# Clonable Nanoparticles

> **NIH GM R01** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2026 · $322,998

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The objective of this proposal is to address the contrast problem in cellular electron microscopy. The cloneable
fluorophore, Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), and related fluorescent proteins complement small molecule
stains and dyes to essentially solve the contrast problem in optical imaging. For cellular electron microscopy,
however, contrast options are limited and there are no widely used cloneable contrast agents.
Cloneable contrast in electron microscope imaging of biology can arise from a `cloneable inorganic
nanoparticle (cNP).' A cNP is an NP made by a protein. The protein determines the properties of the
nanoparticle such as elemental composition and shape. Because protein sequence, structure and function are
encoded in DNA, the properties of the nanoparticle are also encoded in DNA. Modifications to DNA encoding a
cNP may modify the resulting cNP. Our cNPs are based on inorganic ion oxidoreductase enzymes. Such
enzymes select for and reduce inorganic biocoordination complexes, creating metal(loid) nanoprecipitates.
Additional proteins/peptides (fused to the enzyme) act as ligands, influencing size, morphology, et cetera of the
nanoparticle. DNA encoding the cNP can be concatenated to DNA encoding any protein of interest. Resulting
protein chimeras contain an integral inorganic nanoparticle. The nanoparticle contrast allows the protein of
interest to be identified against cellular background in electron micrographs.
We have developed a cloneable selenium nanoparticle (cSeNP). We demonstrated cSeNP molecular labeling
of FtsZ filaments in E. coli. The goal of this proposal period is to continue evaluation of this cSeNP and
produce additional distinguishable cNPs. The proposal proceeds in 3 aims. Aim 1 is to evaluate the cSeNP in
Drosophila, as a multicellular model organism, more complex than E. coli. Aim 1 also proposes to label
ribosomal protein L1 in Caulobacter with the cSeNP and other cNPs. Because ribosomes can be
unambiguously identif

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11321665
- **Project number:** 5R01GM137139-06
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher Jeffries Ackerson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** GM
- **Fiscal year:** 2026
- **Award amount:** $322,998
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01T00:00:00 → 2029-03-31T00:00:00

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11321665

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11321665, Clonable Nanoparticles (5R01GM137139-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-19 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11321665. Licensed CC0.

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