15:30-16:15

Controlling the Properties of Nanobiomaterials in Solution and at the Interfaces

Soft materials, such as polymer nanoparticles and thin films play a crucial role as functional building blocks in the design of nanomaterials. However, the development of polymer-based nanosized materials for biomedical and pharmaceutical application is still in its initial stage and it requires profound understanding of fundamental physico-chemical rules that govern self-assembly of polymers at the nanoscale. This presentation underlines some fundamental and practical aspects in the field of polymeric nanobiomaterials and focuses on (i) developing new nanoparticles for pH-dependent oral drug delivery,¹ (ii) investigating the properties of polysaccharide thin films constructed using layer-by-layer technique,² and (iii) designing functional polymer nanocoatings with tunable ligand/receptor interactions.³ The studies aimed at understanding the effects of non-covalent interactions, which control the behaviour of these systems on the molecular level, on their structural and functional adaptivity

1. US Patent No. 2009258071.
2. (a) P. Kujawa, P. Moraille, J. Sanchez, A. Badia, and F.M. Winnik. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 9224-9334 (2005). (b) P. Kujawa, G. Schmauch, T. Viitala, A. Badia, and F.M. Winnik. Biomacromolecules 8, 3169-3176 (2007).
3. Z. Miao, P. Kujawa, Y.-T. R. Lau, S. Toita, B. Qi, J. Nakanishi, I. Cloutier, J.-F. Tanguay, and F.M. Winnik. Biomacromolecules (submitted).

Speaker

Dr. Piotr Kujawa, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, Canada

Chair

Dr. Takao Aoyagi, MANA PI, MANA, NIMS