Extending visual range of bacteria with upconversion nanoparticles and constructing NIR-responsive bio-microrobots.

Journal: Journal of colloid and interface science
PMID: 39642547

Abstract

The motility of bacteria is crucial for navigating competitive environments and is closely linked to physiological activities essential for their survival, such as biofilm development. Precise regulation of bacterial motility enhances our understanding of these complex processes. While optogenetic tools have been used to control and investigate bacterial motility, the excitation light in most existing systems are limited to the visible light spectrum. Here, we introduce a new type of bio-microrobot comprising genetically engineered E. coli cells and orthogonally emissive upconversion nanoparticles that can respond to both 980 nm and 808 nm NIR light. This system allows toggling of bacterial states between tumbling and swimming via simply alternating the NIR light between different wavelengths. It is believed that the use of NIR light with deeper tissue penetration suggests potential applications for these bio-microrobots in areas like targeted drug delivery.

Authors

  • Wei Xu
    College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023 China.
  • Zhen Liu
    School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, PR China; Analytical Service Unit, WuXi AppTec (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 200131, PR China.
  • Jing Wang
    Endoscopy Center, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China.
  • Kai Jin
    Eye Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
  • Lulu Yue
    Department of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
  • Lin Yu
    Department of Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States.
  • Luqi Niu
    Department of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
  • Qingqing Dou
    Department of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
  • Jinliang Liu
    College of Information Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, PR China; School of Automation, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, PR China. Electronic address: liujinliang@vip.163.com.
  • Yuzhe Zhang
    School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China.
  • Xiaohui Zhu
    Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital and Basic Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China.
  • Yihan Wu
    Center for Magnetic Resonance Research(CMRR), Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

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