Tuesday, 17th January 2006 (4884 views)

Gold nanoparticles have been employed in a new imaging technique that could eventually aid understanding of the human memory.

Scientists at Bordeaux University have designed a gold nanoparticle imaging technique, which they claim can map the movement of biomolecules in rat synapses.

The technique works by labelling biomolecules with gold particles and then employing laser imaging techniques.

"If you shine a laser on a nanoparticle then almost all of the energy absorbed will be released as heat to the surroundings," researcher Laurent Cognet explained to Optics.org.

"This so-called photothermal effect modifies the refractive index of the adjacent media, and can be used to pinpoint the nanoparticle."

The scientists also claim the technique overcomes the drawbacks of fluorescence microscopy techniques by allowing the study of non-fluorescent nano-objects for the first time.

Having only been tested on rats, the research is still in its early stages but the scientists say they can already detect particles as small as 2.5 nanometres.

 

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