Toxicity of engineered functional nanoparticles
Lead academic: Dr G Ren
Supporting Academic: Dr J Stairs and Dr A Chrysanthou
Research Student: none
Funding: £20,000, RAE International Major Award
Funding body: UK Royal Academy of Engineering
Collaborators: Prof Z Yang, Nankai Univ.; Prof J Oxford and R Allaker, QMUL; Dr P Reip, INL, UK.
Period: 2010 – 2012
Nanomaterial properties differ from those of bulk materials and may exhibit completely different physical or chemical properties.
Nanomaterials are of great interest in the medical science and technological fields, while related research and applications are entering into biosensors, biomaterials, tissue engineering, DNA modification and drug delivery.
The project will examine the effects of bio-functional nanoparticles (CuO, Cu, Ag, TiO2, CNT’s) on blood-brain barriers and neuron cells in the central nervous system through lung inhalation or injection, etc.
This work is a continuation of research on an antimicrobial nanoparticles project carried out at QMUL sponsored by SEEDA/DTI, UK).
Top image: Animal (Rat) neuron cell’s. Above image:TEM images of nano particle ZnO.