Abstract
Fluorescence is a key technique in nanometrology and many applications in diabetes are now being researched. The advantages of fluorescence include extreme sensitivity and the ability to measure both intensity and lifetime. The latter is particularly useful for in vivo monitoring. Molecular form and interactions can be assessed by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and by environmentally sensitive fluorophores. The main diabetes applications are for improved in vitro diagnostics, continuous glucose sensing, diagnosis and monitoring of tissue complications by molecular targeting and singlemolecule detection. Important fluorescent tools for nanometrology are quantum dots, nanosensors composed of fluorescence-based glucose detectors and a variety of imaging techniques such as confocal and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). Pickup, J Eur J Nanomed 2009; 2:16-21