Biosafety and Bioapplication of Nanomaterials by Designing Protein–Nanoparticle Interactions

The protein-nanoparticle (NP) interface is a current frontier of multiple disciplines, full of challenges and opportunities. The unique behaviors of nanomaterials (NMs) bring many exciting applications, and also raise safety concerns. Beyond bioapplications, various NMs could also enter human bodies from the environment. When entering human bodies, NPs interact with various biomolecules, especially proteins, forming a protein corona. This protein-NP complex is what the biosystems 'see' and 'respond to'. Therefore, understanding how NPs interact with proteins is crucial for both bioapplications and the biosafety of NMs. In this review, the current understanding of protein-NP interactions is summarized, including the theoretical background, experimental results, and computational progresses. Guidelines for improving bioapplication performance and reducing the potential biosafety hazard of NMs by designing the protein-NP interactions are discussed, along with future directions and challenges in this exciting field.