Speakers

Theranostic platforms based on protein/phage hybrids

Abstract

Integrating nanoparticles/artificial prosthetic groups with biological systems to form hybrid functional assemblies is an innovative research area with great promise for medical, nanotechnology, and materials science applications.  

The specifics of molecular recognition of proteins/phages combined with the electronic/photophysical properties of molecules and nanoparticles provides opportunities for physicists, chemists, biologists, and materials scientists to develop new theranostic platforms. 

In therapy/imaging applications the role of proteins/phages is akin to that of “Trojan Horses” since they can:

• hide the molecules/nanoparticles;
• control their cellular uptake;
• drive their crossing of physiological barriers;
• ultimately govern their biological fate.

In sensing applications protein/phage hybrids produces devices able to transduce signals associated with molecule binding, exploiting the biorecognition activity of these biomolecules.

Short Bio

Matteo Calvaresi is an Associate Professor at the University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”. MC leads a multidisciplinary research group, NanoBio Interface Lab. He is the Coordinator of the PhD course in “Nanoscience for Medicine and the Environment”. MC is author of more than 150 papers with >3300 citations and h-index = 33. MC has published in the major international peer-reviewed scientific journals such as Nature Nanotechnology, PNAS, Chem., Acc. Chem. Res., Acc. Mater. Res. JACS, Angew. Chem., ACS Nano, et al. In 2016 MC was the recipient of an Italian grant of €388,000, in the program entitled “The Scientific Independence of young Researchers (SIR) programme” with the project: BIOTAXI – Hybrid fullerene/protein-carriers to target cancer cells. In 2020 MC was awarded a prestigious My first AIRC grant for five years (€498,000) for the project NanoPhage - An Innovative Hybrid Platform for Targeted Sono- Photo- Dynamic Cancer Therapy.

Electrolyte Gated Transistors as versatile biosensors

Abstract

In the last decade, Electrolyte Gated Transistors (EGT) have gained attention as key players in the field of biosensing. I will report on the most recent applications of EGOTs as biosensors explored within our research group. In particular, I will provide examples of EGT biosensors, with recognition processes typically taking place at the gate/electrolyte interface, for a number of biomarkers of mostly medical relevance: these include anti-drug antibodies for monitoring immune response to biological drugs, inflammatory cytokines as indicators of healthy ageing, neurofilament light chain in the context of multiple sclerosis, uric acid for wound infection monitoring. In parallel, though, we are exploring the use of innovative hybrid biological/(in)organic adducts as active materials in EGT architecture, and more specifically of semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) dispersed by proteins. In this case, the protein has the twofold aim of making the CNTs water processable and of serving as a channel-confined probe to sense target analytes in solution. Examples of such hybrid bio-nanomaterials for sensing will be also described.

Short Bio

Carlo A. Bortolotti is Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry at the Life Sciences Department of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia since 2020. He received his PhD in Chemistry in 2006; from 2006 to 2008 he was a PostDoc at the S3 Centre (now Institute Nanoscience) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). He has been a visiting fellow at the Brandeis University, Technical University of Denmark DTU, University College London UCL, Harvard Medical School, Austrian Institute of Technology. He was Coordinator, Principal Investigator and Participant of several international and national research projects. His current main research interests concern the development of organic electronics biosensors for investigation of biorecognition processes and label-free quantification of biomarkers in complex solutions.

Electrolyte Gated Transistors as versatile biosensors

Abstract

Biosensors are often defined as being a combination of biological molecules with analytical sensing elements. In his lecture, we will focus on the development of methods for the detection of food and environmental contaminants and explain a selection of biosensor platforms that are fit for purpose for the implementation at the point of need. Applications will range from food safety: the detection of antibiotics and mycotoxins in food and food products, to pesticides that have a severe environmental impact. Biosensors have been applied in various fields, including healthcare, environmental monitoring, and food safety. These biosensors range from dedicated machines that need trained personnel to biosensors highly suitable for citizens' science. Nowadays almost every person in the European Union has operated a biosensor: the rapid covid test. These simple tests provide rapid answers and results can even be quantified using dedicated handheld readers or smartphone imaging. 

Workshop: Rapid testing for food and environmental safety: contaminants in milk and flowers 

Short Bio

Dr. Jeroen Peters is a researcher with a broad experience in biological sciences. Currently, he works as a researcher in the Bioassays and Biosensors group of Wageningen Food Safety Research, focusing on the development of biorecognition-based assays on a wide range of biosensing formats for the detection of food, feed, and environmental contaminants. He is specialized in the validation and application of developed (multiplex) biosensors that facilitate the detection of pesticides, mycotoxins, drug residues, marine biotoxins, and other emerging contaminants. A significant part of his current research focuses on the immunochemical detection of pesticides harmful to bees and the detection of toxic heavy metals in relation to the circular (food) economy and environmental monitoring strategies. He is the project leader for several national and European projects that focus on the detection of the aforementioned contaminants at the Point of Need.

Sample-to-solution approaches for food safety at the point of need

Abstract

In his presentation, Gert Salentijn will elaborate on the challenges that are typically associated with taking a (bio)chemical analysis out of the lab and to the point of need. When developing such approaches, one has to consider not only the detection of molecules, but rather the entire sample-to-solution workflow, which includes: (i) how, where and when samples are acquires, (ii) which sample processing is required, and how to perform that in an on-site applicable manner, (iii) how molecules will be detected in an easy-to-operate, and portable fashion, (iv) how chemistry will be converted into information, and how that will be pre-interpreted for end-users, (v) how to combine all those elements in a safe and efficient manner. These different steps will be illustrated with examples from dr. Salentijn's research in food safety. 

Workshop: Rapid testing for food and environmental safety: contaminants in milk and flowers 

Short Bio

Dr. Gert Salentijn is associate professor of Analytical Chemistry at Wageningen University & Research (both in the Lab of Organic Chemistry and at Wageningen Food Safety Research), with a background in microfluidics, ambient ionization mass spectrometry, and on-site chemical analysis. In 2019 he worked as a visiting scientist in the world's leading mass spectrometry group of Prof. Graham Cooks at Purdue in the USA. He is currently involved in several European projects aimed at developing on-site tests for natural toxins.  
The final aim of such research project is to get chemical analysis out of the lab, and into the hands of the people that need the (interpretation of) chemical information. These could be consumers that want to know that their food can be safely eaten (e.g. free from allergens or toxins), or inspectors that need to monitor food safety for the government. Different research fields and analytical strategies are combined to achieve such goals, including ambient ionization (portable) mass spectrometry, lateral flow immunochemistry, chemical surface modification for (paper) microfluidics and 3D-printing. 

E-mail: [email protected]