Imperial College London

ProfessorAlexandraPorter

Faculty of EngineeringDepartment of Materials

Professor of Bio-imaging and Analysis
 
 
 
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Contact

 

+44 (0)20 7594 9691a.porter

 
 
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Location

 

B341 Royal School of MinesRoyal School of MinesSouth Kensington Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Publication Type
Year
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181 results found

Greaves GE, Allison L, Machado P, Morfill C, Fleck RA, Porter AE, Phillips CCet al., 2024, Infrared nanoimaging of neuronal ultrastructure and nanoparticle interaction with cells., Nanoscale

Here we introduce scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) as a novel tool for nanoscale chemical-imaging of sub-cellular organelles, nanomaterials and of the interactions between them. Our setup uses a tuneable mid-infrared laser and a sharp scanning probe to image at a resolution substantially surpassing the diffraction limit. The laser can be tuned to excite vibrational modes of functional groups in biomolecules, (e.g. amide moieties), in a way that enables direct chemical mapping without the need for labelling. We, for the first time, chemically image neuronal ultrastructure, identify neuronal organelles and sub-organelle structures as small as 10 nm and validate our findings using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We produce chemical and morphological maps of neurons treated with gold nanospheres and characterize nanoparticle size and intracellular location, and their interaction with the plasma membrane. Our results show that the label-free nature of s-SNOM means it has a 'true' chemical resolution of up to 20 nm which can be further improved. We argue that it offers significant potential in nanomedicine for nanoscale chemical imaging of cell ultrastructure and the subcellular distribution of nanomaterials within tissues.

Journal article

Kalaiarasan G, Kumar P, Tomson M, Zavala-Reyes JC, Porter AE, Young G, Sephton MA, Abubakar-Waziri H, Pain CC, Adcock IM, Mumby S, Dilliway C, Fang F, Arcucci R, Chung KFet al., 2024, Particle number size distribution in three different microenvironments of London, Atmosphere, Vol: 15, ISSN: 2073-4433

We estimated the particle number distributions (PNDs), particle number concentrations (PNCs), physicochemical characteristics, meteorological effects, and respiratory deposition doses (RDD) in the human respiratory tract for three different particle modes: nucleation (N6–30), accumulation (N30–300), and coarse (N300–10,000) modes. This study was conducted in three different microenvironments (MEs) in London (indoor, IN; traffic intersection, TI; park, PK) measuring particles in the range of 6 nm–10,000 nm using an electrical low-pressure impactor (ELPI+). Mean PNCs were 1.68 ± 1.03 × 104 #cm−3, 7.00 ± 18.96 × 104 #cm−3, and 0.76 ± 0.95 × 104 #cm−3 at IN, TI, and PK, respectively. The PNDs were high for nucleation-mode particles at the TI site, especially during peak traffic hours. Wind speeds ranging from 0 to 6 ms−1 exhibit higher PNCs for nucleation- and accumulation-mode particles at TI and PK sites. Physicochemical characterisation shows trace metals, including Fe, O, and inorganic elements, that were embedded in a matrix of organic material in some samples. Alveolar RDD was higher for the nucleation and accumulation modes than the coarse-mode particles. The chemical signatures from the physicochemical characterisation indicate the varied sources at different MEs. These findings enhance our understanding of the different particle profiles at each ME and should help devise ways of reducing personal exposure at each ME.

Journal article

Tomson M, Kumar P, Kalaiarasan G, Zavala-Reyes JC, Chiapasco M, Sephton MA, Young G, Porter AE, Klosowski MMet al., 2023, Corrigendum to “Pollutant concentrations and exposure variability in four urban microenvironments of London” [Atmos. Environ. 298 (2023) 119624], Atmospheric Environment, Vol: 310, ISSN: 1352-2310

Journal article

Peters JJP, Mullarkey T, Hedley E, Muller KH, Porter A, Mostaed A, Jones Let al., 2023, Electron counting detectors in scanning transmission electron microscopy via hardware signal processing, NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, Vol: 14

Journal article

Peters JJP, Reed BW, Jimbo Y, Porter A, Masiel D, Jones Let al., 2023, A New Low-dose STEM Imaging Mode with Probability Driven Intra-pixel Beam Blanking., Microsc Microanal, Vol: 29, Pages: 1754-1755

Journal article

Greaves G, Kiryushko D, Auner H, Porter A, Phillips Cet al., 2023, Label-free nanoscale mapping of intracellular organelle chemistry, Communications Biology, Vol: 6, Pages: 1-7, ISSN: 2399-3642

