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Covalently labeled fluorescence-MRI dual-modal polystyrene microspheres for imaging and analysis of microplastics in biological systems.
Summary
Scientists have created a new type of tiny plastic particle that glows under fluorescent light and shows up on MRI scans, allowing researchers to track exactly where microplastics travel in the body. In tests with zebrafish and mice, these specially labeled particles stayed stable and trackable without leaking harmful dye or metal, giving scientists a reliable new tool to study how microplastics move through living tissue and what health risks they might pose. This isn't a finding about microplastics' dangers directly—it's a new tracking method that will help future research answer that question more precisely.
The widespread accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in the environment and their transfer along food chains pose growing threats to organism health, but MPs' behaviours remain poorly understood due to the lack of stable and sensitive imaging tools. Herein, we report a robust covalent-labelling strategy for constructing dual-modal polystyrene microspheres (Fl-MRIPSs) for fluorescent and magnetic imaging in biological samples. Two polymerizable functional monomers-a rhodamine dye (RhSt) for fluorescence imaging and a gadolinium complex (DOTASt) for -weighted MRI-were rationally designed and chemically incorporated into the polystyrene matrix emulsion copolymerization. The resulting Fl-MRIPSs exhibit precise size control, uniform morphology, excellent monodispersity, and high colloidal stability. The covalent anchoring minimizes dye and Gd leakage while maintaining high fluorescence quantum yield, remarkable photostability, and strong MRI relaxivity. The Fl-MRIPSs show efficient cellular internalization with negligible cytotoxicity, enable high-contrast fluorescence visualization in zebrafish and mice, and provide significantly enhanced -weighted MRI contrast in mouse subcutaneous tissue. This work establishes a generalizable, chemically stable dual-modal labelling platform for MPs, offering a powerful tool for elucidating their transport, biodistribution, and potential health risks in living organisms.