Graphite Nanoplatelets and <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>: Insights from an <i>in Vivo</i> Model

Abstract

We evaluated the toxicity of graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) in the model organism <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>. The GNPs resulted nontoxic by measuring longevity as well as reproductive capability end points. An imaging technique based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) mapping was also developed to analyze the GNPs spatial distribution inside the nematodes. Conflicting reports on the <i>in vitro</i> antimicrobial properties of graphene-based nanomaterials prompted us to challenge the host–pathogen system <i>C. elegans–Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> to assess these findings through an <i>in vivo</i> model