Monitoring of biotransformations and biosynthesis of iron oxide-based nanoparticles in cells using XAS and XES

The purpose of this proposal is to study and monitor the biotransformations of iron oxide-based nanoheterostructures for applications in biomedicine, over time, at the cellular environment. On one hand, their therapeutic efficacy and toxicity depend on how they transform in the organism after administration and how they degrade, where the excess of iron is regulated by ferritin-like proteins in homeostasis processes. On the other hand, remagnetization and recrystallization of magnetic phases can occur from the biosynthesis of degraded elements inside cells. We therefore propose a time-comprehensive study by means of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) of the nanoparticles in the cellular environment at different stages of tissue maturation. The electronic structure of Fe and other elements that take part of the nanostructures (Co and Zn) will be probed to track the different phases formed during their degradation or re-biosynthesis inside cells.