Biophotonics: In-vitro single-virus near-field spectroscopy

Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Abstract

0322767 Dragnea The approach proposed here is to avoid averaging over different sub-populations by studying single viruses and to obtain time-resolved structural information in a controlled physiological environment. To this end, because of the extremely small amount of sample in a single virus, utilization of spectroscopic enhancement techniques is required. Functionalized gold nanoparticles introduced into the viral cavity, will play the role of spectroscopic enhancers. In-vitro expansion of the single capsid will be induced by pH variations and monitored by two spectroscopic techniques: surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and chemically-specific surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy. The goal is to obtain a quantitative measure of the capsid expansion and the number of intermediate transitions.