Abstract
Nanoscale optical labeling is an advanced bioimaging tool. It is mostly based on fluorescence (FL) phenomena and enables the visualization of single biocells, bacteria, viruses, and biological tissues, providing monitoring of functional biosystems in vitro and in vivo, and the imaging-guided transportation of drug molecules. There is a variety of FL biolabels such as organic molecular dyes, genetically encoded fluorescent proteins (green fluorescent protein and homologs), semiconductor quantum dots, carbon dots, plasmonic metal gold-based nanostructures and more. In this review, a new generation of FL biolabels based on the recently found biophotonic effects of visible FL are described. This intrinsic FL phenomenon is observed in any peptide/protein materials folded into β-sheet secondary structures, irrespective of their composition, complexity, and origin. The FL effect has been observed both in natural amyloid fibrils, associated with neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and more), and diverse synthetic peptide/protein structures subjected to thermally induced biological refolding helix-like→β-sheet. This approach allowed us to develop a new generation of FL peptide/protein bionanodots radiating multicolor, tunable, visible FL, covering the entire visible spectrum in the range of 400–700 nm. Newly developed biocompatible nanoscale biomarkers are considered as a promising tool for emerging precise biomedicine and advanced medical nanotechnologies (high-resolution bioimaging, light diagnostics, therapy, optogenetics, and health monitoring).
Highlights
Molecular fluorescence (FL) is a process wherein an electronic relaxation is associated with a strong photon emission
The fabrication of thermally induced fibrillary nanostructures was performed by two methods: 1. The native FF, linear aliphatic dileucine (LL) tubular, FFF spherical and FFF tape samples were heat treated in the oven using a step by step procedure from room temperature to 180 ◦ C and cooled back to room temperature to study their properties
Under the condition in which the physical that of the exciton the energysize gapofofQDs the approaches that of the exciton the energy gap of the semiconductor material increases with decreasing size and discrete energy levels arise at the band edges
Summary
Molecular fluorescence (FL) is a process wherein an electronic relaxation is associated with a strong photon emission. We revealed that visible FL, covering the entire visible region 400–700 nm, can be acquired by any peptide/protein nanodots as a result of the reconstruction of their native peptide/protein conformation from the primary α-helical state to β-sheets by the use of thermally induced refolding We show that these novel FL visible nanodots of biological origin can be widely used in nanobiotechnology for medical imaging, diagnostics and therapy, development of a new generation of drugs and safety technology for cosmetics and food products, as well as dramatically impacting additional nanotechnological fields (image sensors, solar cells, light-emitting devices such as biolasers, and more). These studies pave the way for the development of a new research field of peptide photonics and advanced nanotechnology of peptide-integrated optics
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