Biomedical subjects

Todd D Krauss

Publications and source records attributed to Todd D Krauss.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Quantized bimolecular auger recombination of excitons in single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Auger-like exciton-exciton annihilation in isolated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) has been studied by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. We observe a quantization of the Auger recombination process and extract dynamics for 2 and 3 electron-hole pair excited states. We further demonstrate that Auger recombination in SWNTs is a two-particle process involving strongly bound excitons and not a three-particle Auger process involving unbound electrons and holes. We thus provide explicit experimental evidence for one-dimensional discrete excitons in SWNTs.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Fluorescence spectroscopy of single lead sulfide quantum dots.

We report the observation of fluorescence from single PbS quantum dots (QDs) using confocal microscopy in an inert atmosphere. Single PbS QDs exhibit a narrowing of the fluorescence line width (relative to the ensemble) and fluorescence intermittency ("blinking"), consistent with the properties of other single QDs. However, single-particle line widths averaged 100 meV, indicating a significant homogeneous component to the ensemble line width. In addition, the duration of an on/off blinking event has a probability density that decays according to an inverse power law, indicating a broad distribution of kinetic rates to multiple on/off states.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Detection of single bacterial pathogens with semiconductor quantum dots.

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been used in a simple fluorometric assay to detect single cells of the pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 serotype. Composed of CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs conjugated to streptavidin, this system exhibits 2 orders of magnitude more sensitivity than a similar assay using a common organic dye. Selectivity for this pathogenic bacterial strain over a common lab strain (E. coli DH5alpha), which is gained from the use of specific biotinylated antibodies, is also demonstrated for QD labeling. Under continuous excitation, these QDs retain high fluorescence intensities for hours, whereas a typical organic dye bleaches within seconds, allowing for more rapid and accurate identification of E. coli O157:H7 in single-cell fluorescence-based assays. This indirect QD labeling method, based on antibody-antigen and streptavidin-biotin interactions, is flexible enough to expand to other systems and has great potential for use in simultaneous multicolor detection schemes.

Biotin↗

PubMed2005

Sensitivity and specificity of metal surface-immobilized "molecular beacon" biosensors.

The separate developments of microarray patterning of DNA oligonucleotides, and of DNA hairpins as sensitive probes for oligonucleotide identification in solution, have had a tremendous impact on basic biological research and clinical applications. We have combined these two approaches to develop arrayable and label-free biological sensors based on fluorescence unquenching of DNA hairpins immobilized on metal surfaces. The thermodynamic and kinetic response of these sensors, and the factors important in hybridization efficiency, were investigated. Hybridization efficiency was found to be sensitive to hairpin secondary structure, as well as to the surface distribution of DNA hairpins on the substrate. The identity of the bases used in the hairpin stem as well as the overall loop length significantly affected sensitivity and selectivity. Surface-immobilized hairpins discriminated between two sequences with a single base-pair mismatch with high sensitivity (over an order of magnitude difference in signal) under identical assay conditions (no change in stringency). This represents a significant improvement over other microarray-based techniques.

Bacillus anthracis↗

PubMed2005

Single carbon nanotube optical spectroscopy.

This Minireview discusses novel insights into the electronic structure of carbon nanotubes obtained using single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy. Fluorescence spectra from single nanotubes are well described by a single, Lorentzian lineshape. Nanotubes with identical structures fluoresce with different energies due to local electronic perturbations. Carbon nanotube fluorescence unexpectedly does not-show any intensity or spectral fluctuations at 300 K The lack of intensity blinking or bleaching demonstrates that carbon nanotubes have the potential to provide a stable, single-molecule infrared photon source, allowing for the exciting possibility of applications in quantum optics and biophotonics.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Polarization surface-charge density of single semiconductor quantum rods.

Electrostatic force microscopy was used to determine that single CdSe quantum rods (QRs) have a permanent polarization surface-charge density, an unexpected observation for supposedly well-shaped particles. The surface charge results from a slight angle between the QR sides and the direction of internal electric polarization. By contrast, despite the large dipole moment expected for CdSe QRs, none was observed. The unavoidable presence of permanently charged surfaces on CdSe QRs has the potential to impede the development of novel devices incorporating these materials.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

Simultaneous fluorescence and Raman scattering from single carbon nanotubes.

Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy was used to determine the electronic properties of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotube structure was determined simultaneously from Raman spectroscopy. Fluorescence spectra from individual nanotubes with identical structures have different emission energies and linewidths that likely arise from defects or the local environment. Unlike most other molecules studied to date, the fluorescence intensity or spectrum from a single nanotube unexpectedly did not fluctuate.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

The structural basis for giant enhancement enabling single-molecule Raman scattering.

We find that giant surface-enhanced Raman scattering for adsorbates on silver surfaces is present only on surfaces that exhibit self-similar fractal topology as inferred from atomic force microscopy. The fractal character results in localizing the energy of incident photons to volumes of a few nanometers on a side, millions of times smaller than the diffraction limit. Consistent with this finding, we have found an enhancement in spontaneous Raman cross section of >13 orders of magnitude for adsorbates on silver surfaces demonstrated to be fractal. The location of "hot spots" on the fractal surfaces is found to be hypersensitive to incident wavelength and polarization even though the observed Raman scattering is strictly linear in incident intensity. These observations are consistent with localization of the photon energy facilitated by the disordered nature of fractal organization through interference between the incident wave and scattered radiation from silver nanoparticle surface plasmons. We also present a surface preparation method that consistently produces fractal topologies that support single-molecule Raman scattering.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

Hybridization-based unquenching of DNA hairpins on au surfaces: prototypical "molecular beacon" biosensors.

There is a keen interest in developing techniques for rapid genetic analysis that do not require labeling of an analyte. Here we demonstrate that fluorophore-tagged DNA hairpins attached to gold films can function as immobilized "molecular beacons". Two DNA hairpins incorporating portions of the Staphlococcus aureus FemA and mecR methicillin-resistance genes were attached to a gold substrate. Upon exposure to the complement, a approximately 26-fold increase in fluorescence intensity was measured corresponding to a 96 +/- 5% quenching efficiency. Studies with nonspecific DNA indicate that DNA hairpins immobilized on a gold surface retain their ability to bind complementary DNA sequences selectively.

Bacterial Proteins↗