Nanotechnology of cell communication

Place: conference room, IMDEA Nanociencia.

Abstract:

Cells have been exploiting nanoparticles far longer than we have in our labs. In recent years, we have learned that cells secrete a great variety of nanoparticles into the extracellular space (which range from high-density lipoproteins of few nanometers to extracellular vesicles and fat globules of hundreds of nanometers). They use them as short and long distance (nano)lines of communication to regulate/mediate key physiological and pathological processes.

Both native or engineered, extracellular nanoparticles are therefore entering in the running as breakthrough cell-free therapeutics, vaccines and fluid biopsy diagnostics. “Made by cells for cells”, they promise to bring to nanomedicine much-needed circulation and targeting abilities as well as intrinsic precision and sustainability. From a wider perspective, extracellular nanoparticles might be used as cell-assembled building blocks for future “biogenic” surface- and nanotechnology.

We will introduce extracellular nanoparticles within a unified nanochemistry landscape and discuss how such an approach is essential to decode their structure-function relationships, expand our understanding of their biology, and accelerate their technological and clinical translation.

Short biography:

Paolo Bergese (April 4 1975) after a full marks MSc in Physics and a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering, moved in and grew up as a scientist at the bio-nano frontier, where he realized colloid and surface chemistry can raise and answer original biological questions. Today he is Full Professor of Chemistry at the University of Brescia, Associate Researcher at the Institute for Research and Biomedical Innovation of the National Research Council (CNR) in Palermo and member of the Italian Center for Colloid and Interface Science (CSGI). In 2010 and 2012 he has been visiting Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Totally fascinated by biogenic (extracellular) nanoparticles, he estabilished and heads a multidisciplinary team featuring one of the first stories of integration of chemistry, nanotechnology and molecular biology in extracellular vesicle research. His scientific contribution is internationally recognized, counting > 90 papers and being granted in the framework of national and international projects on > 1.5 M€ in extramural funding. To date he coordinates two Horizon 2020 FET projects: evFOUNDRY – The extracellular vesicle foundry (http://www.evfoundry.eu/) and BOW – Biogenic Organotropic Wetsuits (https://www.bowproject.eu/).

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