Brightly Fluorescent Europium Nanoparticles May Improve Cancer Assays

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have created a new type of nanoparticle that could be used in tests for medical diagnostics, environmental pollution, and contamination of food products. The particles, about 100 to 200 nanometers in size, are luminescent, magnetic, and inexpensive to make, and can be tagged with antibodies designed to detect cancer-associated proteins.