Evaluation of the microbial growth response to inorganic nanoparticles

Research concerning the impact of inorganic nanoparticles on cellular health will enable new developments in nanobiotechnology to reach their fullest potential. An improved understanding of nanoparticles and biological cell interactions can lead to the development of new sensing, diagnostic, and treatment capabilities, such as improved targeted drug delivery, gene therapy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, and biological warfare agent detection [1-6]. What is not certain about the production of these particles is whether they, alone, are toxic to cells in general.Cytotoxicity is of major concern and will become increasingly so as the demand for nanoparticles grows with the development of more biological applications. Questions, such as how and if nanoparticles harm biological environments, how persistent they may be, and to what degree they affect other organisms including people are all concerns. It is known that nanoparticles can transfect cells; however, responses to nanoparticles inside and outside of cells are unknown. As nanoparticles become more common and widely produced, the chances of unplanned events leading to their dissemination and accumulation in the environment increase, and could lead to unforeseen changes to biological systems. In this study, E. coli served as a representation of how cells might respond to the presence of nanoparticles in their growth environment.The goal of the research presented here is to investigate how nanoparticles interact with microbial cells, and what effect nanoparticles have on their growth process. Nanoparticles present a research challenge because little is known about how they behave in relation to microorganisms, particularly at the cellular level. The colloidal behavior of the inorganic nanoparticles in the microbial growth media was investigated to determine the stability of these systems in saline environments. Colloidal stability is an issue when dealing with biological environments due, in part,