Shrinkwrap Brightens Fluorescent Biomarkers

Mar-24-14 By applying a combination of metals onto shrink wrap, researchers have developed a way to increase the brightness of pathogen-detecting fluorescent particles.

Fluorescent particles are used to detect biomarkers and pathogens, but their usefulness is limited by how dimly the fluorescence appears when only a few particles are present, as well as by the expense associated with the method.

The improve the brightness of the nanoparticles, a team from the University of California, Irvine applied layers of gold and silver to common shrink wrap and then heated it. The heated material contracted, causing the metals to buckle into extremely small flower-like structures. When samples of antibodies tagged with fluorescent markers were placed on top of the material, the researchers found that the wrinkles of the shrink wrap significantly increased the fluorescence signals from the biomarkers.

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