Nano-biotechnology & Nano-medicine is a rapidly advancing interdisciplinary field that bridges physical sciences with biology and medicine via chemistry tools. The nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine laboratories in FUNSOM have been exploiting cutting edge chemical, material and biotechnologies to develop novel functional nanobiomaterials with excellent biocompatibility and unique optical/electrical/magnetic properties for applications in biological and biomedical research.

Their main research directions are:

1. Fluorescent probes and biological analysis detection.

Early diagnosis of tumors and other major diseases is crucial for the selection and implementation of treatment plans. The research team will further develop high-sensitivity, specificity biochemical analysis platforms to track the basic movement of cells and molecules of living organisms. We aim to provide new tools and methods for the analysis and detection of relevant signal biomolecules with high sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility, and to apply them to clinical medical research and practice.

2. Multimodal molecular imaging.

Nanomaterials play an important role in molecular imaging. For example, silicon-based nanomaterials are considered a potential ideal fluorescent biological probe due to their excellent biocompatibility. The team will further develop functional nanomaterials as multimodal molecular imaging probes to track the basic movement of cells and molecules of living organisms. We will also develop the application of artificial intelligence (AI) chips in sensing fields. Finally, we will continue to explore the clinical application of novel functional nanomaterials in early diagnosis and molecular imaging of tumors.

3. Nanodrug carriers.

Developing novel biomaterial systems and construct smart delivery vehicles for drug delivery, such as proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, and so on, attempting to achieve targeted, controlled, and effective delivery of these drug cargoes. Investigation novel strategies towards the effective treatment of major diseases such as tumors and inflammation by designing functional nanomaterials and constructing new drug delivery systems.

4. Biomaterials and immunoengineering.

Immunotherapy is a treatment that harnesses the power of a patient’s own immune system to fight disease. Our goal is to develop functional biomaterials and biomaterial-based approaches for immunomodulatory therapies for cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders and age-related disease. Aims to precisely control the immune responses using biomaterial engineering approaches to develop a number of promising novel strategies in immunotherapies.

5. Interactions of nanomaterials and biological systems.

Revealing the mechanisms and interactions between nanomaterials and biological molecules, cells, as well as biological systems. Carrying out biosafety assessment of primary biomedical nanomaterials in vitro and in vivo systematically.

Editor: Danting Xiang