Researchers: Qdots Have Little Impact on Cells
BERKELEY, Calif., July 24, 2006 -- Nanosized fluorescent probes that can slip inside living cells and shed light on life’s most fundamental processes, or track the effectiveness of cancer-fighting drugs, are barely noticed by the cells they enter, according to researchers.
Using a high-throughput gene expression test, the team determined that the probes, which are specially coated quantum dots, only affect 0.2 percent of the human genome. The finding should quell concerns that have been raised recently in the scientific...