title: Real-Time Monitoring of Nanoparticle Formation by FRET Imaging.
abstract: Understanding the formation process of nanoparticles is of the utmost importance to improve their design and production. This especially holds true for self-assembled nanoparticles whose formation processes have been largely overlooked. Herein, we present a new technology that integrates a microfluidic-based nanoparticle synthesis method and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy imaging to visualize nanoparticle self-assembly in real time. Applied to different nanoparticle systems, for example, nanoemulsions, drug-loaded block-copolymer micelles, and nanocrystal-core reconstituted high-density lipoproteins, we have shown the approach's unique ability to investigate key parameters affecting nanoparticle formation.
authors.affiliation: Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Brenda L
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3595-1063
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Gaytan
authors.affiliation: Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fay
authors.affiliation: Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7030, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Sjoerd
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hak
authors.affiliation: Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.|Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Targeted Therapeutics section, MIRA Institute, University of Twente, Enschede, 7500 AE, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alaarg
authors.affiliation: Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Zahi A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Fayad
authors.affiliation: Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez-Medina
authors.affiliation: Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.|Department of Medical Biochemistry, Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Willem J M
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.affiliation: Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1660-0679
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: FRET; block co-polymers; high-density lipoproteins; microfluidics; nanoemulsions