In vivo imaging of fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotubes within C. elegans nematodes in the near-infrared window.

ABSTRACT: Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) nematodes serve as a model organism for eukaryotes, especially due to their genetic similarity. Although they have many advantages like their small size and transparency, their autofluorescence in the entire visible wavelength range poses a challenge for imaging and tracking fluorescent proteins or dyes using standard fluorescence microscopy. Herein, near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are utilized for in vivo imaging within the gastrointestinal track of C. elegans. The SWCNTs are biocompatible, and do not affect the worms' viability nor their reproduction ability. The worms do not show any autofluorescence in the NIR range, thus enabling the spectral separation between the SWCNT NIR fluores

SUBMITTER: Hendler-Neumark A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8649898 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature