Multifunctional Lipid/Quantum Dot Hybrid Nanocontainers for Controlled Targeting of Live Cells

Abstract

Hydrophobic quantum dots can be incorporated into the bilayer membrane of lipid vesicles for selective delivery into either plasma membranes or the cytoplasm of living cells (see picture). The cell and lipid membranes can integrate any kind of hydrophobic nanoparticle whose size matches the membrane thickness, thus opening possibilities for their manipulation in nanobiotechnology applications.