Predicting bio-corona-induced adsorption and uptake of nanoplastics

We employ a theoretical approach to predict bio-corona-induced uptake of nanoplastics (NPLs) across plasma membranes (PMs). A lattice self-consistent field theory (SCFT) is used to model the formation of bio-coronae, which are composed of biopolymers adsorbed on NPLs. As the NPL approaches the PM, we show that weak monomer-PM attractions allow the adsorbed biopolymers to redistribute between the two surfaces. This rearrangement can reduce crowding in the bio-corona and induce an effective attraction between the NPL and the membrane. Using the theory of elasticity for lipid membranes, we show that a weak effective attraction enables NPLs to bind to cell membranes, generating excess stress and increasing elastic free energy in the biological barrier. When the effective NPL-PM interactions are sufficiently strong, nanoplastics can be spontaneously internalized by cells within a short time.