The ability to image cell chemistry at the nanoscale is key for understanding cell biology, but many optical microscopies are restricted by the ~(200–250)nm diffraction limit. Electron microscopy and super-resolution fluorescence techniques beat this limit, but rely on staining and specialised labelling to generate image contrast. It is challenging, therefore, to obtain information about the functional chemistry of intracellular components. Here we demonstrate a technique for intracellular label-free chemical mapping with nanoscale (~30 nm) resolution. We use a probe-based optical microscope illuminated with a mid-infrared laser whose wavelengths excite vibrational modes of functional groups occurring within biological molecules. As a demonstration, we chemically map intracellular structures in human multiple myeloma cells and compare the morphologies with electron micrographs of the same cell line. We also demonstrate label-free mapping at wavelengths chosen to target the chemical signatures of proteins and nucleic acids, in a way that can be used to identify biochemical markers in the study of disease and pharmacology.

Journal article

Abubakkar-Waziri H, Kalaiarasan G, Wawman R, Hobbs F, Adcock I, Dilliway C, Fang F, Pain C, Porter A, Bhavsar PK, Ransome E, Savolainen V, Kumar P, Chung KFet al., 2023, SARS-CoV2 in public spaces in West London UK during COVID-19 pandemic, BMJ Open Respiratory Research, Vol: 10, ISSN: 2052-4439

Background: Spread of SARS-CoV2 by aerosol is considered an important mode of transmission over distances >2 m, particularly indoors.Objectives: We determined whether SARS-CoV2 could be detected in the air of enclosed/semi-enclosed public spaces.Methods and analysis: Between March 2021 and December 2021 during the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions after a period of lockdown, we used total suspended and size-segregated particulate matter (PM) samplers for the detection of SARS-CoV2 in hospitals wards and waiting areas, on public transport, in a university campus and in a primary school in West London.Results: We collected 207 samples, of which 20 (9.7%) were positive for SARS-CoV2 using quantitative PCR. Positive samples were collected from hospital patient waiting areas, from hospital wards treating patients with COVID-19 using stationary samplers and from train carriages in London underground using personal samplers. Mean virus concentrations varied between 429 500 copies/m3 in the hospital emergency waiting area and the more frequent 164 000 copies/m3 found in other areas. There were more frequent positive samples from PM samplers in the PM2.5 fractions compared with PM10 and PM1. Culture on Vero cells of all collected samples gave negative results.Conclusion: During a period of partial opening during the COVID-19 pandemic in London, we detected SARS-CoV2 RNA in the air of hospital waiting areas and wards and of London Underground train carriage. More research is needed to determine the transmission potential of SARS-CoV2 detected in the air.

Journal article

Tomson M, Kumar P, Kalaiarasan G, Zavala-Reyes JC, Chiapasco M, Sephton MA, Young G, Porter AEet al., 2023, Pollutant concentrations and exposure variability in four urban microenvironments of London, Atmospheric Environment, Vol: 298, Pages: 1-16, ISSN: 1352-2310

We compared various pollutant concentrations (PM1, PM2.5, PM10, PNC, BC) at four different urban microenvironments (MEs) in London (Indoor, IN; Traffic Intersection, TI; Park, PK; and Street Canyon, SC). The physico-chemical characteristics of particles were analysed, and the respiratory deposition doses (RDD) were estimated. Field measurements were conducted over a period of 121 days. The mean PM2.5 (PNC) concentrations were found to be 9.47 ± 7.05 (16366 ± 11815), 8.09 ± 4.57 (10951 ± 6445), 5.11 ± 2.96 (7717 ± 4576), 3.88 ± 3.06 (5672 ± 2934) μg m−3 (# cm−3) at TI, SC, PK and IN, respectively. PM2.5, PM10 and PNC exhibited a trend of TI > SC > PK > IN; higher concentrations for PM1 and BC were observed at IN than PK due to the emissions from printers, producing a trend of TI > SC > IN > PK. We observed 12%–30% higher fine PM concentrations at TI and SC sites during morning peak (07:00–09:30) than the evening peak hours (16:00–19:00); while IN showed a smaller variation in fine PM concentrations compared with outdoor TI, PK and SC sites owing to their prevalence in the IN for a longer time. Fine and ultrafine PM containing potentially toxic trace transition metals including Fe, Ti, Cr, Mn, Al and Mg were detected by high resolution electron microscopy at all sites. There was a similar relative abundance of different elements at the TI, IN and PK sites, which suggests a transport of PM between MEs. RDD for PM1 was highest (2.45 ± 2.27 μg h−1) at TI for females during running; PM2.5 and PM10 were highest at SC (11.23 ± 6.34 and 37.17 ± 20.82 μg h−1, respectively). The results show that the RDD variation between MEs does not follow the PM concentration trend. RDD at PK was found to be 39%–53% lower than TI and SC during running for all the PM fractions. Overall, the study findings show the air quality variation at dif

