Nanopartikels Containing Selective Probes: Interaction Mechanisms of Nanoparticles with Cell Membranes, Intracellular Uptake, and Transport (NANO-SELECT)

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The research program on concerted studies on the uptake of intentionally-made nanoparticles of variable size, shape, and surface functionalization is further developed. Fluorescence, magnetic, and radioactive probes are used for labeling the nanoparticles. This serves for probing the uptake routes into cells, skin, and the entire organism. The particles are custom-made by colloidal chemistry and their properties are characterized by standard and non-standard single-particle approaches. The particle interface is of specific interest, where changes in surface properties induced by uptake into biological media is systematically investigated in a collaborative and interdisciplinary effort involving research groups from physical chemistry, dermatology, tumor research, and laboratory animal sciences. Specifically, endocytosis into single cells is studied by cell biological and biochemical approaches. The penetration of nanoparticles through skin is studied as well as the accumulation into tumor cells. The particles are selectively detected via various spectromicroscopy approaches including X-ray microscopy, microautoradiography, as well as fluorescence and Raman microscopy. Joint research efforts aim to contribute significantly to the understanding of the mechanisms of nanoparticle uptake into living organisms, where cellular model systems, skin, tumor cells, and particle distributions in organisms are investigated.