An object of the present invention is to provide fluorescently labeled silica-coated gold nanorods that are safe for administration to living bodies, stable to temperature rise and external environment, and easy to manufacture. The present invention is a labeled silica-coated gold nanorod, including a gold nanorod, a silica layer covering the gold nanorod, spacers bonded to the silica layer, and labeled materials, in which the labeled material is chemically bonded to the spacer. The present invention also provides a method for producing a labeled silica-coated gold nanorod, including an introduction step and a binding step, in which in the introduction step, spacers are introduced on a silica layer of a silica-coated gold nanorod and in the binding step, a labeled material is chemically bound to the spacer.

In some aspects, the disclosure relates to compositions and method for detection, classification, and treatment of disease or other body status. The methods and compositions may be methods or compositions for identification of pathogenic infections or other diseases in patients using an inhalable nanosensor having a volatile reporter. The disclosure is based, in part, on synthetic biomarkers (e.g., inhalable nanosensors) that are capable of distinguishing (e.g., classifying) different disease or status associated enzymes in a subject by examining the effect of those enzymes on a synthetic volatile reporter.

A method is provided for determining antioxidant power of a sample of a biological fluid or a food. The method essentially consists in contacting the sample to be tested with an aqueous solution of platinum nanoparticles, an oxidizing agent, and a chromogenic peroxidase substrate, and detecting color of the final solution thus obtained. Color intensity of the solution is proportional to the antioxidant power of the sample. A kit suitable for carrying out the method is also provided.

A sensor for detecting an analyte can include a photoluminescent nanostructure embedded in a sensor hydrogel. The sensor hydrogel can be supported by a substrate hydrogel.

Silica nanoparticles for biomarker diagnosis and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly silica nanoparticles for biomarker diagnosis capable of measuring glycated proteins such as glycated hemoglobin, glycated albumin, etc. used as diabetes diagnosis markers, and a method of manufacturing the same are proposed. The silica nanoparticles for biomarker diagnosis, containing a reactive polymer and a nonreactive polymer immobilized on the surface and a dye immobilized inside, immobilize the dye therein through covalent bonding, whereby the dye is not affected by external environmental factors such as heat, pH, etc., and stability is enhanced even upon long-term storage.

This invention provides a groundbreaking approach to PLNPs and their preparation. In particular, the synthetic methodology disclosed herein fundamentally differs from the traditional solid-state annealing reactions that require extreme and harsh reaction conditions. In one unique aspect of the invention, a simple, one-step mesoporous template method utilizing mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) is disclosed that affords in vivo rechargeable NIR-emitting mesoporous PLNPs with uniform size and morphology. In another unique aspect of the invention, the novel synthetic approach is based on aqueous-phase chemical reactions conducted in mild conditions, resulting in uniform and homogeneous PLNPs with desired size control (e.g., sub-10 nm).

Disclosed is a platform detecting glycated hemoglobin as an indicator for diabetes in the blood based on upconverting nanoparticles excited by near-infrared light and luminescence resonance energy transfer.

Described herein are apparata and methods for growing cells in a manner that mimics the native three-dimensional environment. Cell cultures grown in the apparatus can be screened for inhibition by specific chemotherapeutics or other drugs.

A method for making metal nanorods comprises combining a source of metal cations with at least one surfactant to form a mixture, wherein the metal cations are reduced and the metal nanorods are produced. Metal nanorods produced by the method and uses thereof. The metal nanorods are useful in devices such as lateral flow devices.

A nanoparticle heterodimer in which Raman-active molecules are located at a binding portion of the nanoparticle heterodimer is disclosed. A core-shell nanoparticle heterodimer includes a gold or silver core having a surface to which oligo nucleotides are bonded; and a gold or silver shell covering the core. In addition, a core-shell nanoparticle dimer, a method for preparing same, and uses thereof are disclosed.