RT @NatureComms: .@Junfang_Zhang @Dr_A_Creamer et al. @imperialcollege @UniofOxford report #anticounterfeiting devices using #polymer nanop….

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RT @Lauramaywendel: How the twitter timeline feels recently

RT @AdvSciNews: “Clickable” fluorescent nanoparticles developed by @adcreamy and colleagues @ImperialBioeng overcome issues such as aggrega….

This was a hugely collaborative effort over 4 years. Thanks so much to the efforts of the groups of Fenaroli, @VijayChudasama_, Kramer-Marek @GroupHeeney and fellow stevens grp members (@AlessandraFiego @LinoPrados @jono_woj @_JamesFoote @AndreShamsabadi) & all other co-authors.

This paper is just a possible use-case. The ability to achieve colloidally stable nanoparticles with a semiconducting polymer core and a reactive surface is key. This opens up a wide range of applications in biosensing, therapeutics & photocatalysis…to name a few examples.

Finally, HER2 +ve cells were allowed to grow in a zebrafish before injecting affibody-coated NPs. Image 👇 show very clear association of the NPs (green) with the cancer cells (white). Quantitative analysis showed a significant difference in uptake when compared to controls.

The azide groups on the surface allow for the covalent functionalisation of the NPs with antibodies and affibodies. They targeted the HER2 protein on cells with great selectivity. Image 👇: ⬅️ is HER2 targeting NPs with cancer cells & ➡️ is non-targeting NPs.

Nanoparticles also had excellent circulation efficiency in transparent zebrafish embryos. Here is a video of our nanoparticles circulting even after 7 days! The best performing NPs typically only circulate for 2-3 days

The NPs were stable in common buffers and serum. However, NPs made by co-precipitating a PEG-lipid (a common method in the lit.) with F8BT were found to dissociate in serum (by FCS analysis). This is important when considering nanoparticles choice for in vivo applications.

The chemistry behind this is a simple 1-step substitution of fluorinated benzothiadazole that we’ve previously published The resulting PEG graft co-polymers self-assemble in water into nanoparticles with reactive azides on the surface.

New paper just out- we show a method of producing fluorescent nanoparticles (F8BT) w/ high colloidal stability, brightness, circulation efficiency & tumor targeting. See 👇 video of NPs circulating through a zebrafish embryo🤯see link &🧵below for details

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