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About
We develop different Systems ranging from active nanoparticles (nanobots), 3D Bioprinted Actuators and flexible biosensors. We are interested in fundamental studies of active matter, the use of nanobots for future nanomedicine and environmental applications and the bioengineering of new devices based on hybrid systems.
NanoBio Team
cancer spheroids using biocompatible and bioavailable fuels such as urea.
The use of enzyme catalysis is emerging as an attractive alternative to power micro- and nanomachines due to their unique features including biocompatibility, versatility and fuel bioavailability. Our group has demonstrated the use of different enzymes, including urease and glucose oxidase, to generate active propulsion of nano– and microparticles, paving the way towards new applications of artificial active matter in biomedicine. We have recently demonstrated that using enzyme-powered nanomotors can enhance anti-cancer drug delivery in vitro, improve the targeting of 3D bladder cancer spheroids and sense their surrounding environment. We are also interested in understanding the fundamental aspects underlying the motion of biocatalytic microswimmers for a safe and efficient design of micro- and nanomotors.
Read more:
Ionic Species Affect the Self-Propulsion of Urease-Powered Micromotors
Xavier Arqué, Xavier Andrés, Rafael Mestre, Bernard Ciraulo, Jaime Ortega Arroyo, Romain Quidant, Tania Patiño, Samuel Sánchez
Research (2020) 2424972
Intrinsic enzymatic properties modulate the self-propulsion of micromotors
Xavier Arqué, Adrian Romero-Rivera, Ferran Feixas, Tania Patiño, Sílvia Osuna, Samuel Sánchez
Nature Communications (2019) 10, 2826
Self-sensing enzyme-powered micromotors equipped with pH responsive DNA nanoswitches
Tania Patiño, Alessandro Porchetta, Anita Jannasch, Anna Lladó, Tom Stumpp, Erik Schäffer, Francesco Ricci, Samuel Sánchez
Nano letters (2019) 19, (6), 3440-3447
Targeting 3D Bladder Cancer Spheroids with Urease-Powered Nanomotors
Ana C. Hortelão, Rafael Carrascosa, Nerea Murillo-Cremaes, Tania Patiño, Samuel Sánchez
ACS nano (2019), 13, 429-439
Fundamental Aspects of Enzyme-Powered Micro-and Nanoswimmers
Tania Patiño, Xavier Arqué, Rafael Mestre, Lucas Palacios, Samuel Sánchez
Accounts of chemical research (2018) 51, 2662-2671
Influence of enzyme quantity and distribution on the self-propulsion of non-Janus urease-powered micromotors
Tania Patiño, Natalia Feiner-Gracia, Xavier Arqué, Albert Miguel-López, Anita Jannasch, Tom Stumpp, Erik Schäffer, Lorenzo Albertazzi, Samuel Sánchez
Journal of the American Chemical Society (2018), 140, 7896-7903
Enzyme‐Powered Nanobots Enhance Anticancer Drug Delivery
AC Hortelão, T Patiño, A Perez‐Jiménez, À Blanco, S Sánchez
Advanced Functional Materials (2018), 28, 1705086
Videos:
3D BioPrinted Soft Robotics
platform. Upon electrical stimulation, the muscle can contract, bend the post and
their force can be calculated.
In the research line of soft bio-hybrid robotics, we explore the integration of biological tissue and artificial materials at larger length scales. In particular, we take advantage of the 3D bioprinting technique to develop bio-robotic systems composed of skeletal muscle cells embedded in biocompatible hydrogels, which can be 3D bioprinted alongside other artificial materials. Theses materials can act as scaffolds, support, or flexible parts, as well as be responsive upon certain stimuli. By controlling the contractions of skeletal muscle cells via electric fields, we can measure the forces exerted by these bio-actuators against artificial 3D-printed posts. Using this setup, we have performed studies on the adaptability of bio-actuators after applying different training protocols and we have observed how their force generation and gene expression can adapt to the frequency of stimulation and stiffness of the artificial posts.
Read more:
Bio-hybrid soft robots with self-stimulating skeletons
, , , , Judith Fuentes, , BioRxiv, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.16.299719
Design, optimization and characterization of bio-hybrid actuators based on 3D-bioprinted skeletal muscle tissue
Rafael Mestre, Tania Patiño, Maria Guix, Xavier Barceló, Samuel Sánchez
Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems (2019) 8th International Conference, Living Machines 2019
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springer International Publishing (Nara, Japan) 11556, 205-215
Force Modulation and Adaptability of 3D‐Bioprinted Biological Actuators Based on Skeletal Muscle Tissue
Rafael Mestre, Tania Patiño, Xavier Barceló, Shivesh Anand, Ariadna Pérez‐Jiménez, Samuel Sánchez
Advanced Materials Technologies (2018): 1800631
Miniaturized soft bio-hybrid robotics: a step forward into healthcare applications
Tania Patino, Rafael Mestre, Samuel Sánchez
Lab Chip (2016) 1619, 3626-3630
Active matter in complex systems
We study colloidal suspensions of Pt-coated silica particles as a model system of synthetic active matter. These systems have mostly been studied in homogeneous environments until now. Our interest lies in observing these systems in more complex settings, such as near interfaces, complex media or with flow involved. Since the self-propelled particles generate chemical and hydrodynamic fields around them, they interact in complex ways with flows and nearby surfaces that often leads to interesting behaviour. We could find, for instance, that close to solid surfaces they achieve a stable ‘gliding’ state which could be exploited to develop a system for guiding micro-nano motors using topographical features as shown with our micropatterned ratchets. When flow is present, particles also behave different as they reorient perpendicular to the flow.
