Nadiah Aldaleeli
Swansea University, UK
Title: Intracellular pH detection of Brachionus plicatilis with pMBA pH nanosensor
Biography
Biography: Nadiah Aldaleeli
Abstract
An important application of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is the potential of intracellular analysis based on Raman reporters attached to nanoprobes. SERS is an appropriate technique for identifi cation of molecular species of a biological system; measuring local chemical changes at the subcellular level with high spatial and temporal resolution. Measuring pH utilising the enhanced Raman response from pMBA when it has functionalised gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) has attracted signifi cant attentions. Th us, the application of such a system to the measurement of intracellular pH is a key aspect of current development. Th e importance of monitoring the intracellular pH appears in gaining a better understanding of the occurrence and progression of diseases. Herein, the sensitivity of pH nanoprobe based on pMBA functionalised 30 nm Au NPs to the pH changes of the surrounding solutions has been investigated not only with a pure stock solution of pMBA-Au but also when internalised inside Brachionus plicatilis. The preliminary results show that the chemical sensing of the nanoscales probe is maintained when inserted into living cells giving an evidence of the ability of such probe to monitor intracellular pH changes. The sensitivity of such nanoprobe to the pH changes inside the organism is refl ected in the changes of the SERS response of the pH calibration modes at 696 cm-1, 1393 cm-1 and 1702 cm-1 which shows a similar trend to the pure stock solution of pMBA-Au.