Budget Amount *help |
¥18,720,000 (Direct Cost: ¥14,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,320,000)
Fiscal Year 2015: ¥3,510,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥810,000)
Fiscal Year 2014: ¥3,510,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥810,000)
Fiscal Year 2013: ¥3,510,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥810,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥8,190,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,890,000)
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Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Recent rapid progress in nanotechnology has enabled development of a wide variety of photo-responsive nanomaterials. Some of them have the ability to generate heat or reactive oxygen species under illumination, which can be utilized for medical and cell biological applications. However, under physiological conditions, nanomaterials are often colloidally unstable and cytotoxic. Thus, making their surface biocompatible is essential. In this study, the applicant aimed at exploration of photo-responsiveness of carbon nanotubes and of surface chemistry for gold nanoparticles using biomaterials. As a result, it was found that (1) a semiconducting component of carbon nanotubes is able to generate reactive oxygen species very efficiently even under near-infrared light that is the least invasive to our body and (2) genetically engineered serum protein-coated gold nanoparticles is able to warm the plasma membrane of heat-sensing neurons in a site-specific manner to safely activate them.
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