BNT-30306 BioNanoTechnology; towards Nanomedicine

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Contents:

BioNanotechnology is an interdisciplinary field of research at the crossings of bio(techno)logy and nanotechnology with application areas ranging from material science to medicine, and where principles come together of all four pillars of chemistry (organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry and biochemistry). In this course, focus is put on biomedical applications (NanoMedicine), from in vitro and in vivo diagnostics, to in vivo multimodal diagnostic, therapeutic and theragnostic applications. Various types of solid and soft nanoparticle systems will be described, that act as host material or scaffolds used for biomedical applications. Solid particles comprise carbon-based material (e.g. fullerenes and carbonanotubes), metallic particles (Au, Ag), oxides (e.g. magnetic iron oxide, luminescent lanthanides) and semiconductor particles (quantum dots). Soft nanoparticle systems treated comprise nanometer-size well-defined polymers (dendrimers), aggregates (coordination polymers, vesicles, micelles) and virus particles. The (bio)chemical functionalization of particles´ inside and/or outside will be treated within the context of targeted nanomaterial/nanoparticles for biomedical and clinical use. Finally, applications of bionanotechnology in commercial biomedical diagnostic devices will be covered, with emphasis on top-down microfluidics and microfabrication approaches. In the practical course illustrative experiments are executed for preparation and characterization of nanomaterials, (bio)chemically functionalized solid & soft nanoparticles, coordination polymers and microfluidic devices. All material will be investigated with relevant analytical techniques of which the theoretical background will be treated. Lectures on state-of-the-art use of nanomedicinal applications including demonstrations and hands-on practical's will be given during an excursion to the Interventional Molecular Imaging group at the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC).

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- describe how natural nanostructures can play a role in medicine;
- explain how non-natural nanomaterials play a role in toxicity and biomedical applications;
- describe different classes of nanoparticles, from solid metal particles to oxides, semiconductor and nanotube material;
- estimate the biological response to a specific class of nanoparticles;
- discriminate between diagnostic, therapeutic, theragnostic and multimodal nanoparticles;
- discriminate surface functionalization strategies by covalent and non-covalent chemistry;
- plan synthesis and chemical/biochemical functionalization of nanomedicinal compounds;
- perform synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles, dendrimers and micelles;
- investigate the interaction of nano-sized material with biologically relevant molecules in (microfluidic or flat-surface) devices;
- prepare a report in which design, synthesis, characterization and properties of nanomaterials and diagnostic devices are combined.

Activities:

Attend lectures, study the course material (book/ handouts / articles) and make exercises. Perform illustrative experiments and write a report in which the relation between theory and laboratory classes is adequately described.

Examination:

- the final mark is determined by the written exam (60%);
- the performance during the laboratory classes (10%);
- and the quality of the report on the experiments, literature assignments and excursions (30%).

Literature:

Mel I. Mendelson. (2013). Learning Bio-Micro-Nanotechnology. 611p. ISBN: 9781420082036