Nanoparticle and Multielement Quantification in Single Cells: Exploring New Analytical Methods

Descripción del proyecto

Nuevos métodos analíticos para evaluar la composición de oligoelementos en células individuales

Los métodos analíticos actuales para medir la composición de oligoelementos o nanopartículas celulares solo proporcionan información sobre la media de las poblaciones celulares. La espectrometría de masas con fuente de plasma acoplado inductivamente (ICP-MS) está ganando popularidad como herramienta para evaluar los elementos y las nanopartículas en células individuales. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos NanoMuSiC desarrollará métodos analíticos altamente sensibles a través del acoplamiento de un generador de microgotas a ICP-MS para la cuantificación y el análisis de la absorción de elementos y nanopartículas metálicas en células individuales. Los métodos desarrollados brindarán una prueba de concepto en aplicaciones ecotoxicológicas con diatomeas y elementos y nanopartículas relevantes para el medio ambiente, lo que respaldará la investigación de posibles riesgos para la salud humana y el medio ambiente.

Objetivo

Genetically identical cells observed as a population can be significantly heterogeneous when studied individually, and this heterogeneity can change the behavior of entire cell populations. In particular, some trace elements play important roles in cell processes. Classical analytical methods to measure (trace) elemental composition in cells (naturally present or taken up by them, e.g. nanoparticles) provide information only about the average of the cell population thus disregarding important cell-to-cell variances. In this context, single-cell inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry has been gaining special attention to evaluate elements and nanoparticles as well as multiparameters in single cells. However, our currently available information and quantitative data on multielemental composition and uptake of toxic elemental species and metal oxide nanoparticles in single cells are still scarce. NanoMuSiC project will develop new sensitive and accurate analytical methods based on the coupling between a microdroplet generator to the state-of-the-art inductively coupled plasma-time of flight-mass spectrometry for multielement quantification and for evaluating the uptake of elemental species and metal-based nanoparticles in single cells. These methods will be applied to proof-of-concept ecotoxicological applications employing diatoms (single cells) and environmentally relevant elemental species and nanoparticles. Through these developed methodologies and results, the NanoMuSiC project will provide new insights on cellular elemental composition and elemental species-cell and nanoparticle-cell interactions. Besides, they will support further investigations of effects and potential risks of elemental species and nanoparticles to the environment and human health, two relevant issues within EU Commission priorities for 2019-24, e.g. European Green Deal strategy to protect the environment and human health by cutting pollution.