Read more:
Self-propulsion of active colloids via ion release: Theory and experiments
Marco De Corato, Xavier Arqué, Tania Patiño, Marino Arroyo, Samuel Sánchez, Ignacio Pagonabarraga
Physical Review Letters (2020) 124, 108001
Guidance of active particles at liquid-liquid interfaces near surfaces
Lucas Palacios, Jaideep Katuri, Ignacio Pagonabarraga and Samuel Sánchez
Soft Matter (2019) 15, 6581-6588
Directed Flow of Micromotors through Alignment Interactions with Micropatterned Ratchets
Jaideep Katuri, David Caballero, Raphael Voituriez, Josep Samitier and Samuel Sánchez
ACS Nano (2018) 12, 7282-7291
Cross-stream migration of active particles
Jaideep Katuri, William E. Uspal, Juliane Simmchen, Albert Miguel-López, Samuel Sánchez
Science Advances (2018) 4
Topographical Pathways Guide Chemical Microswimmers
Juliane Simmchen, Jaideep Katuri, William E. Uspal, Mihail N. Popescu, Mykola Tasinkevych, and Samuel Sánchez
Nature Communications (2016) 7 , 10598
Videos:
Environmental applications of micro-nano motors
Micromotors can remove a wide variety of pollutants from contaminated water.
Artificial micromotors, based on bubble self-propulsion have demonstrated to be able to mix solutions and enhance chemical reactions while they swim. These micromotors are mostly based on two main structures, tubular and spherical.
First, we have designed tubular micromotors, which use hydrogen peroxide as a fuel, using different techniques such as, ‘rolling-up’ and electrodeposition. ‘Rolling-up’ microjets with a functional iron-based layer can generate and actively transport free radicals in the solution performing the degradation of organic dyes via Fenton-like reactions in presence of hydrogen peroxide. On the other hand, electrodeposited microjets, which are smaller than their ‘roll-up’ counterparts, contain graphene-oxide on the outside working as ‘heavy metal scrubbers’. In this case, the metal is adsorbed and removed from the contaminated water. The metal can thereafter be desorbed and the microjets used again.
In order to target other water pollution problems, such as microorganism contamination, we have developed spherical microbots that can kill bacteria while they swim. These microbots have a Janus structure based on spherical magnesium microparticles, able to dissolve in water producing hydrogen bubbles, covered in one of their faces by Fe, Au and AgNPs which provide magnetic, bacteria attachment and bactericidal properties to the microjets.
Towards scaling-up of the micromotor synthesis for cleaning large volumes of water, we have fabricated micromotors using exclusively chemical methods such as, precipitation, reduction and sol-gel chemistry. These micromotors are based on a silica microtubular structure which contains an inner-layer of a catalytic material (PtNPs or MnO2) capable of removing pollutants efficiently from water while they swim in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The external decoration of these structures with magnetic nanoparticles provides for good magnetic control. Finally, magnetic and catalytic micromotors formed by the aggregation of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized to remove antibiotics from water. All these micromotors, due to their magnetic properties can be removed from the solution after finishing their targeting action by the application of an external magnetic field.
Read more:
Microbots Decorated with Silver Nanoparticles Kill Bacteria in Aqueous Media
Diana Vilela, Morgan M. Stanton, Jemish Parmar, and Samuel Sánchez
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces (2017) 9, 22093–22100
Reusable and Long-Lasting Active Microcleaners for Heterogeneous Water Remediation
Jemish Parmar, Diana Vilela, Eva Pellicer, Daniel Esqué-de los Ojos, Jordi Sort, and Samuel Sánchez
Advanced Functional Materials (2016) 26, 4152–4161
Graphene-Based Microbots for Toxic Heavy Metal Removal and Recovery from Water
Diana Vilela, Jemish Parmar, Yongfei Zeng, Yanli Zhao, and Samuel Sánchez
Nano Letters (2016) 16, 2860-2866
Videos:
(Flexible) Biosensors for non-invasive Point-of-Care diagnostics
Point-of-care diagnostics allows decentralizing clinical diagnostic practices and monitoring health out of specialized hospital settings. Advantages of such decentralization are improved quality of life of patients, enhanced therapeutic efficacy thanks to more frequent tests, and lower overall cost of the health system. We develop flexible biochemical sensors for non-invasive and cost-effective monitoring of analytes in biological fluids alternative to blood, e.g. sweat, tears, and saliva. We combine electrochemical electrochemical sensors with microfluidics and electronics to achieve fully integrated devices, that are well suited for low-cost, portable and user-friendly medical diagnