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Monday, 20th April 2009 (5354 views)

Scientists have developed gold nanoclusters that may be able to aid in both biological and medical research.

A team at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), which is part of Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research, has created the clusters for the purpose of sub-cellular imaging.

They are designed to be used in the body to monitor DNA replication, as well as help investigate the effectiveness of drug and gene therapies.

The researcher's findings have been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and the gold nanoclusters could replace existing quantum dot technology, which is not suitable for use in the human body due to the presence of toxic metals.

Jackie Ying, of IBN, remarked: "There is a significant potential for our technology to impact biological and medical research, where our gold nanoclusters can significantly enhance the details available for precision bioimaging in medical diagnosis and treatment."

Nanoscientists at the University of Leicester were recently awarded a grant to help in a study aimed at early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

 

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