Updated Results

Live cells labeled with WGA (membrane) and Hoechst 33342 (nucleus) are incubated with iron nanoparticles (aggregates can be visualized as black spots). Compared with control cells, high levels of endocytosis are observabed as are membrane outgrowths.

Cells Exposed to Iron Nanoparticles

SCINT — CMU

Sub-Cellular Interactions with Nanomaterial Technologies

Control HeLa cells with green membrane and blue nucleus. Membrane appears uniform at periphery and bright at perinuclear area (golgi and ER).

Cells treated with iron nanoparticles are not dead or dying (by PI stain). However, the localization of the particles under the nucleus suggests significant uptake, as does the increased evidence of endocytosis, visualized by the punctate membrane staining.

merge

just membrane

Also, many cells treated with iron nanoparticles show an increase in membrane projections and odd cell morphology.