Our Facilities

We have modern laboratories which are equipped to meet the requirements of a wide range of experimental research. (But, we still lack a lot !!)

- Polymer synthesis laboratory

- Polymer characterization laboratory

- Cell-culture laboratory

- Imaging laboratory

- Nanofiltration

•Biomaterials/tissue engBiomaterials/tissue eng

•Drug/DNA/RNA deliveryDrug/DNA/RNA delivery

•NanomedicineNanomedicine

•BiosensorsBiosensors

•BiochipsBiochips

•ImagingImaging

•Biocatalyst DevelopmentBiocatalyst Development

•Bioseparations Bioseparations (with emphasis on (with emphasis on

Nanotechniques)Nanotechniques)

Our Research TopicsInvolving NanotechnologyInvolving Nanotechnology

Biomaterials & Tissue

engineering

Microporous Biodegradable PLLA-CL Scaffolds

prepared in supercritical CO2

Microporous Biodegradable

Electruspun PCL Scaffolds

NANOFIBROUS MATERIALSBy Electrospinning

Electrospinning is a unique method

that produces polymeric nanofibers

with diameter in the range of nano to

a few microns using electrically

driven jet of polymer

solutions/melts

Composites for Hard Tissue RepairPoly(DL-Lactide/ε-caprolactone) with nano-size TCP

precipitate

HEAT + NH4OHcentrifugation

TCP gel

Dring and Sintering

H3PO4

Ca(OH)2

Aim: To prepare a hard

tissue filling material that is

biodegradable, easily

applied

Average particle size;

Gel form: 300 nm

Dry form: 10 nm

DRUG/DNA/RNA DRUG/DNA/RNA DELIVERY DELIVERY

At 28ºC28ºCGene Expression

Efficiency: 50%50%

Imaging at Nanoscale

SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPIESSCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPIES

• Scanning Tunnel Microscopy• Atomic Force Microscopy• SPR Microscopy• Imaging Ellipsometry

Binning and Rohrer, IBM researcher’s in Switzerland described the STM in 1981. It is essentially a superfine stylus that sweeps over a

surface like a blind person’s walking stick. The stylus is

few atom widths away and it has a molecularly or

perhaps atomically fine tip.

5 µ

Gerd Binnig & Heinrich Rohrer NOBEL PRIZE in

1986ONLY Conducting surfaces and

molecular monolayers

High resolution straightforward

Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy

STM

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)

Contact mode

The AFM head employs an optical detection system in which the tip is attached to the underside of a reflective cantilever. A diode laser is focused onto the back of a reflective cantilever.

As the tip scans the surface of the sample, the laser beam is deflected off the attached cantilever. And the photodetector measures the difference in light intensities between the upper and lower photodetectors, and then converts to voltage.

ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY (AFM)

DNADNA CromosomeCromosome

AntibodyAntibodyErythrocytesErythrocytes

ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY (AFM)

SPSPRR

SPR Microscope

Θ

Θ

L1

L2

L3

L4

HeNeLaser,

1.5 mW

Polarizer

4 Waveplate

Filter

CCD Camera

Stages

PC/Framegrabber

Stage ControllerSubstrate

Prism

FlowCell

Following: W. Knoll, Colloid Polym. Sci. 1988, 109, 244

Ref

lect

ion

Inte

nsit

y(%

)Angle of Monitoring

I II0

100

Imaging Ellipsometry

Substrate

Analyzer

CCD Camera

Objective

Laser Polarizer

CompensatorSample (e.g. film)

Dextran on silicone

Dye monolayerPatterned surface

FORCE MEASUREMENTS by using Modified AFM Tips

SIGNAL

AN

AL

YT

E

TRANSDUCERTRANSDUCERBIORECEPTORBIORECEPTOR

The bioreceptor is a biomolecule that recognizes the target analyte. The transducer converts the recognition

event into a measurable signal.

EnzymeAntibodyReceptorDNA

ElectrochemicalOpticalPiezoelectric

BIOSENSORBIOSENSORSS

Quartz crystal plate

Au electrodes

Contact

UNIVERSAL SENSORS Inc.