Journal article

Mohammed AA, Miao J, Ragaisyte I, Porter AE, Myant CW, Pinna Aet al., 2023, 3D printed superparamagnetic stimuli-responsive starfish-shaped hydrogels, Heliyon, Vol: 9, Pages: 1-13, ISSN: 2405-8440

Magnetic-stimuli responsive hydrogels are quickly becoming a promising class of materials across numerous fields, including biomedical devices, soft robotic actuators, and wearable electronics. Hydrogels are commonly fabricated by conventional methods that limit the potential for complex architectures normally required for rapidly changing custom configurations. Rapid prototyping using 3D printing provides a solution for this. Previous work has shown successful extrusion 3D printing of magnetic hydrogels; however, extrusion-based printing is limited by nozzle resolution and ink viscosity. VAT photopolymerization offers a higher control over resolution and build-architecture. Liquid photo-resins with magnetic nanocomposites normally suffer from nanoparticle agglomeration due to local magnetic fields. In this work, we develop an optimised method for homogenously infusing up to 2 wt % superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with a 10 nm diameter into a photo-resin composed of water, acrylamide and PEGDA, with improved nanoparticle homogeneity and reduced agglomeration during printing. The 3D printed starfish hydrogels exhibited high mechanical stability and robust mechanical properties with a maximum Youngs modulus of 1.8 MPa and limited shape deformation of 10% when swollen. Each individual arm of the starfish could be magnetically actuated when a remote magnetic field is applied. The starfish could grab onto a magnet with all arms when a central magnetic field was applied. Ultimately, these hydrogels retained their shape post-printing and returned to their original formation once the magnetic field had been removed. These hydrogels can be used across a wide range of applications, including soft robotics and magnetically stimulated actuators.

Journal article

Morfill C, Pankratova S, Machado P, Fernando NK, Regoutz A, Talamona F, Pinna A, Klosowski M, Wilkinson RJ, Fleck RA, Xie F, Porter AE, Kiryushko Det al., 2023, Addition to "Nanostars carrying multifunctional neurotrophic dendrimers protect neurons in preclinical in vitro models of neurodegenerative disorders"., ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Vol: 15, Pages: 13824-13824, ISSN: 1944-8244

In the original version of this article (p. 47457), some acknowledgments were not included. In the revised Acknowledgments section provided below, we additionally provide The REC reference for the ethical approval of the human astrocyte isolation, an acknowledgment to Dr. Alize Proust at the Francis Crick Institute for establishing the triple coculture BBB model used in this study, and the reference and the grant number for the source of the human fetal material. This does not affect the results or conclusions of our work.

Journal article

Tan Z, Berry A, Charalambides M, Mijic A, Pearse W, Porter A, Ryan M, Shorten R, Stettler M, Tetley T, Wright S, Masen Met al., 2023, Tyre wear particles are toxic for us and the environment

This briefing paper discusses the current knowledge on the effects of tyre wear particles on our health and environment, highlights the need for an ambitious research agenda to build further understanding of the impacts on people and nature and develop solutions, and includes recommendations for policymakers.

Report

Kumar P, Zavala-Reyes JC, Kalaiarasan G, Abubakar-Waziri H, Young G, Mudway I, Dilliway C, Lakhdar R, Mumby S, Kłosowski MM, Pain CC, Adcock IM, Watson JS, Sephton MA, Chung KF, Porter AEet al., 2023, Characteristics of fine and ultrafine aerosols in the London underground., Science of the Total Environment, Vol: 858, ISSN: 0048-9697

