AUTHOR=Lin Jiayi , Xu Linlin , Zheng Yuling , Wu Dalin , Yue Jun 

TITLE=Imitation-mussel fluorescent silicon quantum dots for selective labeling and imaging of bacteria and biofilms

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2022.971682

DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2022.971682

ISSN=2296-4185

ABSTRACT=Selective labeling of distinct bacteria and biofilm is poised for the fundamental understanding of bacterial activities, interactions and coupled phenomena occurring at the microscale. However, a simple and effective way to achieve selective bacterial labeling is still lacking. Herein, we reported a fluorescence probe with core-shell nanostructure that by coating polydopamine (PDA) on the surface of fluorescent silicon quantum dots (SiQDs@PDA). The surface of SiQDs@PDA was able to be functionalized by various molecules (thihydrethylamine hydrochloride, PEG, D-alanine, glucose amide) through different strategies (Michael addition, π-π interaction and ion-ion interaction). Importantly, the D-alanine (D-Ala) and gluconamide (Glc) functionalized SiQDs@PDA fluorescence probes are capable of selective labeling gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as their biofilms. The excellent performance in universal functionalization, selective labeling and imaging of bacteria and their biofilms demonstrate that SiQDs@PDA is a promising fluorescence tool in microbe research.