NanoBiomaterials
Within this research area there are two “sub-research areas”: Biocompatibility and Nanosafety
BIOCOMPATIBILITY - A KEY ASPECT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NANOMATERIALS FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS
Biocompatibility is a key aspect in the development of materials for biomedical applications. It comprises the ability of the material to perform its desired function with respect to a medical therapy, the absence of undesirable effects and the generation of the most beneficial cellular or tissue response.
Since biological systems present properties guided in the nanometer scale, the potential of nanomaterials in biomedical sciences represents an exciting field with endless opportunities of obtaining novel biomaterials with improved biocompatibility.
Our research activities focus on the use of application-oriented biocompatibility studies to evaluate the impact of nanomaterial design or modifications on the bioactivity of the material and the response of biological systems.
Our current projects in this research area aim to address unmet needs in chronic wound care. We investigate the use of cellulose nanofibrils as a core wound dressing for the incorporation of bioactive molecules (e.g. growth factors, host defense peptides) and evaluate its ability to modulate the chronic wound environment and promote the resolution of these hard-to-heal wounds. Furthermore, we explore the use of cellulose nanofibril-based hydrogels as a matrix for cell therapy in chronic wound care.
Projects
- NanocellSense: A sense and respond nanocellulose-based delivery platform for wound healing, bioactive molecules
- NanoPeptideCare: A new generation of therapeutic platforms for the treatment of chronic wounds: Host defense peptides meet nanocellulose
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NANOSAFETY
There is unanimous opinion that the full potential of nanotechnology requires attention to safety issues. There is an urgent need to address the current uncertainties on the safety of nanomaterials and nano-enabled products in order to avoid that consumer skepticism and the lack of confidence and acceptance of nanotechnology by the industry hinder the benefits of nanotechnology
Our research activities aim at evaluating the human health toxicological hazard of nanomaterials as well as to develop nanomaterials with nanosafety as a fundamental part of the development process.
The activities include the use of in vitro tests to evaluate the cell response to nanomaterials and investigate the influence of the materials’ physicochemical properties on nanotoxicity.
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