| abstract |
A nanoparticulate imaging probe with an oxide core, a biocompatible polymeric shell covalently attached to the oxide core, a dye, and a cleavable spacer that covalently binds the dye to the probe. When the spacer is cleaved, the dye is liberated from the probe. The emissions of the dye are quenched when the dye is bound to the probe and not quenched when the dye is liberated from the probe. The spacer can be, for example, a peptide. The oxide core can be, for example, a silicon oxide core. |