Nat. Commun.: Bacteria eat nanoprobes for aggregation-enhanced imaging and killing diverse microorganisms

Bacteria eat nanoprobes for aggregation-enhanced imaging and killing diverse microorganisms

Authors：

Yunmin Yang, Binbin Chu, Jiayi Cheng, Jiali Tang, Bin Song, Houyu Wang ^* & Yao He ^*

Institution：

 Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, 215123 Suzhou,   China.

Abstract：

Currently optical-based techniques for in vivo microbial population imaging are limited by low imaging depth and highly light-scattering tissue;   and moreover, are generally effective against only one specific group of bacteria. Here, we introduce an imaging and therapy strategy, in which different bacteria actively eat the glucose polymer (GP)-modified gold nanoparticles through ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter pathway, followed by laser irradiation-mediated aggregation in the bacterial cells. As a result, the aggregates display ~15.2-fold enhancement in photoacoustic signals and ~3.0-fold enhancement in antibacterial rate compared with non-aggregated counterparts. Significantly, the developed strategy allows ultrasensitive imaging of bacteria in vivo as low ~10⁵ colony-forming unit (CFU),  which is around two orders of magnitude lower than most optical contrast agents. We further demonstrate the developed strategy enables the detection of ~10⁷ CFU bacteria residing within tumour or gut. This technique enables visualization and treatment of diverse bacteria, setting the crucial step forward the study of microbial ecosystem.

IF：

14.919

Link：

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28920-6