LMI Seminar: Bringing Active Biological Processes to Light with Near-Infrared Fluorescent Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Prof. Gili Bisker, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, TAU
Abstract:
Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) exhibit near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence that lies within the biological transparency window and is remarkably photostable—free from photobleaching and blinking. These unique optical properties make SWCNTs exceptional probes for long-term imaging and real-time sensing in complex environments. By engineering their surface through rationally designed functionalization, SWCNTs can be transformed into dynamic optical nanosensors, transducing local biochemical changes into modulations of their NIR emission.
In this seminar, I will present recent advances in utilizing functionalized SWCNTs to study active biological processes with high spatial and temporal resolution. I will highlight strategies for sensing enzymatic activity, monitoring supramolecular self-assembly and disassembly, and mapping spatiotemporal processes in vivo. These studies demonstrate how NIR fluorescent SWCNTs can serve as versatile, noninvasive tools for probing dynamic systems at multiple biological scales, bringing to light molecular and cellular functions in real-time.
