Imaging of cell to cell communication with near infrared fluorescent nanosensors (Conference Presentation)

Abstract

Cells use molecules to exchange information. A very prominent example is neurotransmitter signaling between neurons or paracrine signaling between blood cells. However, it is up to date difficult to visualize it with high spatial and temporal resolution. We have developed near infrared (NIR) fluorescent sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). They are chemically modified to render them selective for signaling molecules (dopamine, serotonin, ROS) using novel chemical strategies. These sensors change their fluorescence in the presence of the target molecule and detect down to single molecules. Fast parallel imaging of many of those sensors provides a NIR image (>900 nm) of the signaling molecules around single cells. This technique was used to image dopamine release from neurons as well as serotonin and ROS release from human blood platelets. These results illustrate that tailored SWCNTs are powerful tools for quantitative chemical imaging.