Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis is being used in the development of early diagnosis, drug delivery and treatment of cancer.
The School of Medicine (Institute of Molecular Medicine) and CRANN (the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices) are based at Trinity College Dublin (TCD).
Researchers at CRANN work in developing new knowledge of nanoscale materials, with a particular focus on device and sensor technologies, biotechnology and medical technology sectors, with a growing interest in multifunctional materials.
Dr Adriele Prina-Mello is a Research Fellow at CRANN and a part-time lecturer at the School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin.
His research focuses on functional biomaterials, diagnostic devices, and multifunctional nanomaterials for theranostic solutions in the treatment of cancer.
Fundamental in this work is the understanding of particle size, size distribution and hydrodynamic response of nanoparticles dependent on their degree of aggregation.
Additionally, being able to measure zeta potential and track particle behavior in viscous or physiologically relevant media informs the increasing characterisation demands of the nanomedicine community.
Dr Prina-Mello describes the Nanomedicine team goals: “Our main motivation for such levels of characterisation is determined by the potential use, applicability, and safety aspect linked to nanosize materials.
“This allows for further modification of the particle surface coating/moieties in order to get closer to the suitable candidate for diagnostic, monitoring and therapeutic application for nanomedicine and/or biomedical research and also clinical translation.”
He added that NanoSight’s NTA instrumentation complements other characterisation techniques: “NanoSight allows for the identification of heterogeneity in particle size, poly-dispersity and counting with simultaneous zeta potential measurement.
“Furthermore, the use of small sample volumes compared to other techniques allows for cost effective, daily and routine characterisation.”
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