Researchers have successfully coated delicate cellular power structures with innovative nanomaterials without shutting down their biological output. Published on September 29, 2026, a new study reveals that mitochondria can retain their energy-producing abilities even after being sheathed in metal-organic frameworks.
Imagine trying to lacquer a soap bubble without popping it. The fundamental dilemma was this: is it possible to envelop cellular powerhouses—known as mitochondria—without halting their ATP production? A collaboration between IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta and Politecnico di Milano says yes. Operating within the BraiNs collaborative lab, the team outlines a technique to encase mitochondria using a category of substances recognized by the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, all while maintaining the vital operations of the organelles.
Inside the BraiNs Joint Laboratory Collaboration
The research emerged from the BraiNs joint laboratory, inaugurated in 2023 to bridge distinct scientific disciplines. The project combines the mitochondrial biology expertise of a group led by Dr. Valeria Tiranti at IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta with the chemical and materials engineering capabilities of a team led by Pierangelo Metrangolo at Politecnico di Milano.
Dr. Tiranti serves in the Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics Complex Unit (SC) alongside leading the Fondazione Mariani Centre for Paediatric Mitochondrial Diseases, concentrating her efforts on the cellular components responsible for energy production. When these structures do not work properly, they can be involved in several diseases, many of them rare. Conditions of this nature comprise mitochondrial disorders, which heavily impact organs requiring high energy levels like muscles and the brain, and currently lack broad therapeutic solutions.
Applying 2025 Nobel-Winning Materials Directly to Organelles
At the center of the investigation are metal-organic frameworks (MOF), versatile and porous materials that can be modified for different uses. These compounds earned recognition through the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi.
Applying them to mitochondria is complex, however, because mitochondria are delicate structures. Scientists formulated a method to apply these substances directly onto the exterior of the mitochondria while keeping the dosage exceptionally low. According to the findings detailed in the Journal of the American Chemical Society article titled Engineered Metal-Organic Frameworks Preserve Mitochondrial Bioenergetics at Micromolar Concentrations
by Marco D’Amato et al., researchers developed a specialized process to apply a thin layer directly to the outer surface of isolated mitochondria using very small, micromolar quantities.
Preserving Bioenergetics at Micromolar Concentrations
The central triumph of the study is biological preservation. Crucially, even after coating, the mitochondria retain their ability to produce energy. Achieving an organelle that continues its evolutionary function marks the boundary between a neat chemical trick and a functional biological instrument.
Designing such a sheath requires extreme precision. Any effective protective layer needs to be sufficiently thin and well-fitted to prevent any hindrance to mass transfer, inert enough to avoid harmful chemical reactions, and resilient in physiological environments. The exterior must also maintain an environment welcoming to the various cellular interactions and recognition processes essential for organelle survival.
Research Prospects for Mitochondrial Transplantation
By utilizing tuneable materials, scientists can customize coatings with different properties depending on future objectives. As Metrangolo puts it, the possibility of modifying the coating now opens up new research prospects: in the future, it will be possible to develop MOF with different characteristics depending on the objective, creating coatings capable of performing specific functions.
An experimental method currently being explored involves mitochondrial transplantation, which seeks to introduce functional mitochondria into cells suffering from cellular energy dysfunction. Dr. Tiranti highlights that a custom-engineered coating might eventually improve this cellular delivery and the subsequent integration between host cells and the transplanted organelles.
However, investigators stress caution. That possibility has yet to be verified. Additional research must be conducted to establish if the protective coating provides a distinct benefit during transplantation over using naked, uncoated mitochondria.