Underground railway systems are recognised spaces of increased personal pollution exposure. We studied the number-size distribution and physico-chemical characteristics of ultrafine (PM0.1), fine (PM0.1-2.5) and coarse (PM2.5-10) particles collected on a London underground platform. Particle number concentrations gradually increased throughout the day, with a maximum concentration between 18:00 h and 21:00 h (local time). There was a maximum decrease in mass for the PM2.5, PM2.5-10 and black carbon of 3.9, 4.5 and ~ 21-times, respectively, between operable (OpHrs) and non-operable (N-OpHrs) hours. Average PM10 (52 μg m-3) and PM2.5 (34 μg m-3) concentrations over the full data showed levels above the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines. Respiratory deposition doses of particle number and mass concentrations were calculated and found to be two- and four-times higher during OpHrs compared with N-OpHrs, reflecting events such as train arrival/departure during OpHrs. Organic compounds were composed of aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are known to be harmful to health. Specific ratios of PAHs were identified for underground transport that may reflect an interaction between PAHs and fine particles. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) chemical maps of fine and ultrafine fractions show they are composed of Fe and O in the form of magnetite and nanosized mixtures of metals including Cr, Al, Ni and Mn. These findings, and the low air change rate (0.17 to 0.46 h-1), highlight the need to improve the ventilation conditions.

Journal article

Correia JS, Miron Barroso S, Hutchings C, Ottaviani S, Somuncuoğlu B, Castellano L, Porter AE, Krell J, Georgiou TKet al., 2023, How does the polymer architecture and position of cationic charges affect cell viability?, Polymer Chemistry, Vol: 14, Pages: 303-317, ISSN: 1759-9954

Polymer chemistry, composition and molar mass are factors that are known to affect cytotoxicity however the influence of polymer architecture has not been investigated systematically. In this study the influence of the position of the cationic charges along the polymer chain on cytotoxicity was investigated while keeping constant the other polymer characteristics. Specifically, copolymers of various architectures, based on a cationic pH responsive monomer, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and a non-ionic hydrophilic monomer, oligo(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA) were engineered and their toxicity towards a panel of cell lines investigated. Of the seven different polymer architectures examined, the block-like structures were less cytotoxic than statistical or gradient/tapered architectures. These findings will assist in developing future vectors for nucleic acid delivery.

Journal article

Kumar P, Kalaiarasan G, Bhagat RK, Mumby S, Adcock IM, Porter AE, Ransome E, Abubakar-Waziri H, Bhavsar P, Shishodia S, Dilliway C, Fang F, Pain CC, Chung KFet al., 2022, Active air monitoring for understanding the ventilation and infection risks of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in public indoor spaces, Atmosphere, Vol: 13, Pages: 1-24, ISSN: 2073-4433

Indoor, airborne, transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is a key infection route. We monitored fourteen different indoor spaces in order to assess the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. PM2.5 and CO2 concentrations were simultaneously monitored in order to understand aerosol exposure and ventilation conditions. Average PM2.5 concentrations were highest in the underground station (261 ± 62.8 μgm−3), followed by outpatient and emergency rooms in hospitals located near major arterial roads (38.6 ± 20.4 μgm−3), the respiratory wards, medical day units and intensive care units recorded concentrations in the range of 5.9 to 1.1 μgm−3. Mean CO2 levels across all sites did not exceed 1000 ppm, the respiratory ward (788 ± 61 ppm) and the pub (bar) (744 ± 136 ppm) due to high occupancy. The estimated air change rates implied that there is sufficient ventilation in these spaces to manage increased levels of occupancy. The infection probability in the medical day unit of hospital 3, was 1.6-times and 2.2-times higher than the emergency and outpatient waiting rooms in hospitals 4 and 5, respectively. The temperature and relative humidity recorded at most sites was below 27 °C, and 40% and, in sites with high footfall and limited air exchange, such as the hospital medical day unit, indicate a high risk of airborne SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Journal article

Saebe A, Wiwatpanit T, Varatthan T, Namporn T, Laungkulldej S, Thiabma R, Jaiboonma A, Sangiamsuntorn K, Elson D, Porter AE, Sathirakul K, Hongeng S, Ruenraroengsak Pet al., 2022, Comparative study between the 3D‐liver spheroid models developed from HepG2 and immortalized hepatocyte‐like cells with primary hepatic stellate coculture for drug metabolism analysis and anticancer drug screening, Advanced Therapeutics, Vol: 6, Pages: 1-16, ISSN: 2366-3987

