Characterization of purified mSiNC. Typical results among 7 (A), 5 (B), 3 (C), and 6 (D) entirely independent experiments are shown. (A) Superdex 75 gel filtration HPLC elution pattern of mSiNC loaded with the sizing controls of vitamin B12 and RNase A. (B) Superdex 75 gel filtration HPLC pattern of Qdot655 (Qdot655 ITK carboxyl QDs), GFP, and mSiNC. The mSiNC is much smaller than GFP and Qdot655. Data in early time periods were deleted in A and B because no eluent peaks were detectable during these early periods. (C) A typical DLS of purified mSiNC, shown as the scattered light intensity versus particle diameter (see DLS measurement of the mSiNC size). (D) Fluorescence autocorrelation curve G (τ) obtained from FCS measurements. The solid lines represent the fits by Eq. 1 in FCS and determination of the mSiNC size based on the FCS measurements. (E) A representative transmission electron micrograph of mSiNCs after Superdex 75 gel filtration HPLC. (F) The size distribution of mSiNCs obtained from the transmission electron micrograph. The red solid line represents the fit by the Gaussian function (3.2 ± 0.4 nm). The results of three totally independent experiments are summarized to obtain this distribution (n = 278 particles). a.u., arbitrary unit.