@phdthesis{Hildebrandt2006,
  author    = {Hildebrandt, Niko},
  title     = {Lanthanides and quantum dots : time-resolved laser spectroscopy of biochemical F{\"o}rster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) systems},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-12686},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {F{\"o}rster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) plays an important role for biochemical applications such as DNA sequencing, intracellular protein-protein interactions, molecular binding studies, in vitro diagnostics and many others. For qualitative and quantitative analysis, FRET systems are usually assembled through molecular recognition of biomolecules conjugated with donor and acceptor luminophores. Lanthanide (Ln) complexes, as well as semiconductor quantum dot nanocrystals (QD), possess unique photophysical properties that make them especially suitable for applied FRET. In this work the possibility of using QD as very efficient FRET acceptors in combination with Ln complexes as donors in biochemical systems is demonstrated. The necessary theoretical and practical background of FRET, Ln complexes, QD and the applied biochemical models is outlined. In addition, scientific as well as commercial applications are presented. FRET can be used to measure structural changes or dynamics at distances ranging from approximately 1 to 10 nm. The very strong and well characterized binding process between streptavidin (Strep) and biotin (Biot) is used as a biomolecular model system. A FRET system is established by Strep conjugation with the Ln complexes and QD biotinylation. Three Ln complexes (one with Tb3+ and two with Eu3+ as central ion) are used as FRET donors. Besides the QD two further acceptors, the luminescent crosslinked protein allophycocyanin (APC) and a commercial fluorescence dye (DY633), are investigated for direct comparison. FRET is demonstrated for all donor-acceptor pairs by acceptor emission sensitization and a more than 1000-fold increase of the luminescence decay time in the case of QD reaching the hundred microsecond regime. Detailed photophysical characterization of donors and acceptors permits analysis of the bioconjugates and calculation of the FRET parameters. Extremely large F{\"o}rster radii of more than 100 {\AA} are achieved for QD as acceptors, considerably larger than for APC and DY633 (ca. 80 and 60 {\AA}). Special attention is paid to interactions with different additives in aqueous solutions, namely borate buffer, bovine serum albumin (BSA), sodium azide and potassium fluoride (KF). A more than 10-fold limit of detection (LOD) decrease compared to the extensively characterized and frequently used donor-acceptor pair of Europium tris(bipyridine) (Eu-TBP) and APC is demonstrated for the FRET system, consisting of the Tb complex and QD. A sub-picomolar LOD for QD is achieved with this system in azide free borate buffer (pH 8.3) containing 2 \% BSA and 0.5 M KF. In order to transfer the Strep-Biot model system to a real-life in vitro diagnostic application, two kinds of imunnoassays are investigated using human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) as analyte. HCG itself, as well as two monoclonal anti-HCG mouse-IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies are labeled with the Tb complex and QD, respectively. Although no sufficient evidence for FRET can be found for a sandwich assay, FRET becomes obvious in a direct HCG-IgG assay showing the feasibility of using the Ln-QD donor-acceptor pair as highly sensitive analytical tool for in vitro diagnostics.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{LoehmannsroebenBeckHildebrandtetal.2006,
  author    = {L{\"o}hmannsr{\"o}ben, Hans-Gerd and Beck, Michael and Hildebrandt, Niko and Schm{\"a}lzlin, Elmar and van Dongen, Joost T.},
  title     = {New challenges in biophotonics : laser-based fluoroimmuno analysis and in-vivo optical oxygen monitoring},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-10120},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Two examples of our biophotonic research utilizing nanoparticles are presented, namely laser-based fluoroimmuno analysis and in-vivo optical oxygen monitoring. Results of the work include significantly enhanced sensitivity of a homogeneous fluorescence immunoassay and markedly improved spatial resolution of oxygen gradients in root nodules of a legume species.},
  subject      = {Sauerstoff},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{NiederkruegerSalbBecketal.2006,
  author    = {Niederkr{\"u}ger, Matthias and Salb, Christian and Beck, Michael and Hildebrandt, Niko and L{\"o}hmannsr{\"o}ben, Hans-Gerd and Marowsky, Gerd},
  title     = {Improvement of a fluorescence immunoassay with a compact diode-pumped solid state laser at 315 nm},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-10150},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {We demonstrate the improvement of fluorescence immunoassay (FIA) diagnostics in deploying a newly developed compact diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) laser with emission at 315 nm. The laser is based on the quasi-three-level transition in Nd:YAG at 946 nm. The pulsed operation is either realized by an active Q-switch using an electro-optical device or by introduction of a Cr<SUP>4+</SUP>:YAG saturable absorber as passive Q-switch element. By extra-cavity second harmonic generation in different nonlinear crystal media we obtained blue light at 473 nm. Subsequent mixing of the fundamental and the second harmonic in a β-barium-borate crystal provided pulsed emission at 315 nm with up to 20 μJ maximum pulse energy and 17 ns pulse duration. Substitution of a nitrogen laser in a FIA diagnostics system by the DPSS laser succeeded in considerable improvement of the detection limit. Despite significantly lower pulse energies (7 μJ DPSS laser versus 150 μJ nitrogen laser), in preliminary investigations the limit of detection was reduced by a factor of three for a typical FIA.},
  subject      = {Immunoassay},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{BeckHildebrandtLoehmannsroeben2006,
  author    = {Beck, Michael and Hildebrandt, Niko and L{\"o}hmannsr{\"o}ben, Hans-Gerd},
  title     = {Quantum dots as acceptors in FRET-assays containing serum},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-9504},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Quantum dots (QDs) are common as luminescing markers for imaging in biological applications because their optical properties seem to be inert against their surrounding solvent. This, together with broad and strong absorption bands and intense, sharp tuneable luminescence bands, makes them interesting candidates for methods utilizing F{\"o}rster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), e. g. for sensitive homogeneous fluoroimmunoassays (FIA). In this work we demonstrate energy transfer from Eu<SUP>3+</SUP>-trisbipyridin (Eu-TBP) donors to CdSe-ZnS-QD acceptors in solutions with and without serum. The QDs are commercially available CdSe-ZnS core-shell particles emitting at 655 nm (QD655). The FRET system was achieved by the binding of the streptavidin conjugated donors with the biotin conjugated acceptors. After excitation of Eu-TBP and as result of the energy transfer, the luminescence of the QD655 acceptors also showed lengthened decay times like the donors. The energy transfer efficiency, as calculated from the decay times of the bound and the unbound components, amounted to 37\%. The F{\"o}rster-radius, estimated from the absorption and emission bands, was ca. 77 {\AA}. The effective binding ratio, which not only depends on the ratio of binding pairs but also on unspecific binding, was obtained from the donor emission dependent on the concentration. As serum promotes unspecific binding, the overall FRET efficiency of the assay was reduced. We conclude that QDs are good substitutes for acceptors in FRET if combined with slow decay donors like Europium. The investigation of the influence of the serum provides guidance towards improving binding properties of QD assays.},
  subject      = {Quantenpunkt},
  language  = {en}
}