Liver spheroids may be the best alternative models for evaluating efficacy and toxicity of the new anticancer candidates and diagnostics for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, novel 3D-liver spheroid models are constructed from human hepatoma cells (HepG2)/ immortalized human hepatocyte-like cells (imHCs) with primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) coculture using the ultralow attachment technique. Spheroid morphology, HSC distribution, metabolic activity, protein expressions, and drug penetration are evaluated. All developed 3D spheroid models exhibit in spherical shape with narrow size distribution, diameter between 639–743 (HepG2-10%HSC) and 519–631 (imHC-10%HSC) µm. Both imHC mono and coculture models significantly express normal liver biomarkers at the higher level than HepG2 models. While 3D-HepG2 models significantly exhibit HCC biomarkers at the higher level than imHC models. HepG2 and imHC spheroids express basal cytochrom P450 (CYP450) enzymes at different levels depending on cell types, culture period, and ratio of coculture. Their metabolic activities for dextromethorphan (CYP2D6) tolbutamide (CYP2C9) and midazolam (CYP3A4) are routinely evaluated. For midazolam metabolism, imHC models allow the detection of phase II metabolic enzymes (UGT2B4 and UGT2B7). The presence of HSC in HepG2-HSC model increases biological barrier for doxorubicin (DOX) penetration, and escalates IC50 of DOX from 61.4 to 127.2 µg mL−1.

Journal article

Morfill C, Pankratova S, Machado P, Fernando NK, Regoutz A, Talamona F, Pinna A, Klosowski M, Wilkinson RJ, Fleck RA, Xie F, Porter AE, Kiryushko Det al., 2022, Nanostars Carrying Multifunctional Neurotrophic Dendrimers Protect Neurons in Preclinical In Vitro Models of Neurodegenerative Disorders, ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, Vol: 14, Pages: 47445-47460, ISSN: 1944-8244

Journal article

Bernardini A, Trovatelli M, Klosowski M, Pederzani M, Zani D, Brizzola S, Porter A, Rodriguez y Baena F, Dini Det al., 2022, Reconstruction of ovine axonal cytoarchitecture enables more accurate models of brain biomechanics, Communications Biology, Vol: 5, ISSN: 2399-3642

There is an increased need and focus to understand how local brain microstructure affects the transport of drug molecules directly administered to the brain tissue, for example in convection-enhanced delivery procedures. This study reports a systematic attempt to characterize the cytoarchitecture of commissural, long association and projection fibres, namely the corpus callosum, the fornix and the corona radiata, with the specific aim to map different regions of the tissue and provide essential information for the development of accurate models of brain biomechanics. Ovine samples are imaged using scanning electron microscopy combined with focused ion beam milling to generate 3D volume reconstructions of the tissue at subcellular spatial resolution. Focus is placed on the characteristic cytological feature of the white matter: the axons and their alignment in the tissue. For each tract, a 3D reconstruction of relatively large volumes, including a significant number of axons, is performed and outer axonal ellipticity, outer axonal cross-sectional area and their relative perimeter are measured. The study of well-resolved microstructural features provides useful insight into the fibrous organization of the tissue, whose micromechanical behaviour is that of a composite material presenting elliptical tortuous tubular axonal structures embedded in the extra-cellular matrix. Drug flow can be captured through microstructurally-based models using 3D volumes, either reconstructed directly from images or generated in silico using parameters extracted from the database of images, leading to a workflow to enable physically-accurate simulations of drug delivery to the targeted tissue.

Journal article

Phillips T, Heaney CE, Benmoufok E, Li Q, Hua L, Porter AE, Chung KF, Pain CCet al., 2022, Multi-Output Regression with Generative Adversarial Networks (MOR-GANs), Applied Sciences, Vol: 12, Pages: 1-24, ISSN: 2076-3417

Regression modelling has always been a key process in unlocking the relationships betweenindependent and dependent variables that are held within data. In recent years, machine learninghas uncovered new insights in many fields, providing predictions to previously unsolved problems.Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have been widely applied to image processing producinggood results, however, these methods have not often been applied to non-image data. Seeing thepowerful generative capabilities of the GANs, we explore their use, here, as a regression method. Inparticular, we explore the use of the Wasserstein GAN (WGAN) as a multi-output regression method.The resulting method we call Multi-Output Regression GANs (MOR-GANs) and its performanceis compared to a Gaussian Process Regression method (GPR) - a commonly used non-parametricregression method that has been well tested on small datasets with noisy responses. The WGANregression model performs well for all types of datasets and exhibits substantial improvements overthe performance of the GPR for certain types of datasets, demonstrating the flexibility of the GAN asa model for regression.

