The Influence of Perivitelline Biomolecular Corona on Toxicity of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles in Zebrafish Embryos

• Grant number: 24/15291-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Diego Stéfani Teodoro Martinez
• Grantee: Daniel Silva Violin
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) have been explored for several technological applications such as in agriculture as antimicrobials and fertilizers, in industry for production of smart fabrics, biosensors, catalytic materials, and in biomedicine, for cancer treatments and diagnostics. Considering the growing interest in CuONPs, is essential to consider the environmental, health and safety aspects toward sustainable innovation. To address this, safe-by-design approaches is a priority for nanomaterials research and development. This approach involves designing nanomaterials linked with safety dimension, conducting extensive hazard assessments to develop safer and more sustainable materials at initial stage of research. In this context, the zebrafish embryos toxicity tests (Z-FET) emerge as an alternative model to mammals to assess the toxicity of nanomaterials. There are many studies assessing the toxicity of CuONPs in zebrafish. However, none of them evaluates the formation of biomolecular coronas due to the interaction between the nanoparticles and the perivitelline fluid (PVF), an extraembryonic biofluid that evolves and protect the embryo and fills the perivitelline space. Considering that the biomolecular coronas modulate nanomaterials' toxicity, this project will be the first to characterize and assess the biological effects of CuONPs and CuONPs@PVF (corona-coated) in zebrafish embryos as well as investigate the toxicity mechanisms and how they are affected by PVF biomolecular corona.