MICROFLUIDICS AS A TECHNOLOGICAL PLATFORM FOR NANO & BIOTECHNOLOGY

• Grant number: 18/19537-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2019
• End date: November 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Lucimara Gaziola de la Torre
• Grantee: Lucimara Gaziola de la Torre
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Antonio Augusto Malfatti Gasperini ; Thiago Bezerra Taketa

Abstract

This research project encompasses the activities of the Laboratory of Nano&Biotechnology for Advanced Developments (LaNBDA), under coordination of the responsible researcher of this project. The research activities are targeted to the microfluidics area, which is the science and technology that allow manipulation of microscale devices and handles small amounts of fluids that flow in artificial microsystems fabricated by using specific materials. Under such flow characteristics, it is possible to control molecules in space and time with reproducibility, enabling many applications. Among different applications we highlight nanotechnology and biotechnology. In the field of nanotechnology, microfluidics can be applied for the synthesis of nanomaterials, as liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles, mainly for gene delivery therapy. This therapy is based on the idea to carry out the treatment of diseases through the insertion of a therapeutic gene to target cells or patients. In the biotechnological field, a current microfluidic application is the evaluation of cellular behavior for drug screening and for mimicking skin. Despite the great research trend, the development of monitoring sensors in microfluidic devices is still a challenge. In this sense, this research project presents 8 LaNBDA's subprojects, inserted in two main research lines: (i) Microfluidics and Nanobiotechnology for the synthesis of STEALTH liposomes with specific targeting for gene delivery (subproject I) and new microfluidic methods based on chaotic advection for liposomes synthesis (subproject II); polymeric nanoparticles for nucleic acid delivery (subproject III); sustained delivery systems for liposomes delivery (subproject VI); microbubbles for specific targeting (subproject V); (ii) Microfluidics and Biotechnology for the development of drug screening techniques (subproject VI), development of in vitro models to mimic skin (subproject VII) and development of optical instrumentation for bioprocess monitoring (subproject VIII). These subprojects have the national collaboration with Professors Sang Won Han - Centro de Terapia Celular e Molecular (CTCMol) - Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Hernandes Faustino de Carvalho and Marcelo Bispo de Jesus from Biology Institute and Eric Fujiwara from School of Mechanical Engineering, all from University of Campinas and Dr. Renato de Sousa Lima from CNPEM. The international collaborators are Professor Patrick Tabeling who coordinates the Microfluidics, MEMS, Nanostructures (MMN) Laboratory from École Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI) (Paris/France) and Professor Nicolas Szita from University College London - UK, specialist in microfluidics applied to bioprocesses. Therefore, this project aims to contribute in the field of (i) microfluidics applied to nanobiotechnology, more specifically for gene therapy applications, developing new processes for the synthesis of nanostructured vehicles for nucleic acid delivery and (ii) microfluidics applied to biotechnology to develop microfluidic devices for biotechnological process evaluation, as drug screening and assemble of in vitro models that mimic skin. It is also expected to qualify human resources in these respective areas. (AU)

Scientific publications

(10)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CARVALHO, BRUNA G.; VIT, FRANCIELE F.; CARVALHO, HERNANDES F.; HAN, SANG W.; DE LA TORRE, LUCIMARA G.. Recent advances in co-delivery nanosystems for synergistic action in cancer treatment. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B, v. 9, n. 5, p. 1208-1237, FEB 7 2021. (18/18523-3, 18/19537-8, 15/20206-8)

CARVALHO, BRUNA G.; VIT, FRANCIELE F.; CARVALHO, HERNANDES F.; HAN, SANG W.; DE LA TORRE, LUCIMARA G.. Layer-by-Layer Biomimetic Microgels for 3D Cell Culture and Nonviral Gene Delivery. Biomacromolecules, DEC 2021. (18/18523-3, 15/20206-8, 18/19537-8, 17/20341-8)

CARVALHO, BRUNA G.; CECCATO, BRUNO T.; MICHELON, MARIANO; HAN, SANG W.; DE LA TORRE, LUCIMARA G.. dvanced Microfluidic Technologies for Lipid Nano-Microsystems from Synthesis to Biological Applicatio. HARMACEUTIC, v. 14, n. 1, JAN 2022. (15/20206-8, 18/18523-3, 18/19537-8)

RODRIGUES COSTA, ANA LETICIA; WILLERTH, STEPHANIE M.; DE LA TORRE, LUCIMARA GAZIOLA; HAN, SANG WON. Trends in hydrogel-based encapsulation technologies for advanced cell therapies applied to limb ischemia. MATERIALS TODAY BIO, v. 13, p. 19-pg., 2022-01-01. (18/06635-1, 18/19537-8, 20/02313-0, 15/20206-8)

DE CARVALHO, BRUNA GREGATTI; TAKETA, THIAGO BEZERRA; MORENO GARCIA, BIANCA BONETTO; HAN, SANG WON; DE LA TORRE, LUCIMARA GAZIOLA. Hybrid microgels produced via droplet microfluidics for sustainable delivery of hydrophobic and hydrophilic model nanocarriers. Materials Science & Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications, v. 118, JAN 2021. (18/19537-8, 15/20206-8, 18/18523-3)

CINEL, VICTOR DAL POSOLO; TAKETA, THIAGO BEZERRA; DE CARVALHO, BRUNA GREGATTI; DE LA TORRE, LUCIMARA GAZIOLA; DE MELLO, LUCAS RODRIGUES; DA SILVA, EMERSON RODRIGO; HAN, SANG WON. Microfluidic encapsulation of nanoparticles in alginate microgels gelled via competitive ligand exchange crosslinking. Biopolymers, v. 112, n. 7, JUL 2021. (18/19537-8, 18/18523-3, 19/19719-1, 18/06635-1, 15/20206-8)

FIRMINO, PRISCILLA C. O. S.; VIANNA, SAVIO S. V.; DA COSTA, OHANNA M. M. M.; MALFATTI-GASPERINI, ANTONIO A.; GOBBI, ANGELO L.; LIMA, RENATO S.; DE LA TORRE, LUCIMARA G.. 3D micromixer for nanoliposome synthesis: a promising advance in high mass productivity. LAB ON A CHIP, v. 21, n. 15, p. 2971-2985, AUG 7 2021. (18/19537-8)

CARVALHO, BRUNA G.; GARCIA, BIANCA B. M.; MALFATTI-GASPERINI, ANTONIO A.; HAN, SANG W.; DE LA TORRE, LUCIMARA G.. Hybrid polymer/lipid vesicle synthesis: Association between cationic liposomes and lipoplexes with chondroitin sulfate. COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES, v. 210, FEB 2022. (15/20206-8, 18/18523-3, 18/19537-8)

ES, ISMAIL; MALFATTI-GASPERINI, ANTONIO A.; DE LA TORRE, LUCIMARA GAZIOLA. The diffusion-driven microfluidic process to manufacture lipid-based nanotherapeutics with stealth properties for siRNA delivery. COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES, v. 215, p. 11-pg., 2022-04-04. (15/14468-0, 18/19537-8)

BIANCHI, JHONATAN RAFAEL DE OLIVEIRA; DE LA TORRE, LUCIMARA GAZIOLA; COSTA, ANA LETICIA RODRIGUES. Droplet-Based Microfluidics as a Platform to Design Food-Grade Delivery Systems Based on the Entrapped Compound Type. FOODS, v. 12, n. 18, p. 26-pg., 2023-09-01. (18/19537-8)

Filed patent(s) as a result of this research project