How Proteins Interact with Nanoparticles

Advances in nanotechnology promise to produce new methods of delivering drugs, as well as perform other repair operations, in the human body. In a recent study, researchers took a closer look at the effects that exposure to nanoparticles have on the protein.

Determine how the two interact is very important, if we want to continue our investigation into the potential biomedical applications of nanotechnology. The new study was conducted by experts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

Details of the research are published in the February 2 edition online from respected scientific journal Nano Letters, in a paper entitled "The position of specific chemical modification and quantitative proteomics reveals the orientation of the protein absorbed on silica nanoparticles."


The investigation resulted in the development of new scientific tools capable of discovering how proteins adapt to a different surface of the nanoparticles.

These instruments can come in very useful in future investigations, which will attempt to create a method of using nanoparticles to control aspects such as the orientation of the protein, the structure and function. Before this can be done, experts need to know that the particles are safe.

"Until recently, very little is known about how proteins interact with surfaces on the nanoscale," said Howard P. RPI Isermann '42 Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Jonathan Dordick.

The experts, who was a co-corresponding author of the paper, is the director of the RPI Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS).

"With a better understanding of how proteins interact with the surface, we can develop a custom design of nanoscale surfaces and proteins that can perform amazing tasks in the human body," explained the researchers.

"In addition to better health, this work will also help enable the manufacture of various new composite materials hierarchical [...] that will revolutionize our ability to solve critical problems facing societies around the world," added the scientist Richard Siegel.

Investigator holds an appointment as Robert W. Hunting Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at RPI, and also director of the Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center. He explained that the study, and others like it, will eventually lead to improved health care for everyone.

Investigation was supported by grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).