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Structured Liquid Droplets as Chemical Sensors that Function Inside Living Cells
Uttam Manna1, Yashira M Zavala1, Nicholas L Abbott1
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Dr., Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 1, 2021
Summary
We developed liquid crystal (LC) droplets within cells as novel chemical sensors. These intracellular sensors detect toxins outside cells by changing optical properties, offering a new tool for environmental monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Materials Science
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Developing sensitive and selective biosensors is crucial for detecting environmental toxins.
- Liquid crystals (LCs) possess unique optical properties that can be modulated by their environment.
- Integrating abiotic sensing materials within living cells presents novel opportunities for biological sensing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of micrometer-scale liquid crystal (LC) droplets as intracellular chemical sensors.
- To determine if LC droplets can report the presence of extracellular toxins upon internalization by mammalian cells.
- To explore the mechanism of LC droplet activation by extracellular analytes within a cellular context.
Main Methods:
- Encapsulating thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs) in semi-permeable polymer capsules for cellular internalization.
- Culturing mammalian cells and exposing them to controlled concentrations of toxins.
- Monitoring optical changes in intracellular LC droplets in response to extracellular stimuli.
- Analyzing the interaction of toxins and cellular components with the LC droplet surface.
Main Results:
- Micrometer-scale LC droplets were successfully internalized and stabilized within living mammalian cells.
- Intracellular LC droplets exhibited optical changes in response to low, sub-lethal concentrations of toxic amphiphiles.
- LC droplets detected extracellular toxins that did not elicit a response when the droplets were not internalized.
- Droplet activation was attributed to the co-adsorption of toxins and lipophilic cellular components on droplet surfaces.
Conclusions:
- Intracellular liquid crystal droplets serve as effective chemical sensors for extracellular toxins.
- Cellular internalization enhances the sensitivity and selectivity of LC droplet-based sensing.
- This work establishes a new paradigm for designing biotic-abiotic systems for cellular and environmental monitoring.
