The project Drug-loaded and SERS-encoded plasmonic nanoparticles for targeted and image-guided treatment of ovarian cancer cells aims to develop innovative methods of promoting multiple functionalities on plasmonic nanoparticles (PNPs) for performing targeting drug delivery and diagnostic-imaging of ovarian cancer cells. Key scientific elements of the project are: (1) to fabricate PNPs that could be monitored inside ovarian cancer cells (encoding the nanoparticles with specific molecules in order to provide a distinct surface-enhanced Raman scattering signal); (2) to load nanoparticles with anticancer drugs to operate as effective therapeutic agents; (3) to integrate diagnostic imaging and therapy into a single nanoagent for developing a theranostic (therapy + diagnostic) agent. The use of theranostic nanoparticles is expected to enable in the future a more effective and personalized medical treatment.