Western blot analysis using metal-nitrilotriacetate conjugated CdSe/ZnS quantum dots.

To co-opt the remarkable optical properties and benefits of quantum dots and broadly used metal-NTA:histidine tag interactions, we generated metal-NTA conjugated quantum dots and applied them to Western blot analysis. In our hands, this application dramatically reduced the time and effort required for Western blot analysis, whereas the sensitivity was comparable to that of the conventionally available anti-histidine tag antibody. Our quantum dots were stable up to 6 months without precipitation. Interestingly, under our conditions, cobalt-NTA showed better detection ability than did nickel-NTA. Our new method may be able to facilitate and simplify the routinely used protein detection procedure.