Harnessing Carbon Nanotubes: Biotechnological Applications with Dr. Boghossian

In this episode, we're exploring the fascinating intersection of nanotechnology and biology with Dr. Boghossian, who has been delving into the remarkable properties and potential of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for cell nanobiotechnology.Our discussion revolves around Dr. Boghossian's groundbreaking work examining the uptake of SWCNTs in Gram-negative cyanobacteria. Her research uncovers a passive length-dependent and selective internalization of SWCNTs decorated with positively charged biomolecules, a previously unexplored aspect of SWCNT functionalization for transport across prokaryotic cell walls. Notably, her team showed that lysozyme-coated SWCNTs spontaneously penetrate the cell walls of both unicellular and multicellular strains. Using a custom-built spinning-disc confocal microscope, they were able to image the distinct near-infrared SWCNT fluorescence within the autofluorescent cells, revealing a highly inhomogeneous distribution of SWCNTs. Dr. Boghossian's work also dives into the biotechnological implications of this research. For example, she found that the nanobionic cells not only retained photosynthetic activity but also showed an improved photo-exoelectrogenicity when incorporated into bioelectrochemical devices. Join us in this episode as we journey through this innovative domain of cell nanobiotechnology with Dr. Boghossian. Keywords: Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, SWCNTs, Cell Nanobiotechnology, Cyanobacteria, Functionalization, Lysozyme-Coated SWCNTs, Nanobionic Cells, Photosynthetic Activity, Bioelectrochemical Devices.Antonucci, et al. Carbon nanotube uptake in cyanobacteria for near-infrared imaging and enhanced bioelectricity generation in living photovoltaics. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-022-01198-x