MAGIC TRANSFORMATION OF BIOCONJUGATE UPON Ag NP RIPENING

What is it about?

We produced a bioconjugate of phycoerythrin, a photosynthetic pigment of red algae, with Ag0 NPs synthesized in its tunnel cavities by mixing aqueous solutions of AgNO3 and phycoerythrin without exogenous reductant. The bioconjugate self-assembled into nanorods 25 nm long and could withstand heating to 90 °C, bright visible fluorescence was almost quenched, and giant surface-enhanced Raman scattering was recorded upon the ripening of Ag0 NPs

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Why is it important?

Silver nanoparticles (NPs) have considerable interest in the field of nanomedicine due to their antiseptic and electrical activities, unique optical properties. In addition most biological molecules can be labeled with Ag0 NPs without loss of their biological activity and ability to interact with their counterparts. In these reasons bioconjugates are considered as a source for a wide variety of biomaterials, devices simulating the functions of various cells, high-sensitive electrochemical biosensor systems that increase the speed and accuracy of medical analyses. Binding of metal NPs to a photoactive molecule may result in strong plasmonic effects that significantly expand possibilities in development of new optoelectronic devices and for theranostic applications in medicine.