Task: Answer Verification
Input (English): Question: Does an environmental route of exposure affect the formation of nanoparticle coronas in blood plasma?
Answer: This work shows how a self-assembling protein, class II hydrophobin HFBII, with interesting biocompatible coating properties, strongly adsorbs on polystyrene NPs. HFBII is also shown to reduce aggregation of the NPs in human plasma which can increase their bioavailability with potential use in biomedical applications. The results here are also of significance for understanding possible interactions of NPs with living organisms. Hydrophobins are secreted in large quantities into the environment by fungi and this work shows how the biological environment of NPs determines the surface and colloidal properties of the particles by forming a protein corona, and that the history of the particle environment, here simulated with hydrophobin exposure, affects both plasma protein corona formation and dispersion behavior. This work thus simulates how alternative exposure routes affect nanoparticle properties, important in understanding the biological fate of NPs.
Output (English): yes