Biological synthesis of iron nanoparticles

• Main Author: Zeke, Yee Hei
• Other Authors: Lim Sierin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Bioengineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/75573
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Biological synthesis of iron nanoparticles has been studied to be the preferred choice of synthesis compared to chemical and physical synthesis because it is friendly to the environment and inexpensive. Archaeoglobus fulgidus ferritin (AfFtn) is widely used as a viable Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) contrast agent because it improves the sensitivity of MRI to differentiate healthy cells from cancer cells. In this project we aim to develop bacterial MRI contrast agent by employing AfFtn as the contrast enhancing entity. The optimisation of the expression of the AfFtn gene, coupled with the FeoB which is an iron influx gene would create nanoparticles to achieve that goal. The optimisation of two engineered E. coli strains, AfFtn-WT—ΔFieF—FeoB and AfFtn-M6A—ΔFieF—FeoB in M9 Media (Aerobic and Anaerobic), was achieved and quantified via Bradford Protein Assay and Iron Colorimetric Assay. Additionally, the role of FeoB for extracellular iron influx was found to also influx nickel into the cell.