Exploring Nature's Nanotechnology: Nanoparticles from Sweet Corn

Drs. John R. Dutcher and Robert A. Wickham, with their PhD student, Benjamin Morling, have been pioneering research into the fascinating world of nanoparticles. The research focuses on modeling the behaviour of high-generation dendrimers, a type of molecule with a tree-like branching architecture, using advanced computer simulations. Dendrimers are known for their dense branching and uniform size. Although they are typically synthesized in the lab, dendrimers can also occur in nature. One such example is phytoglycogen (PG) that is produced as compact nanoparticles in the kernels of sweet corn. 

Natural Nanoparticles for Medicine 

Because they are soft, compact, highly hydrated, biodegradable and digestible, PG nanoparticles are desirable for applications in personal care, nutrition and medicine. In targeted drug delivery, they can help ensure that medication is delivered directly to the affected area, reducing side effects. In personal care, these nanoparticles provide unique moisturizing and skin rejuvenation effects.     

One of the significant challenges in modeling high-generation dendrimers is their large size. To overcome this hurdle, the research team has introduced a method to break down the large dendrimers into smaller subchains, making the simulations much faster. More specifically, the research has focused on modeling large, nonlinear polymer chains, specifically high-generation dendrimers in a solvent, utilizing dynamical self-consistent field theory (dSCFT) – a powerful theoretical tool for studying the dynamic behavior of complex systems. They have introduced a numerical technique that decomposes the dendrimer into smaller subchains, significantly improving the speed of the simulations. Their dSCFT computer simulations correctly predicted the results obtained in sophisticated neutron scattering experiments, including the shape, size (22 nm radius), and amount of water within the dendrimer. "Our efficient approach allows us to study the properties of these nanoparticles in detail, providing insights that are difficult to obtain from experiments alone." said Morling. 

The research team is currently extending their dendrimer model to account for interactions with small molecules, unlocking new possibilities for PG nanoparticles in targeted drug delivery, improved materials for personal care products, and innovative solutions in other industrial applications. 

This story was written by Shahriyar Ghazanfari Holagh as part of the Science Communicators: Research @ CEPS initiative. Shahriyar is a PhD candidate in the School of Engineering under Dr. Wael H. Ahmed. His research focus is on multi-phase transport phenomena in gas-liquid systems for waste heat recovery and CO2 capture applications, aiming to reduce energy inefficiencies and mitigate environmental impacts. 

Funding Acknowledgement: This study was financially supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The research was supported in part by the facilities provided by the Shared Hierarchical Academic Research Computing Network (SHARCNET) (www.sharcnet.ca) and the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (alliancecan.ca). 

References:  

Benjamin Morling, Sylvia Luyben, John R. Dutcher, and Robert A. Wickham, “Efficient Modeling of High-Generation Dendrimers in Solution Using Dynamical Self-Consistent Field Theory” Macromolecules 2024 57 (9), 4617-4628 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.4c00196