Hemocompatibility investigation and improvement of near-infrared persistent luminescent nanoparticle ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ by surface PEGylation

ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ hemocompatibility was systematically investigated from the aspects of hemolysis, erythrocyte morphology, coagulation and complement system activation, and greatly improved by surface PEGylation.

A Novel Complex: A Quantum Dot Conjugated to an Active T7RNA Polymerase

To perform single-molecule studies of the T7RNA polymerase, it is crucial to visualize an individual T7RNA polymerase, for example, through a fluorescent signal. We present a novel complex combining two different molecular functions, an active T7RNA polymerase and a highly luminescent nanoparticle, a quantum dot. The complex has the advantage of both constituents: the complex can traffic along DNA and simultaneously be visualized, both at the ensemble and at the single-molecule level. The labeling was mediated through anin vivobiotinylation of a His-tagged T7RNA polymerase and subsequent binding of a streptavidin-coated quantum dot. Our technique allows for easy purification of the quantum dot labeled T7RNA polymerases from the reactants. Also, the conjugation does not alter the functionality of the polymerase; it retains the ability to bind and transcribe.