Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using fat-coated silver nanoparticles reveals Alzheimer's details

Aug. 26, 2015
Amyloid beta molecules are observed attacking the fat coating, which mimics a cell membrane.

In this artist's depiction, toxic Alzheimer's amyloid beta molecules land on a fake cell membrane wrapped around a silver nanoparticle. Laser-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy then reveals its structure. (Image: Debanjan Bhowmik, TIFR, Mumbai)

Scientists from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Mumbai, India), the TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences (Hyderabad, India), the University of Toronto (Toronto, ON, Canada), and the Indian Institute of Science (Bengaluru, India) have used surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to catch a glimpse of the elusive toxic form of the Alzheimer's molecule, during its attempt to bore into the outer covering of a cell decoy.1 The technique is based on the use of fat-coated silver nanoparticles and the surface-enhancement agent.

The fat membrane coating mimics the outer membranes of living cells, when amyloid beta oligomers tried to attack the "cell membrane," the attack was detected spectroscopically.

The amyloid beta molecules have the shape of a hairpin, but with a twist. Debanjan Bhowmik, the lead contributor of the study, says, "This has been suspected earlier, but what we found was an unexpected twist in the structure, now becoming a beta-hairpin -- very different from the typical hairpin structure people imagined. This may allow these bunch of amyloid beta molecules to form toxic pores in the cell membranes."

"While the amyloid beta got fooled by [the fat layer] and stuck to the membrane, the silver inside enhanced the signal to a measurable level and acted as a light beacon to reveal the peptide signature," says Gilber Walker, one of the researchers.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/tiof-gfs082515.php

REFERENCE:

1. Debanjan Bhowmik et al., ACS Nano (2015); doi: 10.1021/acsnano.5b03175

Sponsored Recommendations

Demonstrating Flexible, Powerful 5-axis Laser Micromachining

Sept. 18, 2024
Five-axis scan heads offer fast and flexible solutions for generating precise holes, contoured slots and other geometries with fully defined cross sections. With a suitable system...

Enhance Your Experiments with Chroma's Spectra Viewer

Sept. 5, 2024
Visualize and compare fluorescence spectra with our interactive Spectra Viewer tool. Easily compare and optimize filters and fluorochromes for your experiments with this intuitive...

Optical Filter Orientation Guide

Sept. 5, 2024
Ensure optimal performance of your optical filters with our Orientation Guide. Learn the correct placement and handling techniques to maximize light transmission and filter efficiency...

Ensure Optimal Performance with Shortpass Filters

Sept. 5, 2024
Achieve precise wavelength blocking with our Shortpass Filters. Ideal for applications requiring effective light transmission and cutoff, these filters ensure optimal performance...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Laser Focus World, create an account today!