Hyperspectral multiplex single-particle tracking of different receptor subtypes labeled with quantum dots in live neurons.

The efficacy of existing therapies and the discovery of innovative treatments for central nervous system (CNS) diseases have been limited by the lack of appropriate methods to investigate complex molecular processes at the synaptic level. To improve our capability to investigate complex mechanisms of synaptic signaling and remodeling, we designed a fluorescence hyperspectral imaging platform to simultaneously track different subtypes of individual neurotransmitter receptors trafficking in and out of synapses. This imaging platform allows simultaneous image acquisition of at least five fluorescent markers in living neurons with a high-spatial resolution. We used quantum dots emitting at different wavelengths and functionalized to specifically bind to single receptors on the membrane of living neurons. The hyperspectral imaging platform enabled the simultaneous optical tracking of five different synaptic proteins, including subtypes of glutamate receptors (mGluR and AMPAR) and postsynaptic signaling proteins. It also permitted the quantification of their mobility after treatments with various pharmacological agents. This technique provides an efficient method to monitor several synaptic proteins at the same time, which could accelerate the screening of effective compounds for treatment of CNS disorders.

Hyperspectral Microscopy of Near-Infrared Fluorescence Enables 17-Chirality Carbon Nanotube Imaging.

The intrinsic near-infrared photoluminescence (fluorescence) of single-walled carbon nanotubes exhibits unique photostability, narrow bandwidth, penetration through biological media, environmental sensitivity, and both chromatic variety and range. Biomedical applications exploiting this large family of fluorophores will require the spectral and spatial resolution of individual (n,m) nanotube species' fluorescence and its modulation within live cells and tissues, which is not possible with current microscopy methods. We present a wide-field hyperspectral approach to spatially delineate and spectroscopically measure single nanotube fluorescence in living systems. This approach resolved up to 17 distinct (n,m) species (chiralities) with single nanotube spatial resolution in live mammalian cells, murine tissues ex vivo, and zebrafish endothelium in vivo. We anticipate that this approach will facilitate multiplexed nanotube imaging in biomedical applications while enabling deep-tissue optical penetration, and single-molecule resolution in vivo.

Significant enhancement of ferromagnetism in Zn1-xCrxTe doped with iodine as an n-type dopant.

The effect of additional doping of charge impurities was investigated in a ferromagnetic semiconductor Zn1-xCrxTe. It was found that the doping of iodine, which is expected to act as an n-type dopant in ZnTe, brought about a drastic enhancement of the ferromagnetism in Zn1-xCrxTe, while the grown films remained electrically insulating. In particular, at a fixed Cr composition of x=0.05, the ferromagnetic transition temperature TC increased up to 300 K at maximum due to the iodine doping from TC=30 K of the undoped counterpart, while the ferromagnetism disappeared due to the doping of nitrogen as a p-type dopant. The observed systematic correlation of ferromagnetism with the doping of charge impurities of both the p and n type, suggesting a key role of the position of Fermi level within the impurity d state, is discussed on the basis of the double-exchange interaction as a mechanism of ferromagnetism in this material.