Metal nanoclusters: Protein corona formation and implications for biological applications

•Metal nanoclusters are a new type of nanoprobe with great potential in biological applications.•Protein adsorption can significantly alter the photophysical properties of metal nanoclusters.•Protein adsorption onto the nanoclusters influences their interaction with cells.•The specificity of protein-AuNC interactions can be used for protein discrimination.

Metal nanoclusters (NCs) are a new type of nanoprobe with great potential in various biological applications. For biocompatible and efficient utilization of NCs, a thorough understanding of their interactions with biological systems is highly important. Herein, we focus on recent studies addressing interactions between metal NCs and proteins as well as implications for their further biological application. These findings show that protein adsorption not only affects the photophysical properties of NCs, but also influences their subsequent biological behavior, i.e., cellular uptake and cytotoxicity. Moreover, specific protein–NC interactions have also been harnessed to develop novel protein discrimination strategies.

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