Magnetite synthesis in biomimietic nanovesicles: innovative synthetic routes to tailored bio-nanomagnets
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Mechanical Engineering
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
Bakhshi PK
(2016)
Manufacturing Man-Made Magnetosomes: High-Throughput In Situ Synthesis of Biomimetic Magnetite Loaded Nanovesicles.
in Macromolecular bioscience
| Description | Inspired by magnetotactic bacteria, this research project developed for the first time a bio-mimetic, simple, multi-step electrically driven process for the synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles within nano-vesicles (fine shells encapsulating liquid). Lipid nano-vesicles, encapsulating sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were synthesized using a single-needle bi-port electrically driven device. Optimization of various parameters was done to achieve uniform sized nano-vesicles, which were to be used as reaction vessels for synthesizing magnetite within nano-vesicles. These nano-vesicles were then electroporated (perforated without breaking using an electric pin) with ferrous/ferric ions, mimicking the bacterial methodology of external iron transport into bio-vesicles (magnetosome), ultimately reacting inside the vesicle with NaOH to furnish magnetite nano-crystals. The whole approach of synthesizing magnetite in the laboratory, mimicked the magnetotactic bacteria where the process is controlled by specialized enzymes and genes.We are further pursuing the extension of this work by collaborating with international partners who are interested in aspects of this work and a joint paper has just been submitted to Journal of Drug Targeting. |
| Exploitation Route | Magnetite has been used widely for recording data in compact disks. Nano-sized magnetite has been known to significantly increase the capacity of recording. The application of nano-magnetite in MRI is well known. There are several other important applications of single domain nano-magnetite and this kind of magnetite, quantity-wise is in demand. Thus, the methodology reported to generate nano-sized magnetite is hence very important for many consumers. Synthesis of magnetite within nano-vesicle mimicking bio-mimicking magnetotactic bacteria has been achieved under this research project. What has been lacking is the application of mass production amenable processing and forming/manufacturing.This project developed a novel methodology to prepare nano-vesicles of lipids using electrohydrodynamic (EHD) technology. Different types of EHD needles were used and they individually yielded nano-vesicles but in different size ranges. This methodology to prepare nano-vesicles is far easier this way as well as high yielding in comparison to conventional methods of preparing vesicles. This methodology can be used successfully to prepare uniform sized nano-vesicles. There are many biomedical routes of exploitation well advertised in the literature. This can be further extended to synthesize tailored sizes, single crystals, high quality magnetite which has several other engineering applications and the exploitation is rather limitless. The impetus developed by this grant has enabled younger researchers like Bain and Staniland et al. speahead their research - see: https://bionanomagnetic.wordpress.com/ |
| Sectors | Chemicals,Construction,Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics,Energy,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Other |
| URL | http://www.advancedsciencenews.com/manufacturing-man-made-magnetosomes/ |
| Description | The biomedical and nanotechnological potential of magnetosomes for multiple applications is huge, owing to the strict size and shape control of the magnetic nanoparticles and biocompatible lipid coating. However, magnetotactic bacteria are fastidious, slow-growing microbes and magnetosomes are restricted to the natural form, resulting in low-yields of inflexible nanomaterials. Therefore, a key challenge is to create artificial magnetosomes in vitro, offering a high-yield route to more adaptable functional magnetic nanoparticles and a model system for biomineralisation in magnetotactic bacteria . Here we realise this goal and are at present preparing a very high impact document for the public domain, a summary of which is given below: Magnetotactic bacteria produce magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) within lipid vesicles (magnetosomes) whose size and morphology is tightly controlled.1-3 Magnetosomes have huge biomedical and nanotechnological potential.4 However they are restricted to their natural form and the bacteria are fastidious and slow-growing, resulting in magnetosomes of inflexible nanomaterials in low-yields. Making artificial magnetosomes in vitro to overcome these issues is a key research goal, offering a high-yield route to more adaptable functional MNPs and representing a model system to investigate biomineralisation. Here we achieve this goal by formation of lipid nano-vesicles (liposomes) using high-throughput electrohydrodynamic atomisation (EHDA) followed by the use of electroporation to transport iron into the nano-liposome core resulting in magnetite crystallisation. A single-crystal of single-phase magnetite MNP of 58 nm (±8 nm) precipitated within each liposome, forming a near-monodisperse population. The particles were assessed by TEM, CryoTEM, fluorescence microscopy, DLS, Raman spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The results indicate the potential for a commercially viable route of producing high-yields of adaptable artificial magnetosomes. The work has now been published and featured on Advanced science News, see: http://www.advancedsciencenews.com/manufacturing-man-made-magnetosomes/ The publication was chosen to feature as a cover page and achieved a very high altmetric score of 10. And this has given an impetus to co-PI Staniland to pursue further work in this area, see: https://bionanomagnetic.wordpress.com/ |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Chemicals,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics,Energy,Environment,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |
| Description | Using electrohydrodynamics to make food-protein bubbles and vesicles |
| Organisation | Wageningen University & Research |
| Department | Wageningen Food & Biobased Research |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Teaching them how to use electrohydrodynamics and related equipment to process porous food materials |
| Collaborator Contribution | Supplying relevant meetings, visiting my lab and paying a researcher from their payroll to make the trial products |
| Impact | Langmuir, 2014, 30 (23), pp 6694-6703 |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Key USA conferences such as TMS, MS&T and MRS -keynote/invited, annual invited participation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Sessions dedicated to novel manufacturing routes for biomedical engineering |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019,2020 |
| URL | https://www.edirisinghelab.com/ |