Cell Uptake & Transport (Trafficking)
PNNL researchers have developed technologies needed to understand nanoparticle trafficking in cells.
In recent years there has been rapid growth in the development and production of nanomaterials. This trend presents a significant challenge to agencies that are tasked to regulate nanomaterials and to manufacturers who introduce them to the marketplace. Both have an obligation to ensure the safety of humans and the environment as these nanomaterials are released. The field of nanotoxicology has emerged to aid in the understanding of the complex relationships between nanoparticle characteristics and their fate and transport in biological systems. PNNL has developed capabilities that aid in predicting biological response to nanoparticles through an understanding of cell uptake and transport. The following areas are examples of those capabilities.
- Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for real-time screening of cell response to nanomaterial exposure
- Imaging nanomaterials-cell membrane interactions
- Computational modeling of nanoparticle-cell interactions.
Contact: Brian Thrall