(145a) 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.