Physical Chemistry Seminar : Optical probes based on single-walled carbon nanotubes for real-time monitoring of active processes

Zoom: https://tau-ac-il.zoom.us/j/87820055721?pwd=kewAaVRPgfvQXtUuQD41aWPtcLcecQ.1

Abstract:

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) fluoresce in the near-infrared (NIR) range, which overlaps with the transparency window of biological samples, and they do not photobleach or blink. These properties make SWCNTs uniquely suited for long-term imaging and sensing applications. Using tailored surface functionalization, SWCNTs can act as dynamic optical nanosensors, transducing biochemical changes in their environment into modulations in fluorescence intensity. Owing to their intrinsic physicochemical and optical properties, SWCNTs can provide real-time, spatiotemporal information on active processes across scales, from molecular interactions to whole organism dynamics.
Here, I will discuss different strategies for utilizing rationally designed functionalized SWCNTs to probe active biological processes. These include monitoring enzymatic activity1–4, tracking supramolecular self-assembly and disassembly5–9, and mapping in vivo processes10–12. These findings showcase the potential of near-infrared fluorescent SWCNTs to provide insights into dynamic biological systems.
(1) Basu, S.; Hendler‐Neumark, A.; Bisker, G. Rationally Designed Functionalization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Real-Time Monitoring of Cholinesterase Activity and Inhibition in Plasma. Small 2024.
(2) Basu, S.; Hendler-Neumark, A.; Bisker, G. Monitoring Enzyme Activity Using Near-Infrared Fluorescent Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. ACS Sens 2024, 9 (5), 2237–2253.
(3) Wulf, V.; Slor, G.; Rathee, P.; Amir, R. J.; Bisker, G. Dendron–Polymer Hybrids as Tailorable Responsive Coronae of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. ACS Nano 2021, 15 (12), 20539–20549.
(4) Loewenthal, D.; Kamber, D.; Bisker, G. Monitoring the Activity and Inhibition of Cholinesterase Enzymes Using Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Fluorescent Sensors. Anal Chem 2022, 94 (41).
(5) Wulf, V.; Bisker, G. Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Fluorescent Probes for Monitoring the Self-Assembly and Morphology of Peptide/Polymer Hybrid Hydrogels. Nano Lett 2022, 22 (22).
(6) Gerstman, E.; Hendler-Neumark, A.; Wulf, V.; Bisker, G. Monitoring the Formation of Fibrin Clots as Part of the Coagulation Cascade Using Fluorescent Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023, 15 (18), 21866–21876.
(7) Wulf, V.; Bichachi, E.; Hendler‐Neumark, A.; Massarano, T.; Leshem, A. B.; Lampel, A.; Bisker, G. Multicomponent System of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes Functionalized with a Melanin‐Inspired Material for Optical Detection and Scavenging of Metals. Adv Funct Mater 2022, 2209688.
(8) Kleiner, S.; Wulf, V.; Bisker, G. Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probes for Bio-Inspired Supramolecular Self-Assembled Hydrogels. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024, 670.
(9) Wulf, V.; Bisker, G. Integrating Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes into Supramolecular Assemblies: From Basic Interactions to Emerging Applications. ACS Nano 2024.
(10) Hendler-Neumark, A.; Wulf, V.; Bisker, G. In Vivo Imaging of Fluorescent Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes within C. Elegans Nematodes in the Near-Infrared Window. Mater Today Bio 2021, 12.
(11) Sharaga, E.; Hendler-Neumark, A.; Kamber, D.; Bisker, G. Spatiotemporal Tracking of Near-Infrared Fluorescent Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in C. Elegans Nematodes Confined in a Microfluidics Platform. Adv Mater Technol 2024, 9 (5).
(12) Basu, S.; Hendler-Neumark, A.; Bisker, G. Dynamic Tracking of Biological Processes Using Near-Infrared Fluorescent Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024.

Seminar Organizer: Dr. Barak Hirshberg