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SPAtially-Controlled lIgand arraNGement by origami-based nanoprinters

Project description

Bioprinting of nanoparticles for medical applications

Nanotechnology in medicine involves applications of nanoparticles for drug delivery and diagnostics. Funded by the EU, the SPACING project aims to develop innovative technology for pre-designing nanoparticles with specific 3D ligand configurations. This approach allows the printing of ligands on nanoparticles in any desired spatial arrangement, even that resembling virus capsids. Researchers will monitor the trafficking behaviour of these bio-inspired nanoparticles within cells and assess their potential to avoid lysosomal degradation in the same way as natural viruses. Overall, the SPACING technology is expected to advance current nanoparticle fabrication strategies.

Objective

The key challenge of SPACING is to develop a beyond state-of-the-art technology to self-assemble pre-designed 3D ligand configurations with sub-nanometer precision (nanopatterning) onto colloidal nanoparticles (NPs). The proposed aqueous-based technology is aimed to develop artificial NPs libraries with a pre-designed discrete number of ligands in any desired spatial arrangement (i.e. inspired by nature such as virus capsids), which so far has not been feasible by any method (in solution or otherwise).
Within this project we will design and develop a versatile, reusable and user-friendly DNA origami-based tool (nanoprinters) for printing ligands onto NPs; the multifunctionality and robustness of the nanoprinters required for such purpose will involve a first stage concerning the fabrication of libraries of NPs (different size and shape), for which we will design and assemble the corresponding libraries of DNA-origamis having pre-designed voids (shape, size, 3D ligand stamps).
In a second stage, as a proof of concept inspired by previous knowledge on specific receptor-mediated endocytotic pathways and virus-cell interactions, we will use the nanoprinters to fabricate a discrete number of NPs with specific ligand configurations (ligand ID, number, density and 3D arrangement). The trafficking behavior of these bio-inspired NPs within cells and tissue models, will serve us to correlate their potential escape from endosome (thereby avoiding lysosomal degradation as viruses do).
While the overall mission behind this project is to build the foundation for a technological implementation of artificial NPs with pre-designed 3D ligand configurations, and their potential to escape lysosomal degradation as viruses do, the proposed demonstrations will contribute to advance future developments in nanomedicine (this approach would be easily extended to any nanocarrier), and other applications in which precision is important (e.g.,formation of metamaterials by NPs self-assembly)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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ERC-STG - Starting Grant

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2020-STG

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Host institution

UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 498 866,00
Address
COLEXIO DE SAN XEROME PRAZA DO OBRADOIRO S/N
15782 Santiago De Compostela
Spain

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Region
Noroeste Galicia A Coruña
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 498 866,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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