Research Lines
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF INORGANIC NANOPARTICLES (NPs)
Nanoparticles have demonstrated a range of fascinating electrical, catalytic, magnetic and optical properties that are distinct from those of bulk materials. Tailoring the size, shape and structure (e.g., solid or hollow) of nanocrystals opens a window to finely tune the physical and chemical properties...
DESIGN OF NEW SMART DRUG DELIVERY NANOVEHICLES
Nanostructures have the potential to revolutionize a wide range of medical diagnostic and therapeutic interventions such as diagnostic imaging, nucleic acid delivery, implantable devices and, of particular interest, drug delivery...
DESIGN OF HYBRID NANOPLATFORMS FOR MULTIMODAL IMAGING AND THERAPY
Most of systems for chemical/radiological detection and treatment of cancer used nowadays, even those based on nanoparticles, do not take advantage of the physiological anomalies of cancerous cells and cause toxic side effects which limit their efficacy...
BIOINTERACTIONS AND BIOLOGICAL FATE OF NANOMATERIALS
When designing a nanomaterial (NM) for a specific biomedical application, either labeling, imaging, therapy, or sensing. it is necessary to bear in mind that when NMs enter a biological fluid (e.g., blood plasma or interstitial fluid), they are coated with a plethora of ions and biomolecules, such as lipids, metabolites, sugars, and especially proteins, which will adsorb onto the surface of the NMs, mediated by van der Waals, electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions...
ORDERED PARTICLE ASSEMBLIES AND HYBRID THIN FILMS FOR PLASMONIC (BIO)SENSING, OPTICAL WINDOWS AND ELECTRODES
The application of plasmonic metal NPs for detection thorugh the exploitation of their optical properties has become extremely popular, either based on plasmon shifs due to refractive index changes when a biomolecular recognition process takes place near the NP surface (LPSR-based sensors), or on the direct identification of the analyte through its Raman scattering fingerprint when adsorbed onto it (surface enhanced Raman scattering, SERS, sensors)...
DEVELOPMENT OF SCAFFOLDS FOR BRAIN TISSUE ENGINEERING
Tissue engineering has experienced an intense development aimed at addressing the growing demand for restoration or replacement tissues that have undergone structural or functional damage...
SELF-ASSEMBLY OF PROTEIN NANOSTRUCTURES AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH DEGENERATIVE DISEASES
Proteins represent one of the most important molecules in living matter, as they accomplish a wide range of biological functions and play a crucial role in the maintenance of life. Their correct biological activity depends on their self-assembly into well-defined highly ordered three dimensional structures, a process denote as protein folding...