Study of the effects of protein corona on nanoparticle-membrane interactions

Khan, Abdullah (2013). Study of the effects of protein corona on nanoparticle-membrane interactions. University of Birmingham. M.Res.

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Abstract

Within biological milieu, proteins adsorb onto the surface of nanoparticles to form a corona to drive the behaviour of nanomaterials in vivo. In a previous report, Smith et al. (2012) showed that the presence of serum inhibited interactions between carboxylate modified 20nm polystyrene nanoparticles and two cell lines (HeLa and MDCK), and caused a reduction in the surface charge of these nanoparticles. In this study the effects of different concentrations of serum and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) on the interactions between spherical carboxylated polystyrene particles and the plasma membrane are investigated. Similarly, the effects of varying concentrations of serum on the surface charge of these particles were also studied. 20nm, 200nm, and 1\(mu\)m polystyrene particles were investigated, and it was found that the inhibitory effect of serum on nanoparticle-plasma membrane interactions was dependent on particle size and serum concentration. BSA was not found to induce the same level of inhibition at equivalent concentrations. The reduction in surface charge was shown to plateau at relatively low concentrations of serum (approximately 1%), suggesting that while the total amount of protein bound to these particles remained constant beyond this point, the composition of the corona would continue to change as serum concentration increased, thus causing increasing inhibition of particle-membrane interactions.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.Res.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.Res.

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