How our plastic fragments are made

A proprietary, patent-pending workflow designed to generate realistic micro- and nanoplastic fragments

1. We start with real-world plastic feedstocks

  • Industrial-grade materials used in plastic manufacturing

  • More representative than narrowly defined lab polymers

  • Verified by FTIR and GEC for identity, additive analysis, and consistency

A pile of small, clear plastic pellets with orange arrows pointing to different objects: a blue water bottle, a green food container, a yellow toy car, and a black electrical switch.

2. We mechanically break plastics down without heat damage

  • Cryogenic grinding and low-temperature milling (<15 °C)

  • Preserves native polymer structure without thermal deformation

  • Generates irregular, non-spherical fragments

  • Size-controlled, polydisperse populations (~100 nm, 1 µm, 10 µm)

Temperature controlled generation of nanoplastic particles.

fragments centered ~100nm (TEM)

Transmission electron microscope image of virus particles, approximately 100 nanometers in size, scattered on a surface.

  • Target size ranges defined within controlled windows

  • Dispersant removed and replaced with minimal BSA stabilization

  • Maintains dispersion while preserving native surface behavior

3. We define size and stabilize for biological use

size enrichment

A line graph showing particle size distribution with particle size in nanometers on the x-axis and particle count on the y-axis, with a steep decline as particle size increases.

BSA-coronated fragments (TEM)

Transmission electron microscope image showing virus particles at the nanometer scale with a scale bar indicating 100 nanometers.

4. We validate performance in real biological systems

  • Morphology and size characterized by TEM, LD, MADLS, and NTA

  • Fragment stability evaluated in biologically relevant solutions

  • Cellular responses assessed by microscopy and imaging flow cytometry

cell responses upon nanoplastic exposure

RAW264.7 cells after 24h

Our product lines

RealNP™-CORE

  • Mechanically generated 100 nm range polystyrene nanoplastic fragments

  • Surfactant-stabilized to maintain dispersion without aggregation

  • No antimicrobial preservatives (e.g., sodium azide), minimizing unintended toxicity artifacts

  • Optimized for detergent-insensitive analytical method development

  • Enables direct comparison with prior nanosphere-based literature

RealNP™-CORE RealNP™-CORE RealNP™-CORE RealNP™-CORE
RealNP™-CORE
from $250.00

  • Mechanically generated polystyrene nanoplastic fragments

  • Surfactant-stabilized to maintain dispersion without aggregation

  • No antimicrobial preservatives (e.g., sodium azide), minimizing unintended toxicity artifacts

  • Optimized for detergent-insensitive analytical method development

  • Enables direct comparison with prior nanosphere-based literature

RealNP™-BIO-BC

  • Mechanically generated 100nm range polystyrene nanoplastic fragments

  • Minimally BSA-coated surface with near-complete removal of detergent (<0.000005% w/v)

  • Maintains stable dispersion across biologically relevant solutions (plasma, media, buffers)

  • Optimized for high-sensitivity analytical methods sensitive to salts and surfactants (e.g., MS)

  • Reduces confounding variables while preserving native particle–protein interactions

RealNP™-BIO-BC RealNP™-BIO-BC RealNP™-BIO-BC RealNP™-BIO-BC
RealNP™-BIO-BC
from $300.00

  • Mechanically generated polystyrene nanoplastic fragments

  • Minimally BSA-coated surface with near-complete removal of detergent (<0.000005% w/v)

  • Maintains stable dispersion across biologically relevant solutions (plasma, media, buffers)

  • Optimized for high-sensitivity analytical methods sensitive to salts and surfactants (e.g., MS)

  • Reduces confounding variables while preserving native particle–protein interactions

We offer 3 different sized units designed for:

  • 1 mg — Detection method development (ships immediately)
    Ideal for calibration, sensitivity testing, and early-stage assay development

  • 5 mg — In vitro studies (available week of April 27)
    Suitable for cell-based assays, uptake studies, and iterative experimental work

  • 20 mg — Extended and in vivo studies (available week of April 27, contact us before ordering)
    Designed for larger-scale experiments, longitudinal studies, and in vivo applications

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about our materials, applications, and best practices. Can’t find your answer? Please reach out to us!

  • Yes. We currently accept credit card payments and are expanding to support:

    • Purchase Orders (POs)

    • Invoice-based payments (e.g., Net terms)

    • Integration with research procurement platforms (e.g., Quartzy)

    • Procurement through scientific distributors (e.g., Fisher Scientific, VWR)

    If your institution requires a specific payment method, please contact us — we’re happy to work with your procurement team.

  • We are expanding across several dimensions:

    • Polymer types: PET, PE, PP, and other common plastics

    • Size ranges: extending beyond current ~100 nm, 1 µm, and 10 µm populations

    • Weathering states: oxidation, UV exposure, and environmentally aged materials

    • Surface formats: controlled protein corona systems and ligand-functionalized particles

    • Labeling options: fluorescence-labeled fragments for uptake and tracking studies

  • BSA is used to stabilize particle dispersion while introducing minimal additional variables.

    • Biologically familiar: Cell culture media typically contains serum, where albumin is the dominant protein

    • Low reactivity: Albumin is structurally robust and among the least reactive proteins

    • Minimal interference: Provides a neutral surface without imposing strong or artificial functionality

    • Controlled baseline: Establishes a simple, reproducible starting surface for experiments

    • Biologically relevant starting point: Albumin is among the first proteins to adsorb to particle surfaces in biological fluids, and BSA coating captures this initial step in a controlled way

    In biological environments, the initial BSA layer is partially replaced by surrounding proteins, allowing the particle surface to adapt to the experimental context.

  • Dose is highly dependent on cell type and experimental context.

    As a general guideline:

    • 10–500 µg/mL is a practical working range for most in vitro studies

    • ≥1000 µg/mL is typically not biologically relevant and may introduce artifacts due to particle crowding and aggregation

    We recommend starting low and titrating based on your specific model.

  • Cellular sensitivity is largely driven by uptake behavior, not inherent tolerance.

    • Macrophage-like cells (e.g., RAW264.7)

      • Highly phagocytic

      • Uptake readily → responses observed at ~10 µg/mL

    • Structural cells (e.g., epithelial cells)

      • More selective uptake

      • Lower apparent sensitivity unless particles are internalized

    This difference reflects cellular selectivity, not resistance.

  • Particles can be modified to enhance uptake, for example through:

    • Ligand-mediated targeting

    • Protein corona engineering

    Protocols for controlled surface functionalization will be made available.