| abstract |
A method for imaging cell plasma membrane potential, the method comprising: providing a construct comprising a nanoparticle operable as an electron donor; a modular peptide attached to the nanoparticle; and an electron acceptor, the peptide comprising a nanoparticle association domain, a motif configured to mediate insertion of peptides into the plasma membrane, and at least one binding site for peptide binding to the electron acceptor placed at a controlled distance. of the nanoparticle; contacting a cell with the construct; and measuring a change in the photoluminescence of the electron donor, where a rate of electron transfer between the electron donor and the electron acceptor is modulated by changes in the plasma membrane potential and the construct correlates the rate modulation electron transfer by change in photoluminescence, wherein the modular peptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, and SEQ ID NO: 3, and wherein the nanoparticle is a dot quantum, and where the electron acceptor is C60. |