The invention relates to a new method for generating a luminescent signal, which is based on an enzyme-independent photon emission mechanism (EiPE), whereby luminescent light is generated when a bioluminescent substrate interact with a physical surface in the absence of any catalytic enzyme. In particular embodiments, the method is used to stimulate light emission by fluorescent molecules. The invention relates also to kits for implementing a method according to the present invention and to the use of a bioluminescent substrate, in the presence of a physical surface, to produce a luminescent signal in the absence of enzymatic catalyst.

This invention relates to a rare earth nanomaterial labeled biomolecule, its labeling method and a dissolution-enhanced time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay based on the rare earth nanomaterial. The rare earth nanomaterial serves as a label having stable properties, large specific surface area, strong modifiability, low-cost and thousands of lanthanide ions contained in each nanocrystal, the labeling ratio of rare earth ions can be greatly improved. Furthermore, the rare earth nanomaterial can be less affected by exogenous rare earth ions, unaffected by anticoagulants, and has broader applicability; after the immune complex was formed by labeling the biomolecules with the nanomaterial containing rare earth, an enhancer solution was added to allow the rare earth nanomaterial to dissolve into the rare earth ions, which can in turn form new signaling molecules with the chelates in the enhancer solution to induce intramolecular and intermolecular energy transfer, thereby significantly increasing fluorescence intensity by about a million times to greatly enhance the detection sensitivity by using time-resolved fluorescence assay.

Disclosed herein are compositions of a multimodal detection agent and methods of fabricating the same. The multimodal detection agent comprises a plurality of metallic nanoparticles attached to a surface of a polymeric carrier. The detection agent further comprising one or more target-specific binding agents attached to the metallic nanoparticles or the polymeric carrier.

The present invention provides a fluorescent silica-based nanoparticle that allows for precise detection, characterization, monitoring and treatment of a disease such as cancer The nanoparticle has a fluorescent compound positioned within the nanoparticle, and has greater brightness and fluorescent quantum yield than the free fluorescent compound To facilitate efficient urinary excretion of the nanoparticle, it may be coated with an organic polymer, such as polyethylene glycol) (PEG) The small size of the nanoparticle, the silica base and the organic polymer coating minimizes the toxicity of the nanoparticle when administered in vivo The nanoparticle may further be conjugated to a ligand capable of binding to a cellular component associated with the specific cell type, such as a tumor marker A therapeutic agent may be attached to the nanoparticle Radionuclides/radiometals or paramagnetic ions may be conjugated to the nanoparticle to permit the nanoparticle to be detectable by various imaging techniques.

The invention relates to a method for detecting various analytes, characterized by the following steps: a) providing separation particles containing, on their surface, firstly means of binding the analyte to be identified and secondly means of separating the analyte bound to the particles; b) providing identification particles firstly having, on their surface, means for binding the analyte to be identified and secondly containing on their surface or enclosed therein, means which are capable, after they have been detached or released from the particles, by virtue of their labeling, of generating a signal which serves for identification of the analyte; c) combining analyte, separation particles and identification particles; d) removing and washing the identification particles bound via the analyte by means of the separation particles; e) releasing the means which serve to identify the analyte, characterized in that the means which serve to identify the analyte are coupled reversibly to the identification particles and in that the identification molecules serve simultaneously for identification of the analyte and for detection.

The present invention relates to a composition for target substance detection using a magnetic nanoparticle having a Curie temperature which is within a biocompatible temperature range, a target substance detection system, and a method for obtaining an image of a living body or specimen. As the magnetic nanoparticle of the present invention has a Curie temperature within the temperature range of 0 C. to 41 C., the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic properties of the magnetic nanoparticle may be controlled within a biocompatible temperature range at a temperature at which a biological control agent is not destroyed, and the temperature of the magnetic nanoparticle is adjusted to control the magnetic properties thereof such that the properties of the magnetic nanoparticle may be used only when ferromagnetic properties are required, such as in the case of signal amplification in detecting, separating, and delivering biological control agents. Accordingly, the present invention can provide a biological substance detection system which satisfies both a decrease in non-specific binding and signal amplification using a magnetic nanoparticle having a Curie temperature which is within a biocompatible temperature range, and can be reused after detection.

Certain embodiments of the invention are directed to a photothermal immunoassay employing a thermometer or colorimetric detection method for sensitive quantitative readout based on the photothermal effect provided by a detection reagent.

Disclosed herein are organometallic complexes and methods of using the same in detecting double stranded DNA or RNA, selectively over single stranded DNA or RNA.

A nanoshell is disclosed, comprising a star polymer occlusion complex comprising i) an amphiphilic unimolecular star polymer having a crosslinked core covalently linked to 6 or more independent polymer arms, and ii) a cargo material occluded in the star polymer; and a shell comprising an inorganic material in contact with a peripheral surface of the star polymer occlusion complex.

Techniques for imaging a characteristic of a sample with a plurality of conjugates of diamond-metallic nanoparticles having a nitrogen vacancy center. The plurality of conjugates can be exposed to a sample and the nitrogen vacancy centers can be optically pumped. One or more microwave pulses can be applied to the nitrogen vacancy center, and a fluorescent response can be detected.