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Dr Gemma-Louise Davies, AS Global Research Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study and Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick has recently successfully completed a project funded by the MLS looking at nanocomposites. These are uniquely placed to solve challenges in a variety of medical fields, due to their small sizes and unique properties. In this project, nanoscale particles were designed as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. The MLS grant has supported an experimental research project involving an investigation of structural and design features of nanocomposites to provide not only strong image contrast capabilities (better than those currently available on the market), but also high sensitivity to their environment. This unique combination has the potential to revolutionise the medical sector – enabling fast, specific and non-invasive means of diagnostics with the added potential of combined drug delivery in the future.
This research has led to 4 published manuscripts to date. The MLS grant has also allowed researchers to combine the designer advanced materials with polymer chemistry, as a route to produce switchable MRI contrast agents – whose MRI signal can be turned ‘on’ or ‘off’ in the presence of a disease environment; 2 manuscripts are currently in preparation.
Peer-reviewed publications (MLS bursary acknowledged for funding support):
L. Ternent, D.A. Mayoh, M.R. Lees, G.-L.Davies*, “Heparin-stabilised Iron Oxide for MR Applications: A Relaxometric Study”, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2016, 4, 3065-3074. Part of Emerging Investigators 2016 Edition.
D.J. Phillips, G-L. Davies, M.I. Gibson, “Siderophore-Inspired Nanoparticle-based Biosensor for the Selective Detection of Fe3+”, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2015, 3, 270-275. “Top 5 most downloaded article December2014”.
L.E. Wilkins, D.J. Phillips, R.C. Deller, G.-L. Davies, M.I. Gibson, “Synthesis and Characterisation of Glucose-Functional Glycopolymers and Gold Nanoparticles: Study of their Potential Interactions with Ovine Red Blood Cells”, Carbohydrate Research, 2015, 405, 47-54. Special Issue on GlycoNanomaterials.
D.J. Phillips, I.Prokes, G-L. Davies, M.I. Gibson, “Isothermally-responsive Polymers Triggered by Selective Binding of Fe3+ to Siderophoric Catechol End-groups”, ACS Macro Letters, 2014, 3, 1225-1229. “Top 3 most downloaded article, December 2014”.
G.H. Lee, D. Fundu, G.-L. Davies*, 2016, In Preparation.
G.H. Lee, K. Prasad, D.J. Phillips, M.I. Gibson, G.-L. Davies,* 2016, In Preparation.