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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Analysis of the Solvent Accessibility of Cysteine Residues on Maize rayado fino virus Virus-like Particles Produced in Nicotiana benthamiana Plants and Cross-linking of Peptides to VLPs

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Published on: February 14, 2013

Virus-Inspired Particle Coatings: Tunable Specific Multivalent Interactions with Mucus Barriers.

Mikael O Ellingson¹, Karla E Cureno Hernandez², Margarita Herrera-Alonso²

¹Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids

|July 13, 2026

Summary

We measured pH-dependent interactions between polymer-coated nanoparticles and mucin layers. This reveals tunable attraction, offering a way to design nanoparticle coatings for mucus barrier transport.

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Engineering Antiviral Agents via Surface Plasmon Resonance

Engineering Antiviral Agents via Surface Plasmon Resonance

Published on: June 14, 2022

Area of Science:

Biomaterials Science
Colloid Science
Surface Chemistry

Background:

Mucin layers are crucial biological barriers with complex surface chemistries.
Understanding nanoparticle interactions with mucin is key for targeted drug delivery and biomaterial design.
Viral capsid surface chemistries inspire functional nanoparticle coatings.

Purpose of the Study:

To directly measure separation-dependent interactions and diffusivities of polymer-coated colloids on mucin layers.
To investigate the role of pH and specific binding mechanisms in colloidal-mucin interactions.
To provide insights for designing nanoparticle coatings for optimal mucus transport.

Main Methods:

Utilized Total Internal Reflection Microscopy (TIRM) to analyze Brownian collisions between functionalized colloids and mucin surfaces.
Measured nonspecific steric interactions and specific boronic acid-mucin binding as a function of pH.
Quantified shear-mediated detachment forces to assess tether rupture under physiological flow conditions.

Main Results:

Demonstrated pH-tunable attraction between colloidal coatings and mucin layers, mediated by a multivalent binding mechanism.
Observed steric interactions consistent with existing polymer-mucin interaction studies.
Showcased mucin tether rupture under pN-scale hydrodynamic forces, dependent on pH.

Conclusions:

The study provides direct, sensitive measurements of colloidal interactions with mucin layers.
pH-dependent interactions can be tuned from repulsive to attractive, enabling control over nanoparticle behavior.
Findings offer a pathway to design nanoparticle coatings for specific transport across mucus barriers at varying pHs.