H2020Индивидуална стипендия2019–2021

DNA-bots · Enzyme-powered DNA nanorobotic devices

„Хоризонт 2020“ — Действия „Мария Склодовска-Кюри“

Период: 2019-04-01 → 2021-03-31
Финансиране от ЕС: 183 473 €
Участници: 1
Схема: MSCA-IF-EF-ST

Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.

Накратко на български

ДНК-нанороботи, задвижвани от ензими, се разработват за самостоятелно движение в биологични течности, за да разпознават цели и доставят лекарства. Това помага за подобряване на точността, с която преносителите достигат до конкретни места в организма.

Този кратък обзор е генериран от изкуствен интелект

Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.

Резултати накратко

Enzyme-powered DNA nanorobotic devices

Despite the recent and exciting advances in nanomedicine, only 0.7% of newly developed carriers reach their target locations in vivo, demanding for innovative solutions. One alternative to improve the targeting capacity of nanocarriers is inspired by biological swimmers and machines that abound in nature. The design of “intelligent” artificial systems able to self-propel (swim) in biological fluids and perform complex tasks such as sensing and delivering a cargo on-demand could revolutionize the field. Enzyme-powered nanorobotic devices are able to self-propel thanks to the conversion of a substrate into products, mediated by enzymes, offering high versatility and biocompatibility. A step forward in the field is to control the spatial configuration of enzymes and study its effect in motion behavior, as well as the incorporation of multiple functionalities. In this regard, DNA can offer unique properties as scaffold material for the fabrication of nanostructures, such as site-specific functionalization, sensing and drug delivery, which have been extensively studied by the Host group, led by Prof. Ricci at the University of Tor Vergata (UTOV, Italy). In this proposal, we aim at combining both enzyme-propulsion and DNA nanotechnology to create a new class of biocompatible and biodegradable nanorobotic devices with advanced functionalities including motion, sensing and smart cargo loading and release. The results arising from this proposal could significantly contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge in different disciplines, spanning from chemical engineering to synthetic biology and nanomedicine. Particularly, the development of new nanosystems capable of navigating across biological tissues and perform complex tasks could lead to the development of future biomedical tools, with improved target tissue accumulation, penetration and on-demand drug delivery, resulting in diminished off-target effects and maximized therapeutic efficacy. This would result in more efficient therapies with diminished side effects, therefore reducing costs and improving the quality of life of patients. Motivated by the above arguments, the main goal of this proposal is to combine the unique versatility and tunability of enzyme-propulsion and DNA technology for the fabrication of biocompatible and biodegradable nanorobotic devices with sensing and actuating capabilities.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз

Цел на проекта

WHY: Enzyme-powered nanorobotic devices are able to self-propel thanks to the conversion of a substrate into products, holding a great potential for biomedical applications. A step forward in the field would be the precise control and design over the structure and enzyme spatial configuration, as well as the integration of complex functions. WHAT: DNA-bots is an interdisciplinary approach in which enzyme-propulsion and DNA nanotechnology will be merged to develop a new class of biocompatible and biodegradable nanorobotic devices able to self-propel, sense and actuate in front of specific stimuli. To achieve this goal, I will undertake a high risk/high gain research approach at the forefront of nanotechnology. The leading idea is to design and fabricate DNA nanostructures which will be site-specifically functionalized with enzymes to generate self-propulsion. The enzyme-powered DNA nanorobots will be further engineered by integrating DNA nanoswitches able to sense and perform loading and release of cargoes upon specific stimuli. HOW: The challenge met by this Project is to provide a groundbreaking contribution to DNA nanotechnology and nanorobotics. To achieve these objectives, I will be trained at the Host group led by Prof. Francesco Ricci (University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy), which is a young and dynamic team at the vanguard of the use of DNA nanotechnology for sensing and drug-delivery applications. The Fellowship will proceed through a well-defined set of research and training tasks, organized into four work packages. Thanks to this MSCA Fellowship, I will continue expanding my scientific knowledge and acquiring cutting-edge skills (in synthetic biology, DNA nanotechnology, and nanorobotics), which will significantly impact my career as a researcher and help me to strenghten my position as an independent and mature researcher.

Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).

Участници

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA TOR VERGATA · RomaКоординаторИталия