Study of light emitting nanoparticles (upconverting nanophores) for biomedical and biotechnological applications

• Grant number: 15/24118-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2016
• End date: April 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Andrea Simone Stucchi de Camargo Alvarez Bernardez
• Grantee: Malte Christian Gruener
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07793-6 - CEPIV - Center for Teaching, Research and Innovation in Glass, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Among the several interdisciplinary research areas emerging with nanotechnology special attention has been given to bionanophotonics, a combination of nanophotonics (the study of optical interactions in the nanoscale) with biomedical sciences and biotechnology. The many possibilities of applications in this field are based, for instance, on the use of light emitting nanoparticles in biosensing, optical diagnostics and photodynamic therapies. The different kinds of nanoparticles can be tailored to emit at specific wavelengths in the visible to infrared spectral range, convert near-infrared light to visible, as well as be functionalized to disperse in biological media and be conjugated to various types of biomolecules. In this project the study of rare-earth doped upconverting luminescent nanoparticles (UCNPs) with applications as theranostic agents, in bioimaging and in photodynamic therapy of cancer and photodynamic inactivation of bacteria is proposed. The study will be focused on the optimization of the nanoparticles luminescent and singlet oxygen quantum yields, as well as on the combination of UCNPs with additional photosensitizers. The evaluation of their cytotoxicity and on the efficacy for specific binding towards biological targets will also be carried out. In order to do so, structural, spectroscopic and optical characterizations will be used as tools to improve their synthesis and processing, aiming to obtain efficient nanoparticles to be further tested and used in cytological and histological testing.

Scientific publications

(4)

(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)

ZANONI, KASSIO P. S.; ITO, AKITAKA; GRUNER, MALTE; IHA, NEYDE Y. MURAKAMI; DE CAMARGO, ANDREA S. S.. Photophysical dynamics of the efficient emission and photosensitization of [Ir(pqi)(2)(NN)](+) complexes. DALTON TRANSACTIONS, v. 47, n. 4, p. 1179-1188, JAN 28 2018. (16/07706-4, 15/24118-6)

GRUNER, MALTE C.; LEITE, ILAIALI S.; INADA, NATALIA M.; DE CAMARGO, ANDREA S.. Photosensitizing nanoclays for efficient cell uptake and in vitro photodynamic therapy. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, v. 35, SEP 2021. (13/07793-6, 13/07276-1, 15/24118-6, 09/54035-4)

GRUNER, MALTE C.; ZANONI, KASSIO P. S.; BORGOGNONI, CAMILA F.; MELO, CRISTIANE C.; ZUCOLOTTO, VALTENCIR; DE CAMARGO, ANDREA S. S.. Reaching Biocompatibility with Nanoclays: Eliminating the Cytotoxicity of Ir(III) Complexes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, v. 10, n. 32, p. 26830-26834, AUG 15 2018. (13/07793-6, 16/07706-4, 15/24118-6)

GRUENER, MALTE C.; ARAI, MARYLYN SETSUKO; CARREIRA, MARIANA; INADA, NATALIA; DE CAMARGO, ANDREA S. S.. Functionalizing the Mesoporous Silica Shell of Upconversion Nanoparticles To Enhance Bacterial Targeting and Killing via Photosensitizer-Induced Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS, v. 1, n. 4, p. 9-pg., 2018-10-15. (15/24118-6, 13/07793-6)