Fluorescence microscopy has become an indispensable tool for biological research and discovery. Fluorophores for in vitro research are facilitating a wide range of advances in understanding on the cellular scale. Existing fluorescent probes provide three dimensional spatial and temporal resolution allowing researchers to follow cellular and sub-cellular events in real time.

Researchers continue their quest to see what their predecessors may have missed, creating demand for higher performance fluorescent probes with higher resolutions and longer periods of observation.

C•spec® particles’ core-shell architecture provides advantages to support next generation in vitro fluorescence applications:

Enhanced Brightness: The ability to incorporate multiple dye molecules into a single nanoparticle, without stacking, as well as intrinsic enhancements due to dye-silica interactions lead to particles with brightness levels competitive with quantum dots.

Enhanced Photostability: The silica matrix further protects the dye molecules against photobleaching allowing researchers to follow cellular activities over longer periods of time than would be possible with individual dye molecules.

Biocompatible and Functionalizable Silica Surface:
The silica nanoparticle surface has proven to be highly biocompatible for work with both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. The versatility of silane chemistry has allowed HST to develop a number of surface chemistries that can enhance
the specificity of particle binding while minimizing non-
specific adhesion.

Small Particle Sizes HST can synthesize C•spec® particles that are uniform in size below 10 nm. These small particles allow highlighting of small biological features with minimal perturbation to their surroundings.

HST’s collaborators at Cornell have been successfully applied C•spec® particles to imaging of both primary cells and
cell lines from various species, as well as to surface labeling
of bacterial cells.