NANOCUES: Nanoscale surface cues to steer cellular biosystems

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 03.0617

Key words (English)

Cellular biosystems; nanoscale surface cues; tissue culture; stem cells smart biomaterials

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: 505868

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 6. Frame Research Programme - 1.3 Telematic systems

Short description (Italian)

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Abstract (Italian)

The overall Science and Technology (S&T) objectives of this project are to create a knowledge base and a technical platform that can be exploited in the design and development of nanobiotechnological processes and devices, tailored to steer/monitor cellular function. The project team consists of 7 leading groups in Europe representing the necessary interdisciplinary competence and the complementarity's required for this purpose. The project includes all levels from materials design and preparation, nanostructuring, chemical patterning, and bio molecular interactions up to the cellular level. There are a number of obstacles which currently prevent a knowledge base and a technical platform being realised. Some relate to the lack of suitable fabrication methods e.g. to produce nano patterned non-fouling surfaces with functional arrays of macromolecules, some relate to a lack of suitable characterisation tools e.g. tools to characterize the interface between living cells and synthetic materials, others relate to a lack of understanding of molecular interactions at surfaces and of mechanisms of cellular interactions at bio interfaces. The scientific and technical work plan addresses critical issues of the different types (fabrication, characterisation and understanding of molecular and cellular interactions. The main deliverables from this project will be i) new fabrication tools for nano-scale patterned surfaces, ii) new characterisation tools, and iii) knowledge-generated of the interaction of biological systems components with nano-scale patterns and structures. This outcome will provide a platform for the design and implementation for directing cellular function via surface nano-scale molecular cues.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 03.0617