Strathclyde’s Nanometrology Centre selects NanoSight for the characterisation of nanoparticles

 Strathclyde’s Nanometrology Centre selects NanoSight for the characterisation of nanoparticles to develop new biosensors

Salisbury, UK, October 2009: – NanoSight, manufacturers of unique nanoparticle characterisation technology, has announced that the Centre for Molecular Nanometrology at the University of Strathclyde has selected an LM-10 characterisation system to aid in their research and development of new biosensors.

Lecturer, Dr Alastair Wark’s research interests are based around the preparation, functionalisation and application of plasmonic nanomaterials. The use of such nanometre-scale materials and tools is opening up exciting new avenues for the investigation of biomolecular interactions and biological systems with unprecedented sensitivity and spatial accuracy.

(Picture:Dr Alastair Wark, Lecturer at the University of Strathclyde’s Centre for Molecular Nanometrology and principal user of NanoSight technology for nanoparticle characterisation)

Other characterisation techniques such as UV-VIS adsorption spectroscopy and DLS (dynamic light scattering) are useful for bulk averaging measurements but it is the ability to visualise individual nanoparticles one at a time that drew former postdoctoral researcher Dr Robert Stokes whilst working with Professor Duncan Graham to select the NanoSight NTA system. This has catalysed the current research being lead by Dr Wark. “The NanoSight provides an intuitive way of sensing particles and being able to work dynamically in biocompatible liquids collecting multiple single sets of particle information gives statistical credibility to the data.”

This initial work is leading into developments for biosensors involving the controlled aggregation of functionalised nanomaterials in the presence of a specific target biomolecule. The ability to monitor this process in solution using particle-by-particle measurements cannot be achieved with bulk characterisation techniques.

NanoSight’s NTA approach has been shown to be ideally suited to such research activities and with the ability to not only look at spherical particles, but also characterise rod-like materials as well makes the system an extremely powerful nanoscale research and development tool.

To learn more about nanoparticle characterisation using NTA, please visit  www.nanosight.com and register for the latest issue of NanoTrail, the company’s electronic newsletter.

About NanoSight
NanoSight Ltd, of Salisbury, UK, is the world leading provider of instruments for the optical detection and real time analysis of sub-micron particles. The Company supplies unique instruments for nanoparticle analysis in the sub-micron region that go far beyond existing light scattering techniques in the characterisation of polydispersed systems. Founded in 2004, the company currently has approaching 200 systems in service worldwide, having begun commercial sales in 2006.

The Company’s proprietary knowledge and expertise has enabled the delivery of technologies to blue chip companies and universities for direct visualisation of individual nanoscale particles in suspension from which independent quantitative estimation of particle size, size distribution and concentration are immediately obtained.

The Company has a growing base of users worldwide, including BASF, BP GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, 3M Corp, Roche, Solvay & Unilever and many universities. For more information, visit www.nanosight.com.

For further information

Please contact NanoSight direct or their marketing agency, NetDyaLog Limited:

NanoSight Limited
Minton Park
London Road
Amesbury SP4 7RT
T +44 (0) 1980 676060
F +44 (0) 1980 624703
www.nanosight.com
jeremy.warren@nanosight.com

NetDyaLog Limited
39 de Bohun Court
Saffron Walden
Essex CB10 2BA
T +44 (0) 1799 521881
M +44 (0) 7843 012997
www.netdyalog.com
jezz@netdyalog.com