We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Protein Corona Stability and Removal from PET Microplastics: Analytical and Spectroscopic Evaluation in Simulated Intestinal Conditions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how proteins from intestinal fluids form a coating, called a corona, on PET microplastics and how stable that coating is under different cleaning treatments. They found that the protein corona is highly persistent and resists oxidative and surfactant treatments, with only a combined alkaline-surfactant protocol effectively removing it. The findings are important because protein coatings on microplastics can alter how the particles interact with biological tissues and may affect the accuracy of analytical detection methods.
Microplastics entering the gastrointestinal environment rapidly acquire protein coronas that alter their surface chemistry and analytical detectability. We investigated the physicochemical interactions between fluorescently labelled bovine serum albumin (BSA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics during simulated intestinal exposure and evaluated the stability of the resulting hard corona. Using fluorescence tracking, SDS-PAGE, and FTIR spectroscopy, we show that BSA forms a persistent corona that resists oxidative and surfactant-only treatments. Only a combined alkaline-surfactant protocol (SDS/KOH) effectively removed the corona. None of the protocols applied affected polymer integrity. Residual protein in less effective protocols did not show changes on PET spectra in ATR FTIR. To validate the protocol under physiologically relevant complexity, we extended it to PET incubated with a digestive enzyme mixture. FTIR spectra confirmed the removal of protein-specific signals in both systems, with no degradation of PET ester or aromatic functional groups, nor signals of protein-polymer interactions. Our results highlight the robustness of protein–PET interactions in biological conditions and provide a variety of protocols for protein corona removal, suitable for diverse applications of microplastic analysis and toxicological studies.
More Papers Like This
Protein Corona Stability and Removal from PET Microplastics: Analytical and Spectroscopic Evaluation in Simulated Intestinal Conditions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how proteins in the gut environment attach to PET microplastics and found that a persistent protein coating, called a corona, forms quickly and resists simple cleaning methods. Only specific combinations of oxidation with alkaline or surfactant treatments could effectively remove the protein layer without damaging the plastic itself. The findings are important because protein coronas change how microplastics interact with biological systems and can interfere with accurately detecting and analyzing these particles.
Unravelling protein corona formation on pristine and leached microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that when microplastics encounter proteins in biological fluids, they get coated in a "protein corona" that depends heavily on the plastic's chemical additives, surface area, and how much it has been weathered in the environment. This coating changes how microplastics behave in the body, meaning toxicity studies need to account for these real-world surface changes.
Unravelling protein corona formation on pristine and leached microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
When microplastics enter biological fluids or protein-rich environments, proteins coat their surface to form a 'protein corona' that changes how the particles behave in living systems. This study explored how the physical and chemical properties of pristine versus weathered microplastics influence corona formation, finding that surface changes caused by environmental aging significantly alter protein binding. Understanding this process matters because the protein coat — not the plastic itself — is often what cells and organisms first encounter.
Role of the Protein Corona in the Colloidal Behavior of Microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how protein coronas form on polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in biological media, finding that proteins act as surfactants that alter the colloidal behavior and stability of microplastics in aquatic environments.
Towards understanding particle-protein complexes: Physicochemical, structural, and cellbiological characterization of β-lactoglobulin interactions with silica, polylactic acid, and polyethylene terephthalate nanoparticles
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how protein molecules in food coat the surfaces of nanoplastic particles — a process called protein corona formation — and what effect those coated particles have on human gut cells. Using three different nanoparticle types (silica, PLA, and PET), the researchers found that PET nanoplastics bound the least protein and were not taken up by simulated intestinal cells, while silica-protein complexes were internalized and impaired cell growth. The findings suggest that the protein corona around nanoplastics changes their behavior in the gut in ways that depend heavily on the particle's surface chemistry. This is relevant to understanding how nanoplastics interact with human digestive tissue after ingestion.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.