JAE_Nanomed_06: Bioevaluation of materials on C. elegans

Currently a large variety of nanomaterials and polymers exist potentially useful in medicine, food industry and cosmetics. Although mechanisms to design, produce and characterize those materials are efficient and quick, it takes 11-15 years and € 350-550 million for a product to arrive to the market. Therefore, reliable and fast models to screen potential drugs, food and cosmetic additives to save money and time are in need. For this purpose, we use the 1 mm-long nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model to test the toxicity of the materials we design. Between 60-80% of the C. elegans genome has human homologous genes and most of the metabolic pathways are also conserved. Transparency, short life cycle and minimal maintenance and growth requirements stand out among all the advantages of using this worm. The use of simple non-mammalian model organisms minimize the cost associated with in vivo experiments in the early stages of discovery and yields highly informative results such as survival rate, growth effects, reproduction toxicity and changes in the metabolism. Moreover, we can study how the materials are transformed by characterizing them after their pass through the organism.

Polymers synthesized by living organisms, biopolymers, are used for drug and food complementation without any evidence of being toxic but its size´s decrease at the nanoscale can affect the toxicity and their properties. Additionally it has been observed that the oral administration of biopolymers produced changes in the motility, absorption and metabolism of the intestine, key for treating gastrointestinal diseases. The project will consist on: A) Production and characterization of polymer or nanomaterials B) Evaluation of them in vivo using C. elegans as an animal model. The survival rate, growth effect and reproduction will be the primary endpoints that will be studied. C) Identification of metabolic changes produced by them. The student will have the opportunity to get experience in an international research environment. We, the group of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposite group at ICMAB, are chemists, physics and biotechnologists from all over the world focused on the rational synthesis of functional nanomaterials. The student will learn about a broad range of techniques of synthesis and characterization techniques. We are looking for a highly motivated student, matured and with interest to work in an interdisciplinary field.

Supervisor: Anna Laromaine (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
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JAE_Nanomed_14: Bioimplants of nanocellulose for soft tissues reinforcement with antibacterial and imaging moeties

Main objective of this project is the development of microbial cellulose implants with antibacterial properties that could be biointegrable in the body without the occurrence of fibrotic reactions and could be detectable and monitored over time by medical imaging techniques (MRI, CT). The student will learn the process of growing cellulose from a bacterial culture and to pattern different inorganic nanoparticles on the films which later will be imaged by magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. Antibacterial properties of functionalized films will also be assessed. The NN Group is highly multicultural and multidisciplinary and everyone is welcomed! Plesase check our website nn.icmab.es and twitter NNgroup_ICMAB. Three recent publications related to the offered project. In vivo soft tissue reinforcement with bacterial nanocellulose Biomater. Sci., 2021, 9, 3040-3050, Bio and soft-imprinting lithography on bacterial cellulose films Materials Today Chemistry 2021, 100535, Patterning Bacterial Cellulose Films with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Monitoring ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2021, 3, 10, 4959–4965.

Supervirsor: Anna Roig (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
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JAE_Nanomed_16: Self-assembled monolayers and hydrogels anchored to polyurethane surfaces for preventing nosocomial infections of medical devices

Infections in medical devices are a public healthcare threat. Preventing them is a priority for all the health-care systems worldwide. In this investigation we propose a new bimodal strategy to functionalize Thermoplastic PolyUrethane (TPU) to coat catheter surfaces, to prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. This strategy is based on the use of multibiofunctional and switchable hydrogel with antimicrobial functions. It will act in a two-fold manner. First, as a nanostrcutrued 3D matrix to support active antimicrobial proteins based on cationic peptides, known as host defense peptides (HDPs), with activity against most bacteria involved in nosocomial infections, and second, as a protective environment against the degradation of the antimicrobial proteins when the medical device is stored before its use. The latter action will be possible due to the thermosensitive nature of the hydrogel that will only expose the biologically active proteins upon thermal activation when implanted. The candidate will collaborate with a biotechnologist (IRTA) and a clinical group from Hospital Parc Taulí (Dr. Gasch) to develop a final proof-of-concept and evaluate its performance against some of the most relevant microorganisms involved in catheter related infections.

Available infrastructures: NANOMOL has a wide expertise and recognized excellence in the chemistry and processing of functional molecular materials, molecular nanoscience, and biomedicine. The facilities available at the NANOMOL group include full equipment for organic synthesis and characterization techniques (NMR, MS, elemental analysis, IR, HPLC, UV-Vis-NIR); thermal analysis equipment (DSC, TGA/DTA, ITC), microscopy techniques (SEM, TEM, STM, AFM), rehology, porosimetry techniques and a cell culture facility for the in-vitro assays. Direct access to the UAB services. As a member of CIBER-BBN, we have access to the NANBIOSIS platform (ICTS), oriented towards medical applications. NANOMOL, with a TECNIO Centre level, has a recognized trajectory of academic and industrial collaborations.

On-going projects related with the JAE topic: i) NANORESIST. Engineering Novel Nanodelivery Systems against Antimicrobioal Resistance. PI. I. Ratera; 135.240€; EUACCIO TECNIO Spring Industry TECSPR19-1- 0065; 05/2021 to 04/2023; ii) MOL4BIO. Processing molecules to create hybrid materials hierarchically structured for biomedical applications Co-PI: I. Ratera; 266.200€ MICIIN; 6/2020 to 7/2023 and iii) FUNCATH. Prevention of vascular catheter-related infections by the Functionalization of CATHeters with antimicrobial agents of broad spectrum. PI: I. Ratera; 97.929€ La Fundació de TV3 Nr. 201812; 06/2020 to 12/2022.

Supervisors: Jaume Veciana and Imma Ratera (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
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JAE_Nanomed_19: Desarrollo, caracterización y control de nuevos nano-fármacos

Preparación y caracterización físico-química y biológica de sistemas nanoestructurados (nanovesículas) para encapsular activos terapéuticos (moléculas sintéticas y/o biomoléculas). Contribución al desarrollo y validación de nuevos métodos analíticos para una exhaustiva caracterización físico-química y biológica y para control de calidad de los nuevos nano-fármacos desarrollados. La investigación estará vinculada a los proyectos Proyecto Europeo Phoenix (ref: 953110), Proyecto Plan Nacional Mol4Bio (ref: PID2019-105622RB-I00) y Proyecto Europeo Micro4Nano (ref: 101007804).

Infraestructuras disponibles para realizar la investigación: Para la realización de la investigación se dispone de los “Servicios Científicos y Técnicos” del ICMAB-CSIC que están equipados para la caracterización de nanoformulaciones (RMN, ATR-FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis-NIR, espectrómetro de luminiscencia, HPLC, DLS, ITC y otras técnicas calorimétricas, etc). El grupo Nanomol también dispone de acceso directo a los servicios científico-técnicos de la UAB-CIE (ej: Servicio Microscopía Electrónica). Además, el equipo del ICMAB-CSIC dirige la Unidad 6 “Biomaterials Processing and Nanostructuring Unit” de la ICTS NANBIOSIS, ubicada en el ICMAB, que incluye equipos de alta presión para la preparación de los sistemas nanoestructurados e instrumentos analíticos para su caracterización físicoquímica.

Supervisors: Nora Ventosa (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Elisabet Gonzále
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