Chennai, India (CU)_ Gold nanoseeds enable visible particles that can be used to develop new methods for detecting and delivering light-activated cancer therapy. Tel Aviv University researchers discovered a means to infuse color into transparent calcite nanoparticles using nanotechnology, transforming the previously invisible and transparent particles into easily recognizable, glittering gold particles.
These visible particles could pave the way for new medical procedures to identify and administer light-activated cancer medication therapy. Photothermal therapy, photoacoustic tomography, bioimaging, and targeted drug delivery are all potential biomedical applications of the new technology.
An international team of scientists led by Roman Noskov and Prof. Pavel Ginzburg of TAU’s Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering; Prof. Dmitry Gorin of the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology’s Center for Photonics and Quantum Materials; and Evgeny Shirshin of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University conducted the research and development. The discoveries were published in Advanced Materials, a peer-reviewed publication.
Traditional optical engineering methods frequently employ harmful materials and chemicals, but this new method uses gold nanoseeds and porous vaterite (calcium carbonate) spherulites, which are currently thought to be potential drug delivery vehicles. The infusion of gold nanoseeds produces a novel material whose resonance qualities can be varied by altering the amount of gold in the vaterite. Ginzburg expects the collaboration will result in live subject (in vivo) demonstrations, which will open doors to new biomedical technology.