QUARTZ CRYSTAL MICROBALANCE

ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPYAs molecular sensors

ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPYAs molecular sensors

Representative fluorescence

microscopy images: (A) and (B) before

ssDNA immobilization; (C)

and (D) carrying the immobilized

ligand ssDNA

MAGNETICALLY LOADED NANOPARTICLES

Nanoparticles take on special properties because of their small size.

Nanoparticles can be use as carriers or labels with a variety of markers, transported through various media, and interfaced both in vivo and in vitro.

Nanoparticle technology over the last decade plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

As reporter platformsAs contrast enhancing agents

Early disease detection Imaging Drug delivery As a vehicle

Biomedical Applications

Magnetic and Superparamagnetic Particles

– Colloid size: 1-5 µm

– Magnetite (Fe3O4), Maghemite (γ- Fe2O3)

Colloidal Magnetic Particles– Colloid size: 50-500 nm– Ferrofluids

MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES

BIOCHIPS

Thousands of genes and their products (i.e., proteins) in a given living organism function in a complicated and orchestrated way that creates the mystery of life

Traditional methods in molecular biology generally work on a "one gene in one experiment" basis, which means that the throughput is very limited and the "whole picture" of gene function is hard to obtain

Biochips, or also so-called “micro arrays” are “Labs on Chips” and allows simultaneous analysis of multiple samples

DNA-CHIPS

PROTEIN-CHIPS

SURFACE PLASMON SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE RESONANCE

• Protein binding shifts SPR minimum to a higher angle. • Adsorption and desorption monitored by tracking SPR angle changes.• SPR response can be converted to a surface coverage.

%

Ref

lect

ivit

y

Adsorption Desorption

Time

%

Adsorption Desorption

Time

%

Ref

lect

ivit

y

Adsorption Desorption

Time

%

Adsorption Desorption

Time

Microarray-based studies of Protein-DNA Interactions Using SPR

Microtiter plate

BlotterSonicator

Water bath Substrate

platform

Stealth printhead/pin

Substrate

Vacuummanifold

Proteins in bufferdsDNA array sensing surface

dsDNAs withdifferent sequences

DNA-binding proteins

Proteins in bufferdsDNA array sensing surface

Proteins in bufferdsDNA array sensing surface

dsDNAs withdifferent sequences

DNA-binding proteins

dsDNAs with Different sequences

DNA bindingproteins

dsDNA arraySensing surface

Proteins in buffer

Selection and characterization of peptides specific to Platinum surfaces by phage display and preparation of

their light sensitive nano-hybrid forms

Identification of peptide sequences specific to inorganics (Platinum metal)

via phage display and physical and chemical characterization of selected

peptides Preparation of nanostructures consisting of Pt/putative peptide/light sensitive

molecule (azobenzene)

N

N

N

N

N N N N

Pt Substrate

Peptide

Light-sensitive molecule

Ligand for any target

360 nm

470 nm

Control of ligand-target interaction

Statistical analysis

Alignment (Clustal W)

Charge, (http://us.expasy.org/tools/pi),

Hydrophilicity

Fluorescence microscopy

Cross-specificity with powders and arrays

Binding characteristics with QCM, SPR

Characterization of selected peptides

I. Peptide selection via phage display

SD152PTSTGQA

Characterization:

Functional Grup analysis (FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR)

Ninhydrin assay,

Absorption behaviour,

Binding study with QCM ( ka, kd)

Contact angle, elipsometer, AFM on

Platinum surfaces

b) Coupling of peptide to azobenzene molecule

ğ

-Δf (Hz)

time (s)

GENE THERAPY

AIM: To avoid restenosis by Gene Therapy

Proliferation of smooth Proliferation of smooth muscle cells are stopped by muscle cells are stopped by blocking the MMP-2 blocking the MMP-2 enzyme.enzyme.

For this purpose, inhibitor For this purpose, inhibitor gene is transfected to the gene is transfected to the smooth muscle cells.smooth muscle cells.

60x 103 smc/ well

10 g plasmid in NaCI 100 µl (1mg/ml) polymer pH 5.95

GENE EXPRESSION OF SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

SMC’s transfected with Poly(NIPA-co-MAH)/plasmid DNA complex (e) light microscope image (f) Fluorescence microscope image.

e fa b