title: Plasmonics Meets Biology through Optics.
abstract: Plasmonic metallic nanoparticles (NPs) represent a relevant class of nanomaterials, which is able to achieve light localization down to nanoscale by exploiting a phenomenon called Localized Plasmon Resonance. In the last few years, NPs have been proposed to trigger DNA release or enhance ablation of diseased tissues, while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. In view of the therapeutic relevance of such plasmonic NPs; a detailed characterization of the electrostatic interaction between positively charged gold nanorods (GNRs) and a negatively charged whole-genome DNA solution is reported. The preparation of the hybrid biosystem has been investigated as a function of DNA concentration by means of ζ-potential; hydrodynamic diameter and gel electrophoresis analysis. The results have pointed out the specific conditions to achieve the most promising GNRs/DNA complex and its photo-thermal properties have been investigated. The overall study allows to envisage the possibility to ingeniously combine plasmonic and biological materials and, thus, enable design and development of an original non invasive all-optical methodology for monitoring photo-induced temperature variation with high sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Beam Engineering for Advanced Measurements Company, Winter Park, FL 32789, USA. luciano@beamco.com.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Sio
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy. giulio.caracciolo@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caracciolo
authors.affiliation: CNR-Lab. Licryl, Institute NANOTEC, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy. ferdinanda.annesi@cnr.it.
authors.forename: Ferdinanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Annesi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy. t.placido@ba.ipcf.cnr.it.|CNR-IPCF, National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Physical and Chemical Processes, Bari Division, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy. t.placido@ba.ipcf.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Placido
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy. daniela.pozzi@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pozzi
authors.affiliation: CNR-IPCF, National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Physical and Chemical Processes, Bari Division, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy. r.comparelli@ba.ipcf.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Comparelli
authors.affiliation: CNR-Lab. Licryl, Institute NANOTEC, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy. alfredo.pane@fis.unical.it.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pane
authors.affiliation: CNR-IPCF, National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Physical and Chemical Processes, Bari Division, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy. lucia.curri@ba.ipcf.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Maria Lucia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Curri
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy. angela.agostiano@uniba.it.|CNR-IPCF, National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Physical and Chemical Processes, Bari Division, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy. angela.agostiano@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agostiano
authors.affiliation: CNR-Lab. Licryl, Institute NANOTEC, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy. roberto.bartolino@fis.unical.it.|Department of Physics, University of Calabria, Centre of Excellence for the Study of Innovative Functional Materials, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy. roberto.bartolino@fis.unical.it.|Interdisciplinary Institute B, Segre of the National Academy dei Lincei, 00165 Rome, Italy. roberto.bartolino@fis.unical.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bartolino
keywords: DNA; nanomaterials; optics; plasmonics