Researchers at Swansea University's Centre for NanoHealth have been awarded £1 million by the Research Councils' Nanoscience through Engineering to Application cross-council programme, led by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), to analyse the levels at which nanoparticles can be deemed safe within cells.
The funding, awarded as part of a £1.4 million research grant to Swansea University and collaborators at the Institute of Materials Research at the University of Leeds (EPSRC), will enable Swansea University to develop techniques to accurately measure the nanoparticle dose delivered to biological cells, track the dose dilution as cells reproduce and provide vital information for researchers studying any potential toxic responses.
The four year project will also ensure closer collaboration between researchers at Swansea University's School of Engineering and School of Medicine, both of which have undertaken significant research into nanotechnology, nanometrology and nanotoxicology over the last 15 years.
Professor Huw Summers, lead researcher and Chair in Nanotechnology for Health at Swansea University said: "Current practice in the assessment of toxic dose uses bulk solution measures such as milliliters per gram to determine correct dosages rather than the fundamental measure of particle number. As the size of nanoparticles can vary significantly, some being as small as a protein molecule, determining optimal dosages for use in healthcare and beauty products such as sunscreens or cell-based diagnostics will be crucial.
"Our research which uses light emitting nanoparticles as optical markers within living cells that give an individual signal relating to cell generation will also provide vital information for our colleagues in nanotoxicology about how the dose evolves as cells divide and nanoparticles are passed onto future cell generations."
In recent years the application of nanotechnology to medicine has sparked the imagination of life scientists, engineers, clinicians and industry around the world.
These nanoscale technologies, for example, will enable researchers and scientists to apply engineering methodologies to successfully build and repair tissues such as cartilage and skin using advanced cell culture techniques, act as an early warning system for cancer or diabetes and make products like sunscreen or antiperspirants more effective.