Complex, Amphiphilic, Supramolecular Material: from Interfacial Energy Modulation to the Design of Antivirals
Event details
| Date | 26.10.2016 |
| Hour | 12:15 |
| Speaker | Prof. Francesco Stellacci, EPFL (IMX and IBI), Lausanne (CH) |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
SPECIAL SCHOOL of ENGINEERING SEMINAR, HOSTED by the INSTITUTE of BIOENGINEERING
Abstract:
A bird eye view of most folded proteins shows ‘outer’ surfaces composed of hydrophobic and hydrophilic patches with characteristic dimensions in the nanoscale. Little is known on the effect that these surfaces have on the solid-liquid (protein-water) interfaces that are established in the proteins' natural environment. It is easy to make a case that current thermodynamics understanding for these interfaces is incomplete. In this talk, I will present fundamental investigations on supramolecular materials that are engineered to have hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces, similar to the proteins' ones. Advances in synthesis and characterization of such materials will be shown. It will be proven that these materials show interfacial phenomena that cannot be captured by classical thermodynamics treatments. These amphiphilic surfaces show a plethora of important properties when interacting with biological matter. For example, (i) they can create nanoparticles that can insert in lipid bilayers spontaneously, and (ii) can penetrate cell membranes with an energy independent mechanism, or that (iii) can label amyloids is a unique way. Finally, it will be shown that key properties of these materials can be used to create a novel class of antivirals. In fact, nanoparticles and small molecules that bear amphiphilic linkers terminated with sulfonic acids can bind to viruses so strongly as to generate a force sufficiently large to create the extracellular irreversible deformation of viruses with their consequent loss of infectivity. This novel (virucidal) effect is broad-spectrum by design and has been used to inhibit the infectivity for a number of enveloped (Herpes Simplex, Lenti-, Respiratory Syncytial, Dengue, and, Zika Virus) and naked (Papilloma) viruses. In vitro, ex- and in-vivo data will be presented.
Bio:
Francesco Stellacci graduated in Materials Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano in 1998 with a thesis on photochromic polymers with Prof. Giuseppe Zerbi and Mariacarla Gallazzi. In 1999 he moved to the Chemistry Department of the University of Arizona for as a post-doc in the group of Joe Perry in close collaboration with the group of Seth Marder. In 2002 he moved to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an assistant professor. He was then promoted to associate without (2006) and with tenure (2009). In 2010 he moved to the Institute of Materials at EPFL as a full Professor. He holds the Alcan EP Chair. Francesco was one of the recipients of the Technology Review TR35 "35 Innovator under 35" award in 2005, and the Popular Science Magazine "Brilliant 10" award in 2007. He has been a Packard Fellow starting 2005.
Francesco Stellacci is Director of the EPFL's lntegrative Food and Nutrition Center (CNU), which was inaugurated in October 2014.
Abstract:
A bird eye view of most folded proteins shows ‘outer’ surfaces composed of hydrophobic and hydrophilic patches with characteristic dimensions in the nanoscale. Little is known on the effect that these surfaces have on the solid-liquid (protein-water) interfaces that are established in the proteins' natural environment. It is easy to make a case that current thermodynamics understanding for these interfaces is incomplete. In this talk, I will present fundamental investigations on supramolecular materials that are engineered to have hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces, similar to the proteins' ones. Advances in synthesis and characterization of such materials will be shown. It will be proven that these materials show interfacial phenomena that cannot be captured by classical thermodynamics treatments. These amphiphilic surfaces show a plethora of important properties when interacting with biological matter. For example, (i) they can create nanoparticles that can insert in lipid bilayers spontaneously, and (ii) can penetrate cell membranes with an energy independent mechanism, or that (iii) can label amyloids is a unique way. Finally, it will be shown that key properties of these materials can be used to create a novel class of antivirals. In fact, nanoparticles and small molecules that bear amphiphilic linkers terminated with sulfonic acids can bind to viruses so strongly as to generate a force sufficiently large to create the extracellular irreversible deformation of viruses with their consequent loss of infectivity. This novel (virucidal) effect is broad-spectrum by design and has been used to inhibit the infectivity for a number of enveloped (Herpes Simplex, Lenti-, Respiratory Syncytial, Dengue, and, Zika Virus) and naked (Papilloma) viruses. In vitro, ex- and in-vivo data will be presented.
Bio:
Francesco Stellacci graduated in Materials Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano in 1998 with a thesis on photochromic polymers with Prof. Giuseppe Zerbi and Mariacarla Gallazzi. In 1999 he moved to the Chemistry Department of the University of Arizona for as a post-doc in the group of Joe Perry in close collaboration with the group of Seth Marder. In 2002 he moved to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an assistant professor. He was then promoted to associate without (2006) and with tenure (2009). In 2010 he moved to the Institute of Materials at EPFL as a full Professor. He holds the Alcan EP Chair. Francesco was one of the recipients of the Technology Review TR35 "35 Innovator under 35" award in 2005, and the Popular Science Magazine "Brilliant 10" award in 2007. He has been a Packard Fellow starting 2005.
Francesco Stellacci is Director of the EPFL's lntegrative Food and Nutrition Center (CNU), which was inaugurated in October 2014.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free