Wei Zhang
University College Dublin, Ireland
Title: A nanoscale shape-discovery framework supporting systematic investigations of shape-dependent biological effects
Biography
Biography: Wei Zhang
Abstract
Nowadays it becomes inevitable for human beings to be exposed to nanostructures with distinctive complex shapes. Gain more depth knowledge regarding the nanoscale shape features regulated biological pathways becomes imperative not only for safety purposes, but also for the design of better nanocarriers for medical treatments.
One of the major barriers to figure out the link between nanoscale shape ensembles and biology is the difficulty to “identify” these irregular nano-shapes. For example, with the ever-expanding universe of nanoscale shapes, names such as “nanoflowers” and “nanostars” no longer precisely describe or characterize the distinct nature of the particles. As a basic step to eliminate the barrier we need a quantitative statistical definition of nanoscale shape that can ensure complex shape ensembles are meaningfully reproduced and their properties communicated.
Based on the above consideration, the work presented here aiming to set up a systematic framework (Figure 1) for (1) highly controlled synthesis (2) well defined identification and (3) systematically investigation of the biological effects of nanoscale shape ensembles. As shown in (Figure 2), based on a microfluidic synthesis platform we are able to achieve the tunable synthesis of nanoscale shapes and then combing traditional physiochemical characterization methods and computational shape analysis to identify each shape ensemble and finally investigate their biological impacts.
Figure 1. A nanoscale shape discovery framework.
Figure 2. Detailed investigation route.