Host: Cardiff University, School of Biosciences, United Kingdom
Development of FWM imaging for the biotherapeutic detection of multifunctional gold nanoparticles and their tracking in live cells
Supervisor: Prof. Peter Watson
MUSIQ Research
Nicole will work with a multiphoton microscopy technique called four-wave mixing imaging, that allows the detection of single gold nanoparticles within highly scattering environments. She will investigate the effect of gold nanoparticle shapes and dimensions on cell internalisation in combination with alterations in ligand valency at the nanoparticle surface. Nicole will be tasked with (i) the development of therapeutic nanoparticle constructs, (ii) receptor-crosslinking through gold nanoparticles, and (iii) tracking the nanoparticles as they bind and internalise into mammalian model cell line systems. The aim of the project is to understand how crosslinking of receptors through changes in ligand valency affects binding and internalisation of gold nanoparticles at the single particle level.
Scientific Background
Nicole studied biochemistry at the Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena (2013-2019). She obtained her master’s degree on the high-resolution arrangement of gold nanoparticles with the help of 2D DNA origami at the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT) Jena in the group of Nanobiophotonics of Prof. Wolfgang Fritzsche. Next to her two year master’s programme she had two placements working on the topics of “Utilizing digital droplet loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for the detection of waterborne microorganisms” in the group of Microfluidics of Dr. Thomas Henkel, and “Stability and Adsorption of DNA origami on Mica Surfaces at different Ion concentrations” in the group of Nanobiophotonics of Prof. Wolfgang Fritzsche, both at the IPHT Jena.