How gold at the nanoscale enables scientists to image cellular processes and support cancer therapy was discussed at Wrocław University of Science and Technology by Prof. Catherine Murphy from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The distinguished chemist was a guest of Wrocław Tech's Interdisciplinary Scientific Seminar.

Her open lecture, “Biophotonic Applications of Gold Nanorods” took place on 26 May in building D-20. The event was co-organised by the Wrocław branch of Academia Europaea.

Gold in a new form

Although gold has been associated for centuries with durability and value, at the nanoscale it reveals entirely different properties. Thanks to plasmon oscillations – collective vibrations of electrons induced by light – gold nanoparticles can interact strongly with radiation and change their optical properties.

During the lecture, Prof. Murphy explained how scientists design and “grow” gold nanorods with precisely controlled shapes and sizes.

These structures act like microscopic antennas: they can amplify optical signals, enabling precise imaging inside cells, as well as serve as highly sensitive biological sensors. What is more, they can convert light energy into heat. This phenomenon is used in photothermal therapy, which makes it possible to selectively destroy cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue.

Science at the intersection of disciplines

The research presented by Prof. Catherine Murphy shows how the development of nanotechnology is changing approaches to diagnosing and treating disease. By combining materials chemistry, optics and biology, it becomes possible not only to observe processes taking place inside cells, but also to actively control them.

It is at the intersection of these fields that solutions are emerging which may in the future be used in personalised medicine – from precise diagnostic methods to new therapies.

An outstanding researcher and scientific leader

Prof. Catherine Murphy is among the world’s most influential scientists. She heads the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and previously worked at institutions including the University of Wisconsin and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Her achievements include pioneering research into the synthesis of nanomaterials and their applications in biophotonics. In the PLOS Biology ranking, she was listed among the top 0.02% most-cited scientists in the world.

She is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and has received numerous awards from the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry.