Multicomponent Analysis of Nano-Bio-Assemblies using Microfluidic Modulation – MANBAMM

Many important biological and biotechnological phenomena depend on the assembly of small biomolecular building blocks into larger structures. These structures can be formed by biomolecules alone, as is the case in natural biological processes, or with the inclusion of nanoscaffolds such as quantum dots, gold colloids or latex spheres, giving rise to so-called “nano-bio-assemblies” (NBAs). The MANBAMM project addresses the interaction of custom-made nanoparticles with biological molecules in liquid media and the structure and dynamics of the resulting NBAs. A particular sample of NBAs may contain a mixture of several related NBA sub-species, and its composition may change over time and as a function of other components present in the sample. The challenge is to identify and characterize several co-existing NBA species in such samples, without significantly perturbing and altering them. MANBAMM meets this challenge through an original combination of microfluidics, optical spectroscopy, single-particle charge-detected mass spectrometry (CDMS) and computer-based chemometric data processing. Specific microfluidic and electromicrofluidic devices will be designed to create mild spatiotemporal variations in the composition of a given sample. These lead to correlated modulations in the optical spectroscopic and CDMS data flows, which can be analyzed in terms of the physicochemical properties of the NBA components using numerical methods. MANBAMM will help to improve nanoparticle-based medical diagnostics, imaging and therapeutics through better understanding of nanobiological interactions.