Projects
Development of a platform and toolkit for understanding interactions between nanoparticles and the living world Ghent University
We combine state-of-the-art techniques, methodologies, skills and instrumentation from several scientific arenas to create discipline-independent platforms to address key questions in nanotoxicology Thus, we identify the routes via which nanoparticles enter and accumulate in living organisms, and connect this to representative cell-nanoparticle systems. Then using the most advanced methods of chemical, physical, biological and toxicological ...
SYNAPS - DESIGN OF ANTIBACTERIAL COATINGS USING NANOPARTICLES SYNTHESISED THROUGH A NOVEL PLASMA METHOD KU Leuven
Over the last few years, there is an increased concern on the spread of health care–associated pathogens through environmental contaminations. At the same time, pathogenic bacteria are gaining antibiotic resistance. Since surfaces are the most common way for the transmission of infectious pathogens, one of the most promising methods to prevent outbreaks is by applying antimicrobial surface coatings that reduce the surface adhesion of ...
Development of radioactive lanthanide-based nanoparticles for radiopharmaceutical applications KU Leuven
Nanoparticles (NPs) possess unique physical and chemical properties due to their high surface area and nanoscale size (typically 1-100 nm). Over the last decade, the development of nanoparticles for medical applications has become increasingly popular as they have shown the ability to overcome the limitations of conventional chemotherapy. One of the main advantages of NPs is that they can be chemically tailored in such a way to specifically ...
Physico-chemical characterization and risk assessment of the fraction of nanoparticles in the food additive E174 (silver) in a legislative context. Hasselt University
Three-dimensional electrokinetic trapping and characterization of single nanoparticles Ghent University
In this project three-dimensional electrokinetic trapping is developed to largely cancel the Brownian motion of individual nanoparticles and to accurately measure their size and electrical charge on a particle-to-particle basis. With this technique fundamental behavior of nanoparticles will be investigated and nanoparticles will be analyzed for biomedical and display applications.
Smart design nanoParticles to Activate immune Responses against Cancer (SPARC) Ghent University
The prospect of stimulating immune responses to specifically kill cancer cells, instigated research
into cancer vaccines. The positive results on systemic delivery of mRNA packaged in lipid
nanoparticles (LNPs) in patients are very exciting, since LNPs avoid the complex logistics associated
with ex vivo strategies. We recently developed LNPs containing tumor antigen mRNA and the
adjuvant α−galactosylceramide ...
Optical label-free detection of carbon black nanoparticles for measurements of environment pollution. KU Leuven
Therapeutic targeting of early metastasis by exosome-mimetic gold nanoparticles Ghent University
Metastasis is responsible for more than 90% of cancer-associated mortality; thus the clinical need
to prevent or target metastasis is high. This holds especially for triple-negative breast cancer
(TNBC) patients, since not a single targeted therapy has been approved for the treatment of
metastatic TNBC and these patients respond poorly to aggressive and toxic chemotherapy. We
focus on common early ...
Vibrational and electronic properties of superconducting films and nanoparticles investigated by advanced synchrotron and theoretical methods. KU Leuven
Superconductivity is one of the most intriguing phenomena in solid state physics. It is characterized by the condensation of electrons into Cooper pairs, i.e. below a particular critical temperature there is an effective attractive interaction between electrons, and in bulk materials this manifests itself in (i) the disappearance of electrical resistance and (ii) the expulsion of an external magnetic field. This attractive interaction between ...