A Mega Impact on a Nanoscale
(2021) KEML10 20211Department of Chemistry
- Abstract
- In nature, for example through mechanical degradation (e.g., plastic waste in the sea) and through the exposure to UV-radiation, plastics can degrade to microplastics and eventually to even smaller plastic nanoparticles. Studies performed under laboratory conditions have shown that plastic nanoparticles can accumulate in the liver and the brain of fishes, hence plastic nanoparticles can cause brain damage to the fish. However, to my knowledge, there are no significant or published studies performed on the effect of polyethylene nanoparticles. Several studies have also shown that proteins can “dress” the surface area of some plastic nanoparticles, resulting in a formation of a protein corona around the particles. However, it has been... (More)
- In nature, for example through mechanical degradation (e.g., plastic waste in the sea) and through the exposure to UV-radiation, plastics can degrade to microplastics and eventually to even smaller plastic nanoparticles. Studies performed under laboratory conditions have shown that plastic nanoparticles can accumulate in the liver and the brain of fishes, hence plastic nanoparticles can cause brain damage to the fish. However, to my knowledge, there are no significant or published studies performed on the effect of polyethylene nanoparticles. Several studies have also shown that proteins can “dress” the surface area of some plastic nanoparticles, resulting in a formation of a protein corona around the particles. However, it has been criticised, that many studies are performed with a high surface area of particles, in proportion to how many macromolecular biological molecules that can “dress” them. Therefore, the present study aims towards understanding what proteins that “dress” polyethylene, respectively, polystyrene nanoparticles in bovine blood serum. The nanoparticles were downgraded from their bulk materials in this study with a kitchen blender in Milli-Q water. The size and stability of nanoparticles were determined used Nano Tracking Analysis, Dynamic Light Scattering and Zeta potential.
Samples were prepared by incubating adult or fetal bovine serum with the prepared polyethylene or polystyrene nanoparticle solution. Control samples were made by incubating adult or fetal bovine serum with Milli-Q water. All samples were then centrifuged, and pellets were washed 2 times. The washed pellets were analysed with gel electrophoresis. The gels were stained with Coomassie Blue or silver-stain and bands cut out for mass spectrometry analysis.
The present study showed that samples containing polyethylene gave a couple of bands differing from their control samples on gels stained with Coomassie Blue and silver-stain. Samples containing polystyrene gave only one band that differed from their control samples, visible only on a silver-stained gel. Additionally, the bands were analysed with mass spectrometry. Serum albumin and apolipoprotein A-1 were abundant in almost all analysed bands. However, there were particular proteins differing in the samples with nanoparticles. Finally, the present study gives suggestions for future improvements, e.g., optimisation of sample preparation to achieve a smaller surface area of particles in proportion to biological macromolecules that can adsorb, using more sensitive detection methods and analysing the difference between qualities among serums. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9061036
- author
- Golovtchenko, Erik LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- - Finding out what proteins “dress” polyethylene and polystyrene nanoparticles in bovine blood serum
- course
- KEML10 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Nanoscience, Biochemistry, Nanoplastics
- language
- English
- id
- 9061036
- date added to LUP
- 2021-08-19 09:37:43
- date last changed
- 2021-08-19 09:37:43
@misc{9061036,
abstract = {{In nature, for example through mechanical degradation (e.g., plastic waste in the sea) and through the exposure to UV-radiation, plastics can degrade to microplastics and eventually to even smaller plastic nanoparticles. Studies performed under laboratory conditions have shown that plastic nanoparticles can accumulate in the liver and the brain of fishes, hence plastic nanoparticles can cause brain damage to the fish. However, to my knowledge, there are no significant or published studies performed on the effect of polyethylene nanoparticles. Several studies have also shown that proteins can “dress” the surface area of some plastic nanoparticles, resulting in a formation of a protein corona around the particles. However, it has been criticised, that many studies are performed with a high surface area of particles, in proportion to how many macromolecular biological molecules that can “dress” them. Therefore, the present study aims towards understanding what proteins that “dress” polyethylene, respectively, polystyrene nanoparticles in bovine blood serum. The nanoparticles were downgraded from their bulk materials in this study with a kitchen blender in Milli-Q water. The size and stability of nanoparticles were determined used Nano Tracking Analysis, Dynamic Light Scattering and Zeta potential.
Samples were prepared by incubating adult or fetal bovine serum with the prepared polyethylene or polystyrene nanoparticle solution. Control samples were made by incubating adult or fetal bovine serum with Milli-Q water. All samples were then centrifuged, and pellets were washed 2 times. The washed pellets were analysed with gel electrophoresis. The gels were stained with Coomassie Blue or silver-stain and bands cut out for mass spectrometry analysis.
The present study showed that samples containing polyethylene gave a couple of bands differing from their control samples on gels stained with Coomassie Blue and silver-stain. Samples containing polystyrene gave only one band that differed from their control samples, visible only on a silver-stained gel. Additionally, the bands were analysed with mass spectrometry. Serum albumin and apolipoprotein A-1 were abundant in almost all analysed bands. However, there were particular proteins differing in the samples with nanoparticles. Finally, the present study gives suggestions for future improvements, e.g., optimisation of sample preparation to achieve a smaller surface area of particles in proportion to biological macromolecules that can adsorb, using more sensitive detection methods and analysing the difference between qualities among serums.}},
author = {{Golovtchenko, Erik}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{A Mega Impact on a Nanoscale}},
year = {{2021}},
}