[MURG] [>Htech] nanoapex: tracking molecular receptors with quantum dots (fwd from alito@organicrobot.com)

Fri Nov 7 04:35:53 EST 2003

----- Forwarded message from Alejandro Dubrovsky <alito at organicrobot.com> -----

From: Alejandro Dubrovsky <alito at organicrobot.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2003 04:28:27 +1000
To: transhumantech <transhumantech at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [>Htech] nanoapex: tracking molecular receptors with quantum dots
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(
http://news.nanoapex.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3974
)

 JOURNAL: QUANTUM DOTS REVEAL MINUTE DETAILS OF BRAIN CHEMISTRY FOR
FIRST TIME

French Researchers report tracking of single-molecule properties in
living cells 

HAYWARD, CA, OCTOBER 20, 2003 - French researchers have used a new
imaging tool, the size of individual molecules, to reveal more clearly
than ever before the workings of the human nervous system ??? including
processes that may eventually provide clues to treating common
neurological disorders.

In a study published in the October 17 issue of the journal Science, the
researchers reported they used quantum dots developed and manufactured
by Hayward-based Quantum Dot Corporation (QDC) [profile] to track the
movements of individual glycine receptor molecules in the membranes of
living cells. The results mark the first time researchers have been able
to track single-molecule properties in living cells for extended periods
within a single experiment.

???This significant study again validates the importance of quantum dots
for biomolecular imaging and drug development,??? said Carol Lou,
President of QDC. ???Our Qdot??? conjugates give researchers a powerful new
tool in the quest to develop new drugs that can successfully treat human
neurological disorders and other diseases.???

Older imaging tools such as fluorescent dyes or polymer spheres are
either too unstable or too big to effectively perform single-molecule
tracking, the scientists wrote. QDC???s Qdot??? conjugates, by contrast,
produced photo resolutions up to eight times more detailed than the
older imaging tools. The Qdot??? conjugates also proved to be ???almost an
order of magnitude??? brighter than fluorescent dyes, and could be
observed for as long as 40 minutes compared to about 5 seconds for the
dyes, the French scientists reported. Length of observation time is
critical to studying cellular processes, which change rapidly over a
span of several minutes.

Quantum dots are nanoscale crystals of semiconductor material that glow,
or fluoresce when excited by a light source such as a laser. They are
used by life science researchers as tiny beacons or markers, allowing
them to easily see individual genes, nucleic acids, proteins or small
molecules. Qdot??? conjugates work by seeking out and bonding with target
materials. Once bonded with a target, each individual Qdot??? particle
emits light. Depending on their size, they can glow in a variety of
colors and are up to 1,000 times brighter than fluorescent dyes.

The study is one of several recent, high-profile reports to validate the
superior imaging qualities of Qdot???. Researchers at Cornell and QDC
announced in May they had used Qdot??? particles to see deeply into the
tissues of living mice. That report was also published in Science.

The new report, titled ???Diffusion Dynamics of Glycine Receptors Revealed
by Single-Quantum Dot Tracking,??? was jointly authored by Maxime Dahan,
Sabine Lévi, Camilla Luccardini, Philippe Rostaing, Béatrice Riveau, and
Antoine Triller. The work was performed at the Ecole Normale Supérieure
and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris.

Cellular receptors are a critical target studied by scientists who
develop new drug candidates for diseases including neurological
disorders such as epilepsy and depression. More detailed understanding
of the behavior of these receptors can open up new treatment options.
The glycine receptors in the current report are the main inhibitory
neurotransmitter in the human spinal cord and brain stem.

The full text of the Science article is available for purchase on the
Science website www.sciencemag.org. High-resolution images and video,
are freely available at:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/302/5644/442

Founded in 1998, Quantum Dot Corporation and its advisors are the
world's leading experts in semiconductor nanocrystal (Qdot???) technology
and its application in biology. QDC markets and sells Qdot??? nanocrystal
products worldwide, directly and through distributors.

QDC has a dominant and extensive patent position covering quantum dot
compositions, synthesis methods, and methods of use. QDC is the
exclusive licensee, in the field of biological applications, of
pioneering intellectual property licensed from the University of
California, MIT, Indiana University, and the University of Melbourne.

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