Affinity of Engineered Nanoparticles to Model Cell Membranes

Nanotechnology is developing rapidly and engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are being used in a wide range of consumer products and industrial processes. The environmental concentrations of ENPs may be increasing in the next decay due to their widespread use. To assess the potential risks associated with ENPs, research on the fate, transport, and potential adverse effects of ENPs in the environment is increasing. Recent toxicological studies have focused on the effects and uptake of ENPs by a variety of organisms, including human cell lines, microbes, plants, or aquatic organisms such as fish and water flea (1) with reported results varying depending on tested organisms and test conditions.  It is difficult to draw a comprehensive conclusion of ENPs' environmental impact based on these empirical studies, especially considering the ecological diversity and wide range of ENPs. Analogous to molecular organic contaminants, research is needed to develop unifying methods to assess the environmental behavior such as bioavailability of ENPs. In this study, we evaluate the affinity of ENPs to model cell membranes by studying the sorption of ENPs to lipid bilayers.  This presentation will focus on the equilibriums of selected well-characterized ENPs between aqueous and lipid phases as well as the effects of physicochemical properties of ENPs such as size and aqueous chemistry.

Reference

(1) Klaine, S. J.; Alvarez, P. J. J.,; Batley, G. E.; Fernandes, T. F.; Handy, R. D.; Lyon, D. Y.;     Mahendra, S.; McLaughlin, M. J.; Lead, J. R. Nanomaterials in the environment: Behavior, fate, bioavailability, and effects. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2008, 27 (9), 1825-1851.