DETECTION OF COLLOID NANOPARTICLES BY FLUORESCENCE QUENCHING IN LIGHT AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a rapidly expanding branch of science, engineering, and medicine. While the promises associated with manipulating and creating material at this scale are numerous, there are also significant drawbacks, not least of which is that nanomaterial can behave differently both biologically and chemically from its bulk form. What exposure effects these materials may have on living systems is generally unknown. To determine the nature and extent of these impacts, it must be determined where various nanomaterials travel and whether they accumulate when they are taken up by a biological entity. For the purposes of this series of experiments, metallic colloidal nanomaterial will be used. Presently, there is no commonly available method which can detect small aggregations of these materials, while simultaneously being able to scan a large area of background rapidly. Here is developed a method that fulfils these requirements, using a fluorescence microscope equipped with an emission filter.