Fluorescent nanodiamond‐bacteriophage conjugates maintain host specificity. Issue 6 (8th March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Trinh, Jimmy T.; Alkahtani, Masfer H.; Rampersaud, Isaac; Rampersaud, Arfaan; Scully, Marlan; Young, Ryland F.; Hemmer, Philip; Zeng, Lanying
• Is Part Of: Biotechnology and bioengineering. Volume 115:Issue 6(2018)
• Page Start: 1427
• Page End: 1436
• Publication Date: 2018-03-08
• Subjects: bacteria identification -- bacteriophage -- conjugation -- fluorescent nanodiamonds -- live‐cell imaging; Biotechnology -- Periodicals; Bioengineering -- Periodicals; 660.6
• DOI: 10.1002/bit.26573
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0006-3592

Abstract

Abstract: Rapid identification of specific bacterial strains within clinical, environmental, and food samples can facilitate the prevention and treatment of disease. Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) are being developed as biomarkers in biology and medicine, due to their excellent imaging properties, ability to accept surface modifications, and lack of toxicity. Bacteriophages, the viruses of bacteria, can have exquisite specificity for certain hosts. We propose to exploit the properties of FNDs and phages to develop phages conjugated with FNDs as long‐lived fluorescent diagnostic reagents. In this study, we develop a simple procedure to create such fluorescent probes by functionalizing the FNDs and phages with streptavidin and biotin, respectively. We find that the FND‐phage conjugates retain the favorable characteristics of the individual components and can discern their proper host within a mixture. This technology may be further explored using different phage/bacteria systems, different FND color centers and alternate chemical labeling schemes for additional means of bacterial identification and new single‐cell/virus studies. Abstract : Identifying specific bacterial strains can facilitate disease treatment and prevention. Rapid methods of identification, such as labeling bacteria for visual detection by fluorescence, would markedly improve this process. By coupling fluorescent nanodiamonds to bacteriophages, which can bind to bacteria in an extremely specific manner, targeted bacteria may be identified in mixed‐bacterial samples via bacteriophage binding and detection of the conjugated nanodiamond.