Method of delivery of bio-active agents to plant cells by using nano-sized materials as carriers

1. A method for regulating properties of a plant, comprising

providing a nanoagent having at least one nanocomposite; and

delivering the nanoagent to the plant,

wherein the nanocomposite comprises:

at least one gold nanorod;

a silver layer coated on an outer surface of the gold nanorod, the silver layer comprising silver nanoparticles;

a pegylated layer coated on the silver layer, comprising at least one of thiolated polyethylene glycol (HS-PEG), thiolated polyethylene glycol acid (HS-PEG-COOH) and HS-PEG-NHx; and

an active layer conjugated to the pegylated layer, the active layer comprising at least one bio-active agent configured to interact with the plant.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bio-active agent comprises plant growth regulators, proteins, and nucleic acids.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the bio-active agent comprises 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), abscisic acid (ABA), cytokinins, ethylene, gibberellins, salicylic acid, nitric oxide, or jasmonates.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of delivering the nanoagent to the plant comprises:

providing a growing medium for plant cells of the plant;

seeding the plant cells in the growing medium; and

adding the nanoagent to the growing medium.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant comprises tomato, tobacco, or cucumber.

6. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the gold nanorod has an aspect ratio (AR) in a range of about 1-9, a length in a range of about 10-100 nm, and a diameter in a range of about 1-40 nm; and

wherein the silver layer has a thickness in a range of about 0.5-5 nm.

7. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the nanocomposite further comprising a Raman reporter molecule layer disposed between the silver layer and the active layer; and

wherein the Raman reporter molecule layer comprises the Raman reporter molecules that are detectable by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the Raman reporter molecule layer comprises 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MBA), p-aminothiophenol (PATP), p-nitrothiophenol (PNTP), 4-(methylsulfanyl) thiophenol (4MSTP), or other molecules with unique Raman spectra and intense Raman peak intensities.

9. The method of claim 8 ,

wherein the at least one nanocomposite comprises a first nanocomposite, a second nanocomposite, a third nanocomposite, and a fourth nanocomposite;

wherein the Raman reporter molecule layer of the first nanocomposite comprises 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MBA);

wherein the Raman reporter molecule layer of the second nanocomposite comprises p-aminothiophenol (PATP);

wherein the Raman reporter molecule layer of the third nanocomposite comprises p-nitrothiophenol (PNTP);

wherein the Raman reporter molecule layer of the fourth nanocomposite comprises 4-(methylsulfanyl) thiophenol (4MSTP); and

wherein SERS signal corresponding to each of the first, second, third and fourth nanocomposites is represented by a predetermined color.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HS-PEG has a molecular weight in a range of about 1.5-15 kilo Dalton (kD) and the HS-PEG-COOH has a molecular weight in a range of about 1-10 kD.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active layer further comprises a targeting molecule configured to bind to at least one cell of the plant.

12. A method for regulating properties of a plant, comprising:

providing a nanoagent having at least one nanocomposite; and

delivering the nanoagent to the plant,

wherein the nanocomposite comprises:

a nanostructure formed by at least one nanomaterial; and

an active layer conjugated to the nanostructure, comprising a bio-active agent.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bio-active agent comprises plant growth regulators, proteins, and nucleic acids.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the bio-active agent comprises 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), abscisic acid (ABA), cytokinins, ethylene, gibberellins, salicylic acid, nitric oxide, or jasmonates.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of delivering the nanoagent to the plant comprises:

providing a growing medium for plant cells of the plant;

seeding the plant cells in the growing medium; and

adding the nanoagent to the growing medium.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plant comprises tomato, tobacco, or cucumber.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the nanomaterial comprises at least one of silver coated gold rods, quantum dots, nanowires, nanotubes, nanofibers, and fullerenes.