Nano barcoding cell-based biosensor using fluorophor-embedded silica nanotubes

A simple and reliable drug screening method was developed using peptide hydrogel cell beads coded by quantum dot-embedded silica nanotubes. Very long silica nanotubes were fabricated upon a nanoporous alumina template using sol-gel techniques. The physical shapes of the nanotubes were measured by TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope). Green and red quantum dots embedded in silica nanotubes were applied to peptide hydrogel cell beads as coding materials. This was confirmed by confocal microscopy that examined fluorescence levels and quantum dot shapes. The peptide hydrogel cell beads coded with silica nanotubes were loaded into a PDMS single chamber in order to assess the effect of doxorubicin on HMEC and MCF-7 cells, which was measured in hydrogel cell beads by live and dead cell staining using coding materials. As a result, MCF-7 cancer cells were more affected by doxorubicin than HMEC; however, doxorubicin induced HMEC cell death at a relatively high concentration (> 5 microg/ml).