Quantum Dots
Semicondutor nanocrystals have emerged as a powerful tool in fluorescent detection. The quantum dots are bright, photostable, and have very flexible excitation properties. To build materials that are detectable in complex environments, we have made infrared quantum dots with improved tissue penetration of the emitted light, allowing us to detect structures up to a few mm deep in an animal. Appropriate modification of these materials allows us to program the fate in complex environments such as live animals. We are using these materials to tag vascular structures, cells, and tissues in living animals, in order to monitor changes in the animal, as they occur. These tools will allow researchers to develop improved in-vivo imaging methods, and improve the performance of animal models by tracking changes over time in a single animal.
