A rod-shaped plant virus having an interior surface and an exterior surface, and at least one imaging agent that is linked to the interior and/or exterior surface is described. The rod-shaped viruses can be combined into larger spherical nanoparticles. A rod-shaped plant virus or spherical nanoparticles including an imaging agent can be used in a method of generating an image of a tissue region of a subject such as a tumor or atherosclerotic tissue by administering the virus particle to the subject and generating an image of the tissue region of the subject to which the virus particle has been distributed.

Described are coated iron oxide nanorods (IONRs) containing an iron oxide core and a coating surrounding the core, and pharmaceutical compositions containing these coated IONRs. The iron oxide core of the coated IONRs has strong magnetic property, i.e., a magnetic flux density of at least 10 emu/g, induced using 1 T magnetizing field strength, at room temperature. The coating of the coated IONRs can be formed by a polymer, such as an amphiphilic polymer. The coated IONRs are stable in an aqueous medium for at least 30 mins, at room temperature, while maintain the superior magnetic property of the core, achieving a separation efficiency of at least 80% within only 1 min of magnet time. Optionally, the coated IONRs contain one or more active agents embedded in the coating of the coated IONRs, for systemic or local delivery.

The invention relates to a method allowing functionalization of carbon nano-objects and in particular carbon nanotubes and graphene nanosheets, a composition comprising nano-objects functionalized by this method, suspended in an organic solvent, as well as to the uses of this composition. Suitable applications include elaboration of composite materials and, in particular, of nano-composite materials, materials intended for photovoltaics, detection devices of the detector/sensor or biodetector/biosensor type, photocatalysis systems, targeted vectorization systems for compounds of therapeutic or diagnostic interest or further contrast agents for medical imaging.