Novel and systematically controlled surface modification on gastrointestinal corona formation

Objective

It is now well recognized that the protein corona formed on particles in physiological fluids has a strong impact on their performance in vivo. Therefore, this project aims to design and develop systematically controlled surface-modified nanoparticles for the formation and on-demand modification of protein corona in plasma or gastrointestinal environments. Firstly, the initial hypothesis is that the structure and composition of the corona formed on nanoparticles will be different with varying temperature-responsive surface functionality. Then, the second hypothesis is that using an alternating magnetic field (AMF) or near-infrared laser (NIR) as two different methods to activate the particles, these nanoparticles will act as internal heating sources generate localized high temperatures to modify the nature of the surface functionality, disrupting the corona structure, thereby enhancing cellular uptake and biological activity. Using this information, the nanoparticles will be optimized for use as theranostic agents, offering preferential accumulation, enhanced drug efficacy, and serving as contrast agents for in vivo and preclinical MRI/CT imaging. Through this Fellowship I will pass on my materials expertise to the host group while gaining new skills and experience at the intersection of colloid science and biology.