EPSRC CDT in Metamaterials: Plasmonic tuning of nanoparticle constructs - Developing new tools for nanomedicine

The studentship is part of the EPSRC Centre of Doctoral Training in Metamaterials (XM2), www.exeter.ac.uk/metamaterials. Our aim is to undertake world-leading research, while training scientists and engineers with the relevant research skills and knowledge, and professional attributes for industry and academia.

Statement of Research:

The rapidly emerging field of Theranostics is widely expected to have a major impact on healthcare in the next decade and beyond. It combines the fields of therapy and diagnosis into a single modality; leading to point-of-care testing and personalised treatment in a single procedure. This has significant potential to improve outcomes and reduce the financial burden of healthcare. Current theranostic research is generally limited by the reliance on large expensive scanners and technological restrictions on the ability to multiplex targets.

The use of recently developed nano-technologies, and novel spectroscopic readout technologies, allows unprecedented sensitivity and specificity to disease, through simultaneous detection of multiple disease specific molecules, measured at depths of cm’s. Furthermore, light can be used to trigger the nanoparticles to destroy the diseased cells or tissues identified using this concept. We can in principle measure the presence of a particular nanoparticle label functionalised for binding to the surface proteins in abnormal cells. This can be multiplexed.

Light can be used to induce plasmonic heating in the NPs, provided the appropriate wavelength for surface plasmon resonance is selected. This can be used to provide a hyperthermia treatment by thermally killing the abnormal cells where the NP are localised.
This project will focus on: Tuneable Plasmonic NPs Development of new strategies for tailoring the optical response of NPs; to build safe NP cluster constructs (~100 nm) optimised for effective readout and subsequent triggered/gradual disintegration into ultra-small, safe (<5nm) gold NPs.

We have just invented a method to read out the temperature and pH of environment local to the nanoparticles. This can be used though many cm’s of tissue and provide a method for feedback on the hyperthermia treatment / radiotherapy and chemotherapy – non-invasively.

The major potential barrier to the implementation of such an approach is the safe administration and excretion of the nanoparticles used for detection of disease and therapy.

Here we need to prove the concept of tuned NP clusters coupled together to provide a surface Plasmon resonance at NIR wavelengths to allow light transport through tissue. We would tune to maximise diagnostic signal at one wavelength, therapeutic heating at another and develop a method for NP construct disintegration to enable safe excretion.