Silica-coated phosphorescent nanoprobes for selective cell targeting and dynamic bioimaging of pathogen-host cell interactions

Fluorescencein vitrobioimaging suffers from photobleaching of organic dyes, thus, functional probes with superior photostability are urgently needed. Here, we address this challenge by developing novel silica-coated nanophosphors that may serve as superior luminescent nanoprobes compatible with conventional fluorescence microscopes. We specifically explore their suitability for dynamicin vitrobioimaging of interactions between bacterial pathogens and host cells, and further demonstrate the facile surface functionalization of the amorphous silica layer with antibodies for selective cell targeting.