Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is an experimental technique allowing studies of the diffusion properties of fluorescent tracers in various environments with very high sensitivity, down to a single molecule level. The method is based on detecting the fluctuations of the fluorescent light intensity caused by the diffusion of tracers through a small (< fL) observation volume. A correlation analysis of these fluctuations provides information on the diffusion rate of the tracers and therefore on their size and the properties of the environment. Tracers can be single fluorescent molecules or macromolecules, quantum dots, fluorescent nanoparticles, etc. In our FCS Lab, commercial and home-build setups are combined in order to achieve unique features. These include the possibility to study flows near solid surfaces with total internal reflection fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (TIR-FCCS), to characterize polymer matrices by simultaneously measuring the diffusion coefficient and the fluorescent live time of molecular rotors or to monitor drug nanocarriers in flowing blood with near infrared FCS.
References:
Sascha Schmitt, Galit Renzer, Jennifer Benrath, Andreas Best, Shuai Jiang, Katharina Landfester, Hans-Juergen Butt, Roberto Simonutti, Daniel Crespy, Kaloian Koynov:
Monitoring the Formation of Polymer Nanoparticles with Fluorescent Molecular Rotors
Macromolecules, 2022, 55, 7284-7293 (doi 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01132)
Sascha Schmitt, Anne Huppertsberg, Adrian Klefenz, Leonard Kaps, Volker Mailaender, Detlef Schuppan, Hans-Juergen Butt, Lutz Nuhn, Kaloian Koynov:
Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Monitors the Fate of Degradable Nanocarriers in the Blood Stream
Biomacromolecules, 2022, 23, 1065-1074 (doi 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01407)
Sascha Schmitt, Lutz Nuhn, Matthias Barz, Hans-Juergen Butt, Kaloian Koynov:
Shining Light on Polymeric Drug Nanocarriers with Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy
Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 2022, 43, 2100892 (doi 10.1002/marc.202100892)
Mierczynska-Vasilev A, Bindon K, Gawel R, Smith P, Vasilev K, Butt HJ, Koynov K:
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to unravel the interactions between macromolecules in wine
Food Chemistry, 2021, 352, 129343 (doi 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129343)
Negwer I, Best A, Schinnerer M, Schafer O, Capeloa L, Wagner M, Schmidt M, Mailander V, Helm M, Barz M, Butt HJ, Koynov K:
Monitoring drug nanocarriers in human blood by near-infrared fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.
Nature Communications, 2018, 9, 5306 (doi 10.1038/s41467-018-07755-0)
Koynov K, Butt HJ:
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy in colloid and interface science.
Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, 2012, 17, 377-387 (doi 10.1016/j.cocis.2012.09.003)