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.
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.
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