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High-Aspect-Ratio Gold Nanorods: Their Synthesis and Application to Image Cell-Induced Strain Fields in Collagen Films

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NanoBiotechnology Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1026))

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles are receiving considerable attention due to their novel properties and the potential variety of their uses. Long gold nanorods with dimensions of approximately 20 × 400 nm exhibit strong light scattering and can be easily observed under dark-field microscopy. Here we describe the use of this light-scattering property to track micrometer scale strains in collagen gels and thick films, which result from cell traction forces applied by neonatal heart fibroblasts. The use of such collagen constructs to model cell behavior in the extracellular matrix is common, and describing local mechanical environments on such a small scale is necessary to understand the complex factors associated with the remodeling of the collagen network. Unlike other particles used for tracking purposes, gold nanorods do not photobleach, allowing their optical signal to be tracked for longer periods of time, and they can be easily synthesized and coated with various charged or neutral shells, potentially reducing the effect of their presence on the cell system or allowing selective placement. Techniques described here are ultimately applicable for investigations with a wide variety of cells and cell environments.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA

    Davin J. Chernak, Patrick N. Sisco & Catherine J. Murphy

  2. University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Edie C. Goldsmith & Sarah C. Baxter

Authors
  1. Davin J. Chernak
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  2. Patrick N. Sisco
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  3. Edie C. Goldsmith
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  4. Sarah C. Baxter
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  5. Catherine J. Murphy
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Stevenson Center 7330, Nashville, 37235, Tennessee, USA

    Sandra J. Rosenthal

  2. Dept. Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Stevenson Center 7330, Nashville, 37235, Tennessee, USA

    David W Wright

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Chernak, D.J., Sisco, P.N., Goldsmith, E.C., Baxter, S.C., Murphy, C.J. (2013). High-Aspect-Ratio Gold Nanorods: Their Synthesis and Application to Image Cell-Induced Strain Fields in Collagen Films. In: Rosenthal, S., Wright, D. (eds) NanoBiotechnology Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1026. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-468-5_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-468-5_1

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-467-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-468-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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