Application of photostable quantum dots for indirect immunofluorescent detection of specific bacterial serotypes on small marine animals

Abstract

An indirect immunofluorescence approach was developed using semiconductor quantum dot nanocrystals to label and detect a specific bacterial serotype of the bacterial human pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus, attached to small marine animals (i.e. benthic harpacticoid copepods), which are suspected pathogen carriers. This photostable labeling method using nanotechnology will potentially allow specific serotypes of other bacterial pathogens to be detected with high sensitivity in a range of systems, and can be easily applied for sensitive detection to other Vibrio species such as Vibrio cholerae.

Nanoparticles in the Water Cycle

“…Therefore, QD have been used for the optical sensing of organic molecules as well as ions (Chen and Rosenzweig, 2002;Isarov and Chrysochoos, 1997). Furthermore, they can be used for the biolabelling of bacteria and the detection of water-borne pathogens (Decho et al, 2008;Yang and Li, 2006). Nanoshells, normally consisting of a non-conducting core and a metal surface coating, absorb light in different wavelengths which can be utilized to detect chemical and biological analytes such as immunoglobulin (Hirsch et al, 2003).…”