Material-Engineered Bioartificial Microorganisms Enable Efficient Waterborne Viruses Scavenging

Abstract

Abstract Material-based tactics have attracted extensive attention for promoting the functional evolution of organisms. Aiming at design of steerable bioartificial organisms to scavenge pathogenic waterborne viruses, we engineer Paramecia (Para), single-celled water clarifying microorganisms, through integrating a semiartificial and specific virus-scavenging organelle (VSO). To achieve the virus-scavenging function, Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles modified with a virus-targeted antibody (MNPs@Ab) were efficiently integrated into vacuole organelles of natural Para during the feeding process. The carboxyl group-modified VSO persists inside Para for a long period without compromising the swimming ability. Compared with natural Para, which has no capture specificity and inefficient biodegradation, the VSO-engineered Para (E-Para) efficiently gathers all the viruses in water, and confines them inside the VSO. Moreover, the captured viruses are completely deactivated inside VSOs, because their acidic environment symbiotically elevates the peroxidase-like activity of nano Fe3O4, resulting in the production of virus-deactivated hydroxyl radicals (•OH). After treatment, E-Para can be readily recycled using magnetic fields, thus avoiding further environmental contamination. This strategy has the potential to promote functional evolution of organisms by materials-based artificial organelles, which tailors natural Para into a "living virus scavenger", leading to clearance of waterborne viruses with high efficiency and no extra energy consumption.