Publications

The development of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria poses a serious worldwide health concern. CRISPR-based antibacterials, however, are a novel and adaptable method for building an arsenal of antibacterials potentially capable of targeting any pathogenic bacteria.

The development of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria poses a serious worldwide health concern. CRISPR-based antibacterials are a novel and adaptable method for building an arsenal of antibacterials potentially capable of targeting any pathogenic bacteria.

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Polymersomes are being widely explored as synthetic analogs of lipid vesicles based on their enhanced stability and potential uses in a wide variety of applications in (e.g., drug delivery, cell analogs, etc.). Controlled formation of giant polymersomes for use in membrane studies and cell mimetic systems, however, is currently limited by low-yield production methodologies. Here, we describe for the first time, how the size distribution of giant poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(butadiene) (PEO-PBD) polymersomes formed by gel-assisted rehydration may be controlled based on membrane fluidization. We first show that the average diameter and size distribution of PEO-PBD polymersomes may be readily increased by increasing the temperature of the rehydration solution. Further, we describe a correlative relationship between polymersome size and membrane fluidization through the addition of sucrose during rehydration, enabling the formation of PEO-PBD polymersomes with a range of diameters, including giant-sized vesicles (>100 μm). This correlative relationship suggests that sucrose may function as a small molecule fluidizer during rehydration, enhancing polymer diffusivity during formation and increasing polymersome size. Overall the ability to easily regulate the size of PEO-PBD polymersomes based on membrane fluidity, either through temperature or fluidizers, has broadly applicability in areas including targeted therapeutic delivery and synthetic biology.

Polymer vesicles, or polymersomes, are being widely explored as synthetic analogs of lipid vesicles based on their stability, robustness, barrier properties, chemical versatility and tunable physical characteristics. Typical methods used to prepare giant-sized (> 4 μm) vesicles, however, are both time and labor intensive, yielding low numbers of intact polymersomes. Here, we present for the first time the use of gel-assisted rehydration for the rapid and high-yielding formation of giant (>4 μm) polymer vesicles (polymersomes). Using this method, polymersomes can be formed from a wide array of rehydration solutions including several different physiologically-compatible buffers and full cell culture media, making them readily useful for biomimicry studies. This technique is also capable of reliably producing polymersomes from different polymer compositions with far better yields and much less difficulty than traditional methods. Polymersome size is readily tunable by altering temperature during rehydration or adding membrane fluidizers to the polymer membrane, generating giant-sized polymersomes (>100 μm).

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Nanoengineered materials hold a vast promise of enabling revolutionary technologies, but also pose an emerging and potentially serious threat to human and environmental health. While there is increasing knowledge concerning the risks posed by engineered nanomaterials, significant inconsistencies exist within the current data based on the high degree of variability in the materials (e.g., synthesis method, coatings, etc) and biological test systems (e.g., cell lines, whole organism, etc). In this project, we evaluated the uptake and response of two immune cell lines (RAW macrophage and RBL mast cells) to nanocrystal quantum dots (Qdots) with different sizes and surface chemistries, and at different concentrations. The basic experimental design followed a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial model: two Qdot sizes (Qdot 520 and 620), two surface chemistries (amine 'NH{sub 2}' and carboxylic acid 'COOH'), and three concentrations (0, 1 nM, and 1 {micro}M). Based on this design, the following Qdots from Evident Technologies were used for all experiments: Qdot 520-COOH, Qdot 520-NH{sub 2}, Qdot 620-COOH, and Qdot 620-NH{sub 2}. Fluorescence and confocal imaging demonstrated that Qdot 620-COOH and Qdot 620-NH{sub 2} nanoparticles had a greater level of internalization and cell membrane association in RAW and RBL cells, respectively. From these data, a two-way interaction between Qdot size and concentration was observed in relation to the level of cellular uptake in RAW cells, and association with RBL cell membranes. Toxicity of both RBL and RAW cells was also significantly dependent on the interaction of Qdot size and concentration; the 1 {micro}M concentrations of the larger, Qdot 620 nanoparticles induced a greater toxic effect on both cell lines. The RBL data also demonstrate that Qdot exposure can induce significant toxicity independent of cellular uptake. A significant increase in TNF-{alpha} and decrease in IL-10 release was observed in RAW cells, and suggested that Qdot exposure induced a pro-inflammatory response. In contrast, significant decreases in both TNF-{alpha} and IL-4 releases were observed in RBL cells, which is indicative of a suppressed inflammatory response. The changes in cytokine release observed in RAW and RBL cells were primarily dependent on Qdot concentration and independent of size and surface chemistry. Changes in the activity of superoxide dismutase were observed in RAW, but not RBL cells, suggesting that RAW cells were experiencing oxidative stress induced by Qdot exposure. Overall, our results demonstrate that the uptake/association and biomolecular response of macrophage and mast cells is primarily driven by an interaction between Qdot size and concentration. Based on these findings, a more detailed understanding of how size directly impacts cellular interactions and response will be critical to developing predictive models of Qdot toxicity.

In this project, we have developed a novel platform for capturing, transport, and separating target analytes using the work harnessed from biomolecular transport systems. Nanoharvesters were constructed by co-organizing kinesin motor proteins and antibodies on a nanocrystal quantum dot (nQD) scaffold. Attachment of kinesin and antibodies to the nQD was achieved through biotin-streptavidin non-covalent bonds. Assembly of the nanoharvesters was characterized using a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that confirmed attachment of both proteins. Nanoharvesters selective against tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) and nuclear transcription factor-{kappa}B (NF-{kappa}B) were capable of detecting target antigens at <100 ng/mL in ELISAs. A motility-based assay was subsequently developed using an antibody-sandwich approach in which the target antigen (TNF-{alpha}) formed a sandwich with the red-emitting nanoharvester and green-emitting detection nQD. In this format, successful sandwich formation resulted in a yellow emission associated with surface-bound microtubules. Step-wise analysis of sandwich formation suggested that the motility function of the kinesin motors was not adversely affected by either antigen capture or the subsequent binding of the detection nQDs. TNF-{alpha} was detected as low as {approx}1.5 ng/mL TNF-{alpha}, with 5.2% of the nanoharvesters successfully capturing the target analyte and detection nQDs. Overall, these results demonstrate the ability to capture target protein analytes in vitro using the kinesin-based nanoharvesters in nanofluidic environments. This system has direct relevance for lab-on-a-chip applications where pressure-driven or electrokinetic movement of fluids is impractical, and offers potential application for in vivo capture of rare proteins within the cytoplasmic domain of live cells.

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