Article

Carbon nanotube-tipped endoscope for in situ intracellular surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Small (impact factor: 8.35). 02/2011; 7(4):540-5. DOI:10.1002/smll.201001757 pp.540-5
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Gold nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are used to study intracellular environments in situ using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). CNTs are decorated with gold nanoparticles and assembled onto the tips of pulled glass capillaries to form a SERS-enabled endoscope. The sub-micrometer size and high mechanical strength of the endoscope make it possible to penetrate the cell membrane for intracellular probing and remain positioned inside during lengthy SERS measurements without causing damage to the cell. Using the SERS-enabled endoscope, DNA and other biomolecules are detected in situ within the nucleus of a single human cervical carcinoma cell in a minimally invasive manner. The SERS-enabled endoscopes exhibit high selectivity and sensitivity for detecting trace amounts of analytes (≈1 pM) in biofluid environments, highlighting their capabilities as label-free, biological sensors for real-time in situ cellular diagnostics, biological detection, and pharmaceutical research.

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  • Article: Physiological validation of cell health upon probing with carbon nanotube endoscope and its benefit for single-cell interrogation.
    Zulfiya Orynbayeva, Riju Singhal, Elina A Vitol, Michael G Schrlau, Elizabeth Papazoglou, Gary Friedman, Yury Gogotsi
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: New-generation nanoscale devices for single-cell study are intensively being developed. As has been shown, nanodevices are minimally invasive because of their order-of-magnitude smaller size in comparison to conventional glass pipettes. However, in most studies the evaluation of the nanodevice impact on cell health has not extended to their effects on cell metabolic integrity. In this work we evaluated the degree to which the insertion of a carbon-based nanotube endoscope into a cell induces mechanical and biochemical stress, and affects cellular key metabolic systems. The effects of insertion of the nanotube endoscope on cell morphological and physiological modulations were monitored and compared to those of glass micropipettes. We report that nanotube endoscope insertion does not significantly modulate the plasma membrane and actin network. The cell metabolic mechanisms such as energy production and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent calcium signaling remain preserved for prolonged endoscope presence within a cell. FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR: In this basic science study, the effects of insertion of carbon nanotube endoscope on cell morphological and physiological modulations were monitored and compared to those of glass micropipettes. Nanotube endoscope insertion is truly minimally invasive: it does not significantly modulate the plasma membrane and actin network; the energy production and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent calcium signaling also remain preserved during prolonged endoscope presence within a cell.
    Nanomedicine: nanotechnology, biology, and medicine 08/2011; 8(5):590-8. · 5.44 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

analytes
 
cell membrane
 
glass capillaries
 
Gold nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes
 
gold nanoparticles
 
lengthy SERS measurements
 
mechanical strength
 
minimally invasive manner
 
pharmaceutical research
 
real-time
 
SERS
 
SERS-enabled endoscope
 
SERS-enabled endoscopes exhibit
 
single human cervical carcinoma cell
 
situ
 
situ cellular diagnostics
 
study intracellular environments
 
sub-micrometer size
 
surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
 
tips