Current methods for the isolation of extracellular vesicles.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including microvesicles and exosomes, are nano- to micron-sized vesicles, which may deliver bioactive cargos that include lipids, growth factors and their receptors, proteases, signaling molecules, as well as mRNA and non-coding RNA, released from the cell of origin, to target cells. EVs are released by all cell types and likely induced by mechanisms involved in oncogenic transformation, environmental stimulation, cellular activation, oxidative stress, or death. Ongoing studies investigate the molecular mechanisms and mediators of EVs-based intercellular communication at physiological and oncogenic conditions with the hope of using this information as a possible source for explaining physiological processes in addition to using them as therapeutic targets and disease biomarkers in a variety of diseases.

Breaking the diffraction barrier outside of the optical near-field with bright, collimated light from nanometric apertures.

The optical diffraction limit has been the dominant barrier to achieving higher optical resolution in the fields of microscopy, photolithography, and optical data storage. We present here an approach toward imaging below the diffraction barrier. Through the exposure of photosensitive films placed a finite and known distance away from nanoscale, zero-mode apertures in thin metallic films, we show convincing, physical evidence that the propagating component of light emerging from these apertures shows a very strong degree of collimation well past the maximum extent of the near-field (lambda(0)/4n-lambda(0)/2n).

Short order nanohole arrays in metals for highly sensitive probing of local indices of refraction as the basis for a highly multiplexed biosensor technology.

A small array of subwavelength apertures patterned in a gold film on glass was characterized for use as a biosensor. It is widely believed that such arrays allow the resonance of photons with surface plasmons in the metallic film. Surface plasmon methods (and other evanescent wave methods) are extremely well suited for the measure of real time biospecific interactions.