New Method to Identify Nanoparticles in Tissue May Shed Light on their Health Impact

University News





New Method to Identify Nanoparticles in Tissue May Shed Light on their Health Impact
Stony Brook biomedical engineer and colleagues nationally detail the cost-effective method in Microscopy Research and Technique


Stony Brook, NY – March 29, 2016 – A team of researchers from Stony Brook University, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and George Washington School of Medicine have demonstrated a pioneering method for the rapid visualization and identification of engineered nanoparticles in tissue. The research, detailed in a paper published in Microscopy Research and Technique, is a cost-effective hyperspectral imaging method for nanomaterial analysis that may shed light on nanomaterials’ potential health impacts.
As nanoparticles are increasingly incorporated into industrial processes and consumer products, studying the potential effects of exposure is critical to ensure the health and safety of workers, consumers, and the environment. In particular, the semiconductor industry utilizes metal oxide nanoparticles in a fabrication process, which has been identified by the industry as a critical area for health and safety research due to the potential for worker exposure.
In the paper, titled “Hyperspectral Imaging of Nanoparticles in Biological Samples: Simultaneous Visualization and Elemental Identification,” the researchers were able to detail how they located metal oxide nanoparticles in an ex vivo porcine skin tissue model of cutaneous exposure.
Molly Frame, PhD, Associate Professor and Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University, and a co-author on the paper, provided all the tissue samples that were imaged for the research. The imaging procedures were led and completed by Sara Brenner, MD, and colleagues at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
“Our findings were made possible through this unique collaboration, and the journal recognized them as highly significant in the area of nanotechnology research,” said Dr. Frame. “By laying the groundwork for the most efficient means with which to visualize nano materials in great detail, we are able to better evaluate the health implications of ...

Read More