Mateus Borba Cardoso
Email: cardosomb@lnls.br
Principal scientist
Mateus's work is focused on the design, synthesis, characterization and biomedial applications of different types of nanoparticles. He has focused his research towards nanoparticles which are able to: (a) avoid bacterial growth, (b) kill tumor cells or (c) inactivate viruses. His research is basically dedicated to surface functionalization in order to improve biological nanoparticles activity while avoiding mammalian cells cytotoxicity.
Raquel Frenedoso
Email: raquel.frenedoso@lnls.br
Research Assistant
Raquel's works is focused on improving biological experiments of the group at the same time that she will be involved with in-vivo studies. Her main motivation is to design reliable biological experiments (cells, viruses and bacteria) for testing the ultimate role of nanoparticles. She is involved in all projects which are devoted to nano-bio applications.
Renata Santos Rabelo
Email: renata.rabelo@lnls.br
Research Assistant
Renata's work is focused on sample preparation aiming to produce images of individual nanoparticles in cells and bacteria, using synchrotron techniques such as ptychography, plane-wave-CDI and scanning near-field optical microscopies. The 2D and 3D imaging of biological systems at the nanoscale is an important contribution of this work to study nanoparticles biological applications.
Andressa da Cruz Schneid
Email: andressa.schineid@lnls.br
Postdoc
Andressa's work is focused on synthesis of biodegradable nano-organosilica aiming to produce a drug carrier specific to H. pylori. The surface functionalization of this nano-organosilica is envisaged in order to prevent protein corona formation, extend its lifetime in the gastrointestinal media and drive the structure to the target action point.
Camila Pedroso Silveira Bueno
Email: camila.bueno@lnls.br
Postdoc
Camila's work is based on the design and application of bio-active nanoparticles. She is focused on developing a multi-functionalised platform that minimizes corona formation and keeps cell targeting via antibody or receptor-functionalization. Her work also comprises the understanding of protein organization on the nanoparticle surface and its implications on cells, as well as the interaction of bio-nano structures with the immune system.
Lindomar José Calumby Albuquerque
Email: lindomar.albuquerque@lnls.br
Postdoc
Lindomar's work is focused on the synthesis and characterization of multi-charged silica nanoparticles and understanding their behavior in simulated biological fluids. His work is mainly focused on the protein corona formation and how this phenomenon affects the nanoparticles' colloidal stability, biocompatibility, and cellular uptake.
Francine Ramos Scheffer
Email: francine.scheffer@lnls.br
PhD student
Francine’s work is focused on the synthesis and surface functionalization of core-shell systems formed by iron oxide nanoparticles coated silica in order to inactivate the HIV virus. The main idea of her work is to functionalize nanoparticles with CD4 which is able to specifically bind gp120 and inactivate the HIV. The cytotoxicity absence of these particles will be evaluated through the tests using regular mammalian cells.
Gabriela Borba Mondo
Email: gabriela.mondo@lnls.br
PhD student
Gabriela’s work is focused on understanding the protein corona formation process over different silica nanoparticles. The main idea of her work is to bind proteins on the surface of these nanoparticles, inducing the “hard corona” formation, and investigate the biological proprieties of these systems with either physically adsorbed or chemically bound proteins.
Iris Renata Ribeiro
Email: iris.ribeiro@lnls.br
PhD student
Iris’s work is focused on the functionalization of fluorescent silica nanoparticles with zwitterionic and folate groups in order to obtain systems that specifically interact with tumor cells. In particular, the goal of this project is to evaluate the influence of these nanoparticles over organoids connected on a chip and maintained by microfluidic platforms (human-on-a-chip).
Flávia Elisa Galdino
Email: flavia.galdino@lnls.br
PhD student
Flavia’s work is focused on the study of interaction between silica nanoparticles and albumin and globulin proteins. In particular, her work aims thermodynamic investigations using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry. The relevance of this study relies on the fact that silica nanoparticles are promissing drug delivery systems and plasma proteins can interact with them hindering biological applications.