Nanoarchitectonic Molecular Materials and Organic Radicals for Biomedical Applications
Dr. Imma Ratera
Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Spain
Advances in nanoscience and molecular engineering are enabling the creation of functional materials with tailored properties for biomedical use. This talk will highlight our recent work on nanoarchitectonic molecular materials and organic radicals to tackle challenges in nanomedicine, bioimaging, tissue engineering, and infection prevention.
We have developed trityl-based organic radical nanoparticles (ONPs) with exceptional optical and magnetic features and two-photon excitation, enabling ratiometric NIR nanothermometry with high sensitivity in physiological conditions, validated in vivo and ex vivo.
In parallel, we design biofunctional nanostructured interfaces using quatsomes nanovesicles and hierarchical RGD nanoarchitectures to precisely control biochemical cues, enhancing cell adhesion and organization. Additional approaches include protein nanoparticles and electroactive SAMs for dynamic, responsive biointerfaces.
Lastly, we create antimicrobial coatings for medical devices, employing self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on TPU and metals to covalently immobilize recombinant antimicrobial proteins (AMPs) such as HD5, achieving anti-biofilm surfaces effective against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
These studies demonstrate how molecular design and nanoarchitectonics drive the development of functional biomaterials for therapy, diagnostics, regeneration, and infection control.
