Developing New Tools for Bioanalysis and Imaging Using Advanced Fluorescent Materials

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Canadian and global health care faces many challenges in the years ahead. Advances in science and technology will be critical to finding solutions to these challenges. The proposed research program aims to develop fluorescent materials, methods and technologies for the analysis of biological markers that are relevant to health and disease. Nanoparticle materials called “quantum dots” and “polymer dots” will be used to develop new point-of-care diagnostic methods and new fluorescent probes for biomedical research. Point-of-care diagnostics are low-cost and rapid medical tests done at the doctor's office or hospital bedside rather than in a specialized laboratory with sophisticated equipment operated by highly-trained people. In this context, our goals include the development of quantum dot- and polymer dot-enabeled, smartphone-based platforms for (i) measuring low-abundance biomarkers, (ii) the detection of multiple cell types via novel optical barcodes, and (iii) fingerprinting complex enzyme activity relevant to diseases such as cancer. In the context of fluorescent probes, we will use quantum dot-based “concentric FRET” (cFRET) probes with unique capabilities to study and gain new insight into cellular processes. These probes represent novel tools that will help advance biomedical research toward improved diagnosis and treatment of disease. Our goals include (i) real-time, quantitative observation of enzymatic cascades associated with cell death, the misregulation of which is implicated in diseases such as cancers and neurodegeneration; (ii) measuring biomarkers excreted from growing tumour cells to gain insight into their biology and treatment; and (iii) pushing cFRET probes to detect biomarkers at the level of single molecules. This balanced mix of fundamental and applied research will help train the next generation of scientists, has potential for future commercialization, and, through prospective contributions to the future of health care, will help Canadians attain better quality-of-life..