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Thursday, 16th April 2009 (1117 views)

Researchers in Singapore have succeeded in using gold nanoclusters to make a sub-cellular imaging breakthrough, it has emerged.

Scientists at the country's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) have utilised the precious metal to develop an invention that could bring improvements to the areas of disease diagnosis and biolabelling.

Each of the gold clusters measures less than one nanometre in diameter and can be used within the human body as they do not contain toxic materials, something that gives the materials an advantage over the semiconducting quantum dots that are currently in use.

"Gold nanoclusters have promising characteristics," Dr Jianping Xie of the IBN explained.

"The red fluorescence of the nanoclusters enhances biomedical images of the body greatly as there is reduced background fluorescence and better tissue penetration," Dr Xie added.

In related news, scientists at the University of Missouri have recently developed a method of using gold nanorods to aid cancer treatment, Nanowerk News reports.

 

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