Development of non-toxic and color-tunable rare-earth nanoparticles and application of biomarkers

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K05750
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Functional solid state chemistry
• Research Institution: Meijo University (2017-2018, 2022); Shimane University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: Nishiyama Katsura 名城大学, 理工学部, 教授 (40283725)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 発光バイオマーカー / 発光希土類 / 生体マーカー / イネ科 / ウリ科

Outline of Final Research Achievements

About 15% of crops are lost during disease in the growing process. If we develop biolabeling where disease part emits by means of light irradiation, we can remove the diseased part in the early stage. We prevent the whole crop body is damaged by the disease. However, usual quantum dots contain toxic components such as Cd, which violates law for food safety. The nanoparticles is taken up from the root of the crop, rice for example, and travel to the crop parts such as root, stem and leaf in 30 min. The particles get into the deceased cell from the gate of the cell with 100 nm aperture. We have found that nanoparticles with d = 20 nm travel to the crop body irrespective of metal employed there.

Free Research Field

物理化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

農作物の収穫率向上は、食糧問題の解決ともあいまって、人類の早急な課題である。本研究が完成すれば、農作物の病害の早期発見、その切除に関わることになり、収穫率向上への直接的な解決策となる。なお既存の他の研究では、病害に対するバイオマーカーとして量子ドット等が使用されてきた。しかし量子ドットは毒劇物を使用しているので、農作物を対象とした研究には適さない。本研究は量子ドットを無害な金属に置換したものであり、社会的意義は極めて大きい。