Cover Picture: Gold Nanoparticles Decorated with Sialic Acid Terminated Bi-antennary N-Glycans for the Detection of Influenza Virus at Nanomolar Concentrations (ChemistryOpen 6/2015)

The cover picture shows the isolation of complex bi‐antennary oligosaccharides from hens’ eggs and their conjugation to gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles carrying these sugars can then bind to specific receptors (hemagglutinin) on the surface of the influenza virus, causing particle aggregation, which changes their spectroscopic properties. Upon aggregation, they undergo a red‐shift in their surface plasmon resonance, as illustrated by the bound particles shining in the cover image. These changes in spectroscopic properties are the basis of a detection system capable of detecting viral hemagglutinin at nanomolar concentrations, as well as the virus itself. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Vladimir B. Golovko, Antony J. Fairbanks et al. (DOI: 10.1002/open.201500109).