Quantum Dot-Encoded Fluorescent Beads for Biodetection and Imaging

The need to analyze increasingly large panels of biomolecules for biomedical research and clinical diagnostics has greatly stimulated the development of high-throughput screening technologies based on quantum dots. Herein, we describe recent advances in the synthesis of quantum-dot-encoded beads and control of their fluorescence signatures. Compared with commercial beads based on organic fluorophores, they exhibit significant advantages in terms of detection sensitivity, throughput, and photostability. We discuss bioapplications of quantum-dot-encoded beads in ultrasensitive detection and cellular imaging, review future challenges for their development, and highlight their most promising applications in bioanalytics.