Application of Gold Nanoparticles in Medical Field

31 March 2008

Researchers have recently used gold nanoparticles for identifying different classes of bacteria. At present for the identification of different classes of bacteria, expensive equipments are required. Further identification also requires lots of time as plating and culture is done on samples. This new technique of identification of different bacteria classes will be beneficial in medical diagnosis.

Researchers associated a negatively charged conjugated polymer with positively charged chemical on the surface of gold nanoparticle and used fluorescence for bacteria identification. The fluorescent negatively charged conjugated polymer if associated with the gold nanoparticle would behave different fluorescent pattern. The negatively charged particle can dissociate the conjugated polymer and once the polymer is dissociated it will show the original fluorescent pattern. Different bacteria classes will behave differently towards conjugated polymers and therefore it is possible to identify the classes of bacteria.

Researchers exposed the gold nanoparticles to buffered solution of bacteria for 15 minutes and then the fluorescent intensities were plotted for 12 different bacteria classes. Using a statistical tool, researchers were able to identify and differentiate all the twelve bacteria species.

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