Journal article

Mirón-Barroso S, Correia JS, Frampton AE, Lythgoe MP, Clark J, Tookman L, Ottaviani S, Castellano L, Porter AE, Georgiou TK, Krell Jet al., 2022, Polymeric carriers for delivery of RNA cancer therapeutics, Non-Coding RNA, Vol: 8, Pages: 58-58, ISSN: 2311-553X

As research uncovers the underpinnings of cancer biology, new targeted therapies have been developed. Many of these therapies are small molecules, such as kinase inhibitors, that target specific proteins; however, only 1% of the genome encodes for proteins and only a subset of these proteins has ‘druggable’ active binding sites. In recent decades, RNA therapeutics have gained popularity due to their ability to affect targets that small molecules cannot. Additionally, they can be manufactured more rapidly and cost-effectively than small molecules or recombinant proteins. RNA therapeutics can be synthesised chemically and altered quickly, which can enable a more personalised approach to cancer treatment. Even though a wide range of RNA therapeutics are being developed for various indications in the oncology setting, none has reached the clinic to date. One of the main reasons for this is attributed to the lack of safe and effective delivery systems for this type of therapeutic. This review focuses on current strategies to overcome these challenges and enable the clinical utility of these novel therapeutic agents in the cancer clinic.

Journal article

Yallop M, Wang Y, Masuda S, Daniels J, Ockenden A, Masani H, Scott TB, Xie F, Ryan M, Jones C, Porter AEet al., 2022, Quantifying impacts of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on natural assemblages of riverine phytobenthos and phytoplankton in an outdoor setting, SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, Vol: 831, ISSN: 0048-9697

Journal article

Lakhdar R, Mumby S, Abubakar-Waziri H, Porter A, Adcock IM, Chung KFet al., 2022, Lung toxicity of particulates and gaseous pollutants using <i>ex-vivo</i> airway epithelial cell culture systems, ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, Vol: 305, ISSN: 0269-7491

Journal article

Gomez-Gonzalez MA, Rehkamper M, Han Z, Ryan MP, Laycock A, Porter AEet al., 2022, ZnO Nanomaterials and Ionic Zn Partition within Wastewater Sludge Investigated by Isotopic Labeling, Global Challenges, Vol: 6, ISSN: 2056-6646

The increasing commercial use of engineered zinc oxide nanomaterials necessitates a thorough understanding of their behavior following their release into wastewater. Herein, the fates of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and ionic Zn in a real primary sludge collected from a municipal wastewater system are studied via stable isotope tracing at an environmentally relevant spiking concentration of 15.2 µg g−1. Due to rapid dissolution, nanoparticulate ZnO does not impart particle-specific effects, and the Zn ions from NP dissolution and ionic Zn display indistinguishable behavior as they partition equally between the solid, liquid, and ultrafiltrate phases of the sludge over a 4-h incubation period. This work provides important constraints on the behavior of engineered ZnO nanomaterials in primary sludge—the first barrier in a wastewater treatment plant—at low, realistic concentrations. As the calculated solid–liquid partition coefficients are significantly lower than those reported in prior studies that employ unreasonably high spiking concentrations, this work highlights the importance of using low, environmentally relevant doses of engineered nanomaterials in experiments to obtain accurate risk assessments.

Journal article

Naruphontjirakul P, Li S, Pinna A, Barrak F, Chen S, Redpath AN, Rankin SM, Porter AE, Jones JRet al., 2022, Interaction of monodispersed strontium containing bioactive glass nanoparticles with macrophages, Biomaterials Advances, Vol: 133, Pages: 1-12, ISSN: 2772-9508

The cellular response of murine primary macrophages to monodisperse strontium containing bioactive glass nanoparticles (SrBGNPs), with diameters of 90 ± 10 nm and a composition (mol%) of 88.8 SiO2–1.8CaO-9.4SrO (9.4% Sr-BGNPs) was investigated for the first time. Macrophage response is critical as applications of bioactive nanoparticles will involve the nanoparticles circulating in the blood stream and macrophages will be the first cells to encounter the particles, as part of inflammatory response mechanisms. Macrophage viability and total DNA measurements were not decreased by particle concentrations of up to 250 μg/mL. The Sr-BGNPs were actively internalised by the macrophages via formation of endosome/lysosome-like vesicles bordered by a membrane inside the cells. The Sr-BGNPs degraded inside the cells, with the Ca and Sr maintained inside the silica network. When RAW264.7 cells were incubated with Sr-BGNPs, the cells were polarised towards the pro-regenerative M2 population rather than the pro-inflammatory M1 population. Sr-BGNPs are potential biocompatible vehicles for therapeutic cation delivery for applications in bone regeneration.

