Semiconducting Polymer Nanobioconjugates for Targeted Photothermal Activation of Neurons

Optogenetics provides powerful means for precise control of neuronal activity; however, the requirement of transgenesis and the incapability to extend the neuron excitation window into the deep-tissue-penetrating near-infrared (NIR) region partially limit its application. We herein report a potential alternative approach to optogenetics using semiconducting polymer nanobioconjugates (SPNs_bc) as the photothermal nanomodulator to control the thermosensitive ion channels in neurons. SPNs_bc are designed to efficiently absorb the NIR light at 808 nm and have a photothermal conversion efficiency higher than that of gold nanorods. By virtue of the fast heating capability in conjunction with the precise targeting to the thermosensitive ion channel, SPNs_bc can specifically and rapidly activate the intracellular Ca²⁺ influx of neuronal cells in a reversible and safe manner. Our study provides an organic nanoparticle based strategy that eliminates the need for genetic transfection to remotely regulate cellular machinery

Self-Assembled Carbon Nanotube Honeycomb Networks Using a Butterfly Wing Template as a Multifunctional Nanobiohybrid

Insect wings have many unique and complex nano/microstructures that are presently beyond the capabilities of any current technology to reproduce them artificially. In particular, <i>Morpho</i> butterflies are an attractive type of insect because their multifunctional wings are composed of nano/microstructures. In this paper, we show that carbon nanotube-containing composite adopts honeycomb-shaped networks when simply self-assembled on <i>Morpho</i> butterfly wings used as a template. The unique nano/microstructure of the composites exhibits multifunctionalities such as laser-triggered remote-heating, high electrical conductivity, and repetitive DNA amplification. Our present study highlights the important progress that has been made toward the development of smart nanobiomaterials for various applications such as digital diagnosis, soft wearable electronic devices, photosensors, and photovoltaic cells