Cell: Ouch! Nanowires: Oops!

Scientists have successfully had some cells lying on a nail bed consist of silicon nanowires. The silicon nails penetrates the cells but does not stop them from living, differentiating and functioning (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007. DOI: 10.1021/ja071456k).

Silicon nanowires are prepared by conventional methods and used without further modification except necessary sterilization. Mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells were directly cultivated on the nanowire substrate. Scary SEM images show that the cell bodies are penetrated by several nanowires per cell, but green fluorescent protein (GFP) tests show that the cells are still alive. If the substrate is coated with tissue culturing materials, the mES cells can differentiate into cardiac myocytes and start beating! By penetrating through the cell body, the nanowires can even deliver DNA carriers (PEI) into the cell. This research tells us that dangerous stuff in macroscale can be friendly in nanoscale.

Update: C&EN just released an account of this research: Cells On A Bed Of Nails.