Journal article

Garcia-Giner V, Han Z, Giuliani F, Porter AEet al., 2021, Nanoscale imaging and analysis of bone pathologies, Applied Sciences-Basel, Vol: 11, Pages: 1-32, ISSN: 2076-3417

Understanding the properties of bone is of both fundamental and clinical relevance. The basis of bone’s quality and mechanical resilience lies in its nanoscale building blocks (i.e., mineral, collagen, non-collagenous proteins, and water) and their complex interactions across length scales. Although the structure–mechanical property relationship in healthy bone tissue is relatively well characterized, not much is known about the molecular-level origin of impaired mechanics and higher fracture risks in skeletal disorders such as osteoporosis or Paget’s disease. Alterations in the ultrastructure, chemistry, and nano-/micromechanics of bone tissue in such a diverse group of diseased states have only been briefly explored. Recent research is uncovering the effects of several non-collagenous bone matrix proteins, whose deficiencies or mutations are, to some extent, implicated in bone diseases, on bone matrix quality and mechanics. Herein, we review existing studies on ultrastructural imaging—with a focus on electron microscopy—and chemical, mechanical analysis of pathological bone tissues. The nanometric details offered by these reports, from studying knockout mice models to characterizing exact disease phenotypes, can provide key insights into various bone pathologies and facilitate the development of new treatments.

Journal article

Valente P, Kiryushko D, Sacchetti S, Machado P, Cobley CM, Mangini V, Porter AE, Spatz JP, Fleck RA, Benfenati F, Fiammengo Ret al., 2021, Reply to Comment on Conopeptide-Functionalized Nanoparticles Selectively Antagonize Extrasynaptic <i>N</i>-Methyl-D-aspartate Receptors and Protect Hippocampal Neurons from Excitotoxicity <i>In Vitro</i>, ACS NANO, Vol: 15, Pages: 15409-15417, ISSN: 1936-0851

Journal article

Gomez-Gonzalez MA, Koronfel MA, Pullin H, Parker JE, Quinn PD, Inverno MD, Scott TB, Xie F, Voulvoulis N, Yallop ML, Ryan MP, Porter AEet al., 2021, Nanoscale chemical imaging of nanoparticles under real-world wastewater treatment conditions, Advanced Sustainable Systems, Vol: 5, ISSN: 2366-7486

Understanding nanomaterial transformations within wastewater treatment plants is an important step to better predict their potential impact on the environment. Here, spatially resolved, in situ nano-X-ray fluorescence microscopy is applied to directly observe nanometer-scale dissolution, morphological, and chemical evolution of individual and aggregated ZnO nanorods in complex “real-world” conditions: influent water and primary sludge collected from a municipal wastewater system. A complete transformation of isolated ZnO nanorods into ZnS occurs after only 1 hour in influent water, but larger aggregates of the ZnO nanorods transform only partially, with small contributions of ZnS and Zn-phosphate (Zn3(PO4)2) species, after 3 hours. Transformation of aggregates of the ZnO nanorods toward mixed ZnS, Zn adsorbed to Fe-oxyhydroxides, and a large contribution of Zn3(PO4)2 phases are observed during their incubation in primary sludge for 3 hours. Discrete, isolated ZnO regions are imaged with unprecedented spatial resolution, revealing their incipient transformation toward Zn3(PO4)2. Passivation by transformation(s) into mixtures of less soluble phases may influence the subsequent bioreactivity of these nanomaterials. This work emphasizes the importance of imaging the nanoscale chemistry of mixtures of nanoparticles in highly complex, heterogeneous semi-solid matrices for improved prediction of their impacts on treatment processes, and potential environmental toxicity following release.

Journal article

Porter A, Youngstein T, Babar S, Mason JCet al., 2021, A rare life-threatening presentation of Takayasu arteritis, RHEUMATOLOGY, Vol: 60, Pages: 6-8, ISSN: 1462-0324

Journal article

Kumar P, Kalaiarasan G, Porter AE, Pinna A, Kłosowski MM, Demokritou P, Chung KF, Pain C, Arvind DK, Arcucci R, Adcock IM, Dilliway Cet al., 2021, An overview of methods of fine and ultrafine particle collection for physicochemical characterisation and toxicity assessments., Science of the Total Environment, Vol: 756, Pages: 1-22, ISSN: 0048-9697

Particulate matter (PM) is a crucial health risk factor for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The smaller size fractions, ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5; fine particles) and ≤0.1 μm (PM0.1; ultrafine particles), show the highest bioactivity but acquiring sufficient mass for in vitro and in vivo toxicological studies is challenging. We review the suitability of available instrumentation to collect the PM mass required for these assessments. Five different microenvironments representing the diverse exposure conditions in urban environments are considered in order to establish the typical PM concentrations present. The highest concentrations of PM2.5 and PM0.1 were found near traffic (i.e. roadsides and traffic intersections), followed by indoor environments, parks and behind roadside vegetation. We identify key factors to consider when selecting sampling instrumentation. These include PM concentration on-site (low concentrations increase sampling time), nature of sampling sites (e.g. indoors; noise and space will be an issue), equipment handling and power supply. Physicochemical characterisation requires micro- to milli-gram quantities of PM and it may increase according to the processing methods (e.g. digestion or sonication). Toxicological assessments of PM involve numerous mechanisms (e.g. inflammatory processes and oxidative stress) requiring significant amounts of PM to obtain accurate results. Optimising air sampling techniques are therefore important for the appropriate collection medium/filter which have innate physical properties and the potential to interact with samples. An evaluation of methods and instrumentation used for airborne virus collection concludes that samplers operating cyclone sampling techniques (using centrifugal forces) are effective in collecting airborne viruses. We highlight that predictive modelling can help to identify pollution hotspots in an urban environment for the efficient collection of PM mass. This review provides

Journal article

Pinna A, Baghbaderani MT, Hernandez VV, Naruphontjirakul P, Li S, McFarlane T, Hachim D, Stevens MM, Porter AE, Jones JRet al., 2021, Nanoceria provides antioxidant and osteogenic properties to mesoporous silica nanoparticles for osteoporosis treatment, Acta Biomaterialia, Vol: 122, Pages: 365-376, ISSN: 1742-7061

Osteoporosis, a chronic metabolic bone disease, is the most common cause of fractures. Drugs for treating osteoporosis generally inhibit osteoclast (OC) activity, but are rarely aimed at encouraging new bone growth and often cause severe systemic side effects. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are one of the key triggers of osteoporosis, by inducing osteoblast (OB) and osteocyte apoptosis and promoting osteoclastogenesis. Here we tested the capability of the ROS-scavenger nanoceria encapsulated within mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Ce@MSNs) to treat osteoporosis using a pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cell monoculture in stressed and normal conditions. Ce@MSNs (diameter of 80 ± 10 nm) were synthesised following a scalable two-step process involving sol-gel and wet impregnation methods. The Ce@MSNs at concentration of 100 μg mL−1 induced a significant reduction in oxidative stress produced by t-butyl hydroperoxide and did not alter cell viability significantly. Confocal microscopy showed that MSNs and Ce@MsNs were internalised into the cytoplasm of the pre-osteoblasts after 24 h but were not in the nucleus, avoiding any DNA and RNA modifications. Ce@MSNs provoked mineralisation of the pre-osteoablasts without osteogenic supplements, which did not occur when the cells were exposed to MSN without nanoceria. In a co-culture system of MC3T3-E1 and RAW264.7 macrophages, the Ce@MSNs exhibited antioxidant capability and stimulated cell proliferation and osteogenic responses without adding osteogenic supplements to the culture. The work brings forward an effective platform based for facile synthesis of Ce@MSNs to interact with both OBs and OCs for treatment of osteoporosis.

Journal article

Aldegaither N, Sernicola G, Mesgarnejad A, Karma A, Balint D, Wang J, Saiz E, Shefelbine SJ, Porter AE, Giuliani Fet al., 2021, Fracture toughness of bone at the microscale, Acta Biomaterialia, Vol: 121, Pages: 475-483, ISSN: 1742-7061

Bone's hierarchical arrangement of collagen and mineral generates a confluence of toughening mechanisms acting at every length scale from the molecular to the macroscopic level. Molecular defects, disease, and age alter bone structure at different levels and diminish its fracture resistance. However, the inability to isolate and quantify the influence of specific features hampers our understanding and the development of new therapies. Here, we combine in situ micromechanical testing, transmission electron microscopy and phase-field modelling to quantify intrinsic deformation and toughening at the fibrillar level and unveil the critical role of fibril orientation on crack deflection. At this level dry bone is highly anisotropic, with fracture energies ranging between 5 and 30 J/m2 depending on the direction of crack propagation. These values are lower than previously calculated for dehydrated samples from large-scale tests. However, they still suggest a significant amount of energy dissipation. This approach provides a new tool to uncouple and quantify, from the bottom up, the roles played by the structural features and constituents of bone on fracture and how can they be affected by different pathologies. The methodology can be extended to support the rational development of new structural composites.

Journal article

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