Interactions and the bio-nano interface in cellular co-cultures

• Applicant: Dr. Cecilia Spedalieri
• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Molecules, Liquids and Interfaces, Biophysical Chemistry
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 555014714

Understanding the chemical basis of the interactions between nanoparticles and biomolecules and thereby transport and processing inside living cells is relevant towards developing effective biomedical and bioanalytical tools. This project focuses on the characterization of the intracellular interactions of plasmonic nanoparticles at the molecular level in situ in cells of co-cultures relevant for kidney tissue. Cellular cultures of two or more types of cells such as co-cultures are a more robust and comprehensive model for analyzing cellular behavior and interactions of cells with nanomaterials. This is of particular importance for organs or tissues where particles are filtered, such as the kidney. Here, a combined spectroscopic and microscopic analysis of cellular co-cultures will help understand how cells process nanoparticles by studying in depth the specific chemical interactions that take place at the bio-nano interface inside living cells. The molecular characterization of main functional groups and biomolecules that interact with the nanoparticles with the optical characterization of nanoparticle distribution will be achieved by combining Raman spectroscopy and different microscopy approaches. Fluorescence of labeled molecules and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of molecules of the cells will be used to address the local characterization of the bio-nano interactions related to the biomolecular corona. For a more complete description and identification of the biomolecules interacting with the nanoparticles in the corona, mass spectrometry will be used. The localization and distribution of the particles inside the cells will be assessed using fluorescence microscopy in combination with soft X-ray tomography and hyperspectral dark field microscopy. The characterization of the bio-nano interactions in increasingly complex biological systems, from cell monocultures to co-cultures of two or more cell types, will provide valuable insights in the cellular processing and transport of particles.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants