Boron nitride nanotubes and layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte coating for yeast cell surface engineering

The application of living microbial cells as molecular engines for a variety of biotechnological applications including cell-based biosensing is an ongoing research effort. However, there are significant difficulties to overcome such as the fragile structures of microbial cells and the weak efficiency of developed systems for detecting toxic agents in the environment. In this Communication, we demonstrate the interfacing of hydroxylated boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT-OHs) with live yeast cell surfaces. BNNT-OHs were incorporated with polyelectrolytes (PEs) using layer-by-layer deposition onto live Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. The PE- and BNNT-OH-coated yeast was characterized using spectroscopic and imaging techniques (dynamic light scattering, FTIR, and SEM). Importantly, BNNT-OH-coated yeast cells were viable after the surface modification with nanotubes. We believe that BNNT-OHs-functionalized yeast will find numerous applications in biotechnology.