Near infrared bioluminescence resonance energy transfer from firefly luciferase—quantum dot bionanoconjugates

The bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) between firefly luciferase enzymes and semiconductive quantum dots (QDs) with near infrared emission is described. The QD were phase transferred to aqueous buffers using a histidine mediated phase transfer route, and incubated with a hexahistidine tagged, green emitting variant of firefly luciferase from Photinus pyralis (PPyGRTS). The PPyGRTS were bound to the QD interface via the hexahistidine tag, which effectively displaces the histidine layer and binds directly to the QD interfaces, allowing for short donor–acceptor distances (∼5.5 nm). Due to this, high BRET efficiency ratios of ∼5 were obtained. These PPyGRTS-QD bio-nano conjugates were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and BRET emission studies. The final optimized conjugate was easily observable by night vision imaging, demonstrating the potential of these materials in imaging and signaling/sensing applications.