Quantifying nanoparticles’ concentration and vesicle size changes on 3T3 cells with cryo-SXT

Silica is one of the most versatile materials in modern times, with its properties being tailored from a limitless range of nanostructures. As a result, silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have emerged as a prominent nanoplatform for treating and diagnosing diseases in nanomedicine. Previous characterization by TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) and nanotomography of SiNP internalization in 3T3 cells suggests an increase in both the number of nanoparticles per vesicle and the vesicle size over time, leading to the hypothesis of vesicle fusion (manuscript submitted). In this study, we propose to quantitatively monitor vesicle volume and nanoparticle concentration within these cellular structures using the Mistral beamline at Alba using high-resolution soft X-ray tomography (cryo-SXT). This approach will provide three-dimensional high-resolution imaging of both nanoparticles (120 nm size) and vesicle structures.