Assistant professor Paolo Actis, University of Leeds, UK 

Nanoprobes for Single-Cell Surgery

Physiological and pathological processes within the human body are controlled by complex cell-cell interactions within the context of a dynamic microenvironment. The ability to dynamically measure phenotypes (i.e. gene expression, protein activities, ion fluctuations, signalling) at the single cell level is key to understanding cellular behaviour in a complex environment. My research aims at developing nanoscale tools to dissect the dynamic contributions of single cells to disease processes.

In the first part of my talk, I will present the development of nanoprobes based on nanopipettes for manipulating living cells. The integration of these nanoprobes with scanning probe microscopy techniques allows the precise delivery of biomolecules^{1, 2} and the extraction of genetic material and organelles from living cells³.

In the second part of my talk, I will discuss the application of functionalised nanoelectrodes for intracellular electrochemical measurements. Nanoelectrodes as small as 3 nm in radius can be functionalized with platinum⁴ and Prussian blue^5,6 to dramatically enhance their catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction and hydrogen peroxide oxidation. I will discuss their application for measuring the metabolic activity inside brain slices and I will conclude my talk showing their ability to measure intracellular endogenous molecules.

References

1. Seger, Actis et al, Nanoscale, 2012
2. Ivanov, Actis et al, ACS Nano, 2015
3. Actis et al, ACS Nano, 2013
4. Actis et al, ACS Nano, 2014
5. Clausmeyer, Actis et al, Electrochem Commun, 2014
6. Marquitan et al, Chem Electro Chem, 2016 

Host: Assoc. professor Mingdong Dong, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University