It is now well-accepted that nanoparticles (NPs) introduced into a biological environment will interact with the available proteins that deposit on their surface in a process known as protein corona (PC) formation which control NP interactions with cells and biological barriers. Several investigations have been conducted to understand the mechanisms and kinetics of PC formation. Among the model nanoprobes are gold (Au) NPs that possess unique optical and electromagnetic properties due to their surface plasmon resonance. These properties make Au NPs excellent probes for studying PC formation. In this Review, we describe techniques and approaches that a researcher interested in investigating PC on Au NPs may utilize in order to characterize the PC formation.

In the past two decades, two beta-coronaviruses, severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), have infected approximately 8000 and 2500 across the globe, respectively (de Wit et al. 2016; Amanat and Krammer 2020). The current viral pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has already affected 4.23 M in less than a year. Of greater concern, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, still has a rapidly increasing global burden (Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). To better understand the biology of COVID-19, an initial barrage of studies compared SARS-CoV-2 to other respiratory viruses: MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1, human parainfluenza virus 3 (HPIV3), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and Influenza A Virus (IAV). These studies indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals have a consistent chemokine signature comprising cytokines and monocyte-associated chemokines (CCL2 and CCL8). Therefore, it appears that monocyte cytokine production, particularly in those with a diminished innate immunity, is a driving feature of COVID-19 infection.

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