USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

University System of Maryland

Eunkeu Oh

Kimihiro Susumu

James B Delehanty

Michael H Stewart

Jeffrey R Deschamps

Igor L Medintz

Okhil Nag

Alan L Huston

Philip E Dawson

Alexander L Efros

Darryl A Boyd

Lauren D Field

James P Wissman

Megan Muroski

Igor Vurgaftman

Mijin Kim

R Joseph Weiblen

Christopher M Jewell

Parag Chitnis

Krystina Hess

Nashaat Rasheed

John R Cressman

Kwahun Lee

Katherine Rogers

Ajmeeta Sangtani

A new seedless synthesis of anisotropic nanoscale gold nanoflower (AuNF) particles uses bidentate thiolate ligands to protect the nanoparticle surface and a combination of reagents (for example, ligand, ascorbic acid, and hydroxide) to synthesis AuNF with controlled size and anisotropic properties. Compared to prior art gold nanospheres, AuNF produced approximately a 15-fold improvement in a drug delivery assay.

Seedless synthesis of anisotropic gold nanoflowers with cellular control and drug delivery applications

This disclosure concerns a method of making a ligand for Quantum Dot functionalization, a method of making a functionalized Quantum Dot (QD) with a ligand, and a method of making a transparent luminescent quantum dot thiol-yne nanocomposite with tailorable optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The prepolymer solution and functionalized Quantum Dot can be used in additive manufacturing.

Fabrication of luminescent quantum dot thiol-yne nanocomposites with tailorable optical, thermal and mechanical properties

A nanoparticle (NP)-peptide conjugate provides efficient steric hindrance/blockage of cellular membrane potassium (K) channels to mediate depolarization of cellular membrane potential.

Nanoparticle/peptide method of blocking potassium channels

Nanoparticle-enhanced activity of a potassium channel-blocking peptide

A construct for detecting cellular membrane potential includes a nanoparticle operable as an electron donor; a modular peptide attached to the nanoparticle, the peptide comprising a nanoparticle association domain, a motif configured to mediate peptide insertion into the plasma membrane, and at least one attachment point for an electron acceptor positioned at a controlled distance from the nanoparticle; and an electron acceptor. The nanoparticle can be a quantum dot and the electron acceptor can be Cfullerene. Emission correlates with cellular membrane potential.

Modular, multifunctional nanoparticle-based bioconjugate for realtime visualization of cellular membrane potential

Provided are compositions and methods for promoting tolerance to auto-immune antigens. In general the compositions include quantum dots (QDs) that are in association with auto-immune peptide antigens. It is shown that QDs can be used to generate immunological tolerance by controlling the density of self-antigen on QDs. Peptide-QDs rapidly concentrate in draining lymph nodes, and co-localize with macrophages expressing scavenger receptors involved intolerance. Treatment with peptide-QDs reduces disease incidence 10-fold. The degree of tolerance and the underlying expansion of regulatory T cells correlates with the density of myelin molecules presented on QDs such that higher numbers of tolerogenic particles displaying lower levels of self-peptide are more effective for inducing tolerance than fewer particles each displaying higher densities of peptide. The disclosure is therefore relevant to promoting tolerance to antigens that are involved in a variety of autoimmune disorders.

Harnessing quantum dots to study, visualize, and promote immune tolerance

A construct for detecting cellular membrane potential includes a nanoparticle operable as an electron donor; a modular peptide attached to the nanoparticle, the peptide comprising a nanoparticle association domain, a motif configured to mediate peptide insertion into the plasma membrane, and at least one attachment point for an electron acceptor positioned at a controlled distance from the nanoparticle; and an electron acceptor. The nanoparticle can be a quantum dot and the electron acceptor can be Cfullerene. Photoacoustic emission from the construct correlates with cellular membrane potential.

Multifunctional nanoparticle bioconjugates for photoacoustic-based recording of cellular membrane potential

Growing community of inventors

Alexandria, VA, United States of America

Eunkeu Oh