Uptake Study of Gold Nanoparticles into the Mammalian Cell Using High Order Image Correlation Spectroscopy

Nanotechnology has made great strides in medicine, particularly with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for cancer treatment and diagnostics due to their unique optical properties. Traditional therapies like chemotherapy often harm healthy cells, prompting the need for targeted methods. AuNPs, with their tunable size, biocompatibility, and surface plasmon resonance, show promise. However, understanding their behavior in cells remains incomplete. This project proposes using high-order image correlation spectroscopy (HICS) alongside dark field and confocal microscopy to accurately track AuNP aggregation and uptake in real time, offering potential improvements in cancer diagnostics, drug delivery, and therapeutic monitoring.