Three questions to

Maria Kempe (Assoc. Professor and PI, Nanomedicine and Biomaterials at the Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University) about the project “A novel sustainable route to polymer nanoparticles”.

What´s the novelty with this project? 
A sustainable procedure for the synthesis of colloidal polymer nanoparticles is provided. It is based on a phenomenon called the ouzo effect. By utilizing the ouzo effect, we have obviated the need of extensive energy-consuming agitation/mixing and addition of surfactants and other stabilizing agents, which otherwise are required in traditional emulsification methods. Another advantage is that no other solvents than environmentally friendly ones, i.e., water and minute amounts of ethanol, are required. The project has also provided a novel route to molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and provided water-compatible MIP nanoparticles selective for cortisol. The nanoparticles were fabricated by carrying out the ouzo polymerization in presence of cortisol. The nanoparticles were capable of recognizing and binding cortisol in water and showed antibody-like cross-reactivity.

Future implications?
We have demonstrated that a bottom-up approach starting from monomers that are polymerized by free-radical polymerization under the influence of the ouzo phenomenon is a feasible and facile approach to fabricate polymer nanoparticles and that it can be applied also to molecular imprinting. The attractive sustainability features of the ouzo polymerization warrant a wider application. For the industry, the procedure has good potentials to reduce energy consumption and environmental footprint while also reducing production costs.

What´s next? 
We are investigating the application of the ouzo polymerization to other types of monomers to fabricate a range of different polymer nanoparticles. An interesting finding with our currently reported nanoparticles is that they show a raspberry-like morphology. Although the existence of the ouzo effect is well-known, the mechanism behind the effect has still not been fully elucidated. We believe that the ouzo polymerization can shed some more light into the mechanism and possibly explain the raspberry-like morphology. We also believe that the ouzo polymerization will be useful for preparing MIP nanoparticles targeted for other templates than cortisol. An obvious next step is to apply our current cortisol-selective nanoparticles as molecular recognition elements (“plastic antibodies”) in assays and sensors and as drug delivery carriers.

For more info about the project please contact Maria Kempe, maria.kempe@med.lu.se

Research highlights from NanoMed North members.

If you would like to share a publication within the nanomedicine area please contact magdalena.almen@medeon.se

AI-driven cancer nanotherapies: from computation to clinic
– an EVO NANO workshop

The workshop, read more; DOWNLOAD PDF

Join us to hear more about the project and how it might impact your work

Location: virtual via zoom

Presenters: from across the Evo nano team

Date and time: Wednesday 16 March 1100 – 1330 (GMT) with a break 1215 – 1230

To register and for more information, please go here
https://evonanoproject.eventbrite.co.uk

The 13^th European and Global CLINAM-Summit will take place as online event from May 2 to May 4, 2022:
“From Hope to Product  -The Brilliant Prospect in Nanomedicine and Related Fields”

• A review of Predictions from 12 CLINAM Summits – What was achieved?
• What are the Future Horizons for Nanomedicine

Updated programme of virtual summit, January 15, 2022
GO TO WEBSITE

Three questions to

Prof. Börje Sellergren (Biofilm Research Center for Biointerfaces, Malmö University) about his project “Biomimetic sensors for the rapid detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus”.

What´s the novelty with this project? 
Our reversible self-assembled monolayers (rSAMs) can be seen as rugged mimics of lipid bilayer membranes which can be used to boost sensitivity in virus detection to very high levels. This project focuses on adapting rSAMs to SARS-Cov-2 detection in a fiberoptic nanoplasmonic sensor format featuring low cost, fast response and ruggedness for monitoring of health status or for environmental virus surveillance.

Future implications?
The need for rapid response upon pandemic threats suggests that a new generation quick tests are needed that are not relying on slow to develop antibodies or PCR. We use a mobile epitope approach to mimic the host cell ACE2 receptor in a simple, robust and affordable construct that are easy to produce. With only small changes to the design we can therefore rapidly adapt the sensors/tests to the new virus variants, which is not easy to achieve with alternative approaches.

What´s next? 
We are currently validating the first generation sensor in collaboration with optical sensor experts in Linköping. Preliminary results have shown the sensor to bind the virus with affinities exceeding the host-cell virus interactions in simple model systems. Key now is to investigate the cross reactivity with other virus variants, to tune the mobile epitope design and to test the sensors in relevant bio- or environmental matrices.

For more info about the project please contact Börje Sellergren, borje.sellergren@mau.se

Foto: Leif Johansson