Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026
Visualizing Diffusional Dynamics of Gold Nanorods on Cell Membrane using Single Nanoparticle Darkfield Microscopy
Published on: March 5, 2021
Super-resolution imaging-based single particle tracking reveals dynamics of nanoparticle internalization by live
Yiming Li1, Li Shang1, G Ulrich Nienhaus2
1Institute of Applied Physics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Wolfgang-Gaede-Str. 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany. uli@uiuc.edu and Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
Abstract:
By combining super-resolution photoactivation localization microscopy with single particle tracking, we have visualized the endocytic process in the live-cell environment with nanoparticles (NPs) of different size and surface functionalization. This allowed us to analyze the dynamics of NPs interacting with cells with high spatial and temporal resolution. We identified two distinctly different types of pathways by which NPs are internalized via clathrin-coated pits (CCPs). Predominantly, NPs first bind to the membrane and, subsequently, CCPs form at this site. However, there are also instances where a NP diffuses on the membrane and utilizes a preformed CCP. Moreover, we have applied this new method to further explore the effects of size and surface functionalization on the NP dynamics on the plasma membrane and the ensuing endocytosis.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:19Protein Dynamics in Living Cells
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...
01:37Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy