US Patent 7205048 - Histidine coated fluorescent nanoparticle

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7205048.html

Nanoparticles are an attractive alternative to other more conventional fluorescent biomarkers which suffer from fading under intense light. However, prior fluorescent nanoparticles have had difficulty in balancing water solubility with fluorescent efficiency. This patent teaches the use of a particular aminio acid coating to optimize fluorescent efficiency, solubility, and other desirable properties of a nanoparticle biomarker. Claim 1 reads:

1. A functionalized fluorescent core/shell nanocrystal comprised of: a fluorescent core/shell nanocrystal; a coating material, said coating material being histidine-based.