Exposure to nanoparticles can be beneficial, such as the use of nanomedicines, or detrimental, such as the inhalation of metal oxide nanoparticles used in industrial applications. In any biological system, nanoparticles are exposed to proteins that adsorb on the surface of the nanoparticle forming a protein corona. The Payne Lab is exploring how these proteins interact with the nanoparticle and how this interaction changes the subsequent interaction with cells. Of specific interest is the inhalation of nanomaterials and the complex environment of the lung.