Modular design of an ultrahigh-intensity nanoparticle probe for cancer cell imaging and rapid visual detection of nucleic acids.

Based on a modular design, a novel ultrahigh-intensity nanoparticle probe was synthesized by orderly assembling supramolecular DNA/CdTe quantum dot nanowires and recognition DNA sequences on polystyrene microbeads. The probe was successfully applied to cancer cell imaging and visual detection of nucleic acids.