Chapter 13
Magnetic Nanoparticles for Life Sciences
Applications
C. Marquina
Abstract The ongoing research on the applications of magnetic nanoparticles in
Bio-medicine and the results obtained up to now open a wide range of possibilities for their use in Life Science disciplines, for example in general plant research
and agronomy. The work presented here focuses on the interaction of two types
of magnetic core-shell nanoparticles with plants and microorganisms. The research
carried out with carbon coated iron nanoparticles aims to investigate their penetration and translocation in whole living plants and into plant cells, as response of the
nanoparticles to magnetic field gradients. This study is essential to evaluate the suitability of any nanoparticles as magnetic responsive carriers for the localized delivery
of phytosanitary or pest control treatments. The study carried out with silica coated
nanoparticles focuses on their interaction with fungal cells, taking a soil borne plant
pathogen as in vitro model. Our research paves the way to use magnetic nanoparticles
for detection, selective control and eventual elimination of pathogenic fungi.
13.1 Introduction
Life Sciences encompass the study of living organisms, which concerns not only
animals (including human beings) but also plants and microorganisms, covering
fields of knowledge such as Medicine, Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences,
Botany and other branches of Biology, among many others. Research on these
subjects has acquired a marked interdisciplinary character which has made it benefit,
for example, from the knowledge, materials, devices and tools of Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology. An example is the increasingly frequent use of nanoparticles, and in
particular, of magnetic nanoparticles, in Biomedicine. Here we will focus on the use
C. Marquina (B)
Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
e-mail: clara@unizar.es
Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de
Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Peddis et al. (eds.), New Trends in Nanoparticle Magnetism,
Springer Series in Materials Science 308,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60473-8_13
303
Magnetic Nanoparticles for Life Sciences
Applications
C. Marquina
Abstract The ongoing research on the applications of magnetic nanoparticles in
Bio-medicine and the results obtained up to now open a wide range of possibilities for their use in Life Science disciplines, for example in general plant research
and agronomy. The work presented here focuses on the interaction of two types
of magnetic core-shell nanoparticles with plants and microorganisms. The research
carried out with carbon coated iron nanoparticles aims to investigate their penetration and translocation in whole living plants and into plant cells, as response of the
nanoparticles to magnetic field gradients. This study is essential to evaluate the suitability of any nanoparticles as magnetic responsive carriers for the localized delivery
of phytosanitary or pest control treatments. The study carried out with silica coated
nanoparticles focuses on their interaction with fungal cells, taking a soil borne plant
pathogen as in vitro model. Our research paves the way to use magnetic nanoparticles
for detection, selective control and eventual elimination of pathogenic fungi.
13.1 Introduction
Life Sciences encompass the study of living organisms, which concerns not only
animals (including human beings) but also plants and microorganisms, covering
fields of knowledge such as Medicine, Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences,
Botany and other branches of Biology, among many others. Research on these
subjects has acquired a marked interdisciplinary character which has made it benefit,
for example, from the knowledge, materials, devices and tools of Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology. An example is the increasingly frequent use of nanoparticles, and in
particular, of magnetic nanoparticles, in Biomedicine. Here we will focus on the use
C. Marquina (B)
Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
e-mail: clara@unizar.es
Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de
Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Peddis et al. (eds.), New Trends in Nanoparticle Magnetism,
Springer Series in Materials Science 308,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60473-8_13
303