu
authors: R
authors: Raj
authors: Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Belén
authors: B
authors: Ballesteros
authors: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Gerard
authors: G
authors: Tobias
authors: Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK.
authors: Daniel C
authors: 0000-0003-1380-6655
authors: DC
authors: Anthony
authors: Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
authors: Benjamin G
authors: BG
authors: Davis
mesh_terms: D001464:Barium / Q000737:chemistry; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005453:Fluorescence; D007726:Krypton / Q000737:chemistry; D007854:Lead / Q000737:chemistry; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010455:Peptides; D001464:Barium; D007854:Lead; D007726:Krypton