Microgels are composite hydrated particles at a size of less than one micron (1/1000 mm). Since the microgels can reversely change their biophysical characteristics depending on environmental conditions, they are expected to be a strong candidate of drug delivery carrier in the future. Prof. Suzuki and coworkers in Shinshu University has been developing advanced composite techniques to form functional microgels, and has succeeded to freely compose the charging and hydrophobic residues inside the microgels, which make it possible to include the target chemicals and proteins in the microgels and release them at different conditions. However, it is necessary to visualize the structure of microgels at hydrated condition to design the expected microgels, which absorb the target molecules in a test tube and release them at the destination in human body for usage of drug delivery. In the collaborative study, two types of composite microgels were plunged frozen and successfully visualized at near hydrated conditions by using electron cryomicroscopy. The results provide important information to design functional microgels as drug delivery carrier.

 

CryoEM images of two types of hydrated microgels. A) NF5-S100, B) NF40-S100.

Collaborative Researchers

Takumi Watanabe, Chiaki Kobayashi, Takuma Kureha, Daisuke Suzuki (Institute for Fiber Engineering, Shinshu University)

Chihong Song, Kazuyoshi Murata (National Institute for Physiological Sciences)

Grants

MEXT grant 26620177, 26102517

Advanced BioImaging Support (ABiS) Program 16A-113-E08