Abstract
Understanding the effect of variability in the interaction of individual cells with nanoparticles on the overall response of the cell population to a nanoagent is a fundamental challenge in bionanotechnology. Here, we show that the technique of time-resolved, high-throughput microscopy can be used in this endeavor. Mass measurement with single-cell resolution provides statistically robust assessments of cell heterogeneity, while the addition of a temporal element allows assessment of separate processes leading to deconvolution of the effects of particle supply and biological response. We provide a specific demonstration of the approach, in vitro, through time-resolved measurement of fibroblast cell (HFF-1) death caused by exposure to cationic nanoparticles. The results show that heterogeneity in cell area is the major source of variability with area-dependent nanoparticle capture rates determining the time of cell death and hence the form of the exposure–response characteristic. Moreover, due to the particulate nature of the nanoparticle suspension, there is a reduction in the particle concentration over the course of the experiment, eventually causing saturation in the level of measured biological outcome. A generalized mathematical description of the system is proposed, based on a simple model of particle depletion from a finite supply reservoir. This captures the essential aspects of the nanoparticle–cell interaction dynamics and accurately predicts the population exposure–response curves from individual cell heterogeneity distributions.