Controlling the intracellular fate of nano-bioconjugates: pathways for realizing nanoparticle-mediated theranostics

For nanomaterials to realize their full potential in disease diagnosis and drug delivery applications, one must be able to exert fine control over their cellular delivery, localization and long-term fate in biological systems. Our laboratory has been active in developing methodologies for the controlled and site-specific delivery of a range of nanomaterials (e.g., quantum dots, colloidal gold, nematic liquid crystals) for cellular labeling, imaging and sensing. This talk will highlight several examples from these efforts and will demonstrate the use of peptide- and protein-mediated facilitated delivery of nanomaterials to discrete cellular locations including the endocytic pathway, the plasma membrane and the cellular cytosol. The implications of the ability to exert fine control over nanomaterial constructs in biological settings will be discussed with a particular focus on their use in nanoparticle-based theranostics.