Biophotonics: Nanoengineered Contrast Agents for Biophotonics

0221544 Drezek拟议的项目利用纳米颗粒技术的最新进展，开发创新的造影剂，可以使用非侵入性方法进行光学询问，并针对疾病的特定分子特征。所提出的造影剂-纳米壳和纳米发射体-具有用于光学成像的理想光学和化学性质。这些颗粒的光学响应可以在包括可见光和红外光谱区域的宽波段上精确和系统地变化。非常敏捷。光学共振的可调谐性对于纳米壳是完全独特的：在其它分子或纳米颗粒结构中，光学消光性质的共振不能是系统的。设计了此外，纳米颗粒具有高度生物相容性，并且蛋白质（如抗体）容易与其表面缀合。为了开发纳米颗粒作为光学成像造影剂的潜力，研究人员将研究一类新的外源性造影剂，这些造影剂被设计和优化以解决临床上重要的浸润前肿瘤检测问题。

0221544DrezekThe proposed project leverages recent advances in nanoparticle technologies to develop innovative contrast agents which can be optically interrogated using noninvasive approaches and targeted to specific molecular signatures of disease. The contrast agents proposed - nanoshells and nanoemitters - possess ideal optical and chemical properties for optical imaging. The optical response of these particles can be precisely and systematically varied over a broad band including the visible and infrared spectral regions. The extremely agile. tunabilityof the optical resonance is completely unique to nanoshells: in no other molecular or nanoparticle structure can the resonance of the optical extinction properties be systematically. designed. Moreover, the nanoparticles are highly biocompatible and proteins (such as antibodies) are readily conjugated to their surfaces. To develop the potential of nanoparticles as contrast agents for optical imaging, the investigators will study a novel class of exogenous contrast agents designed and optimized to address the clinically important problem of detection of pre.invasive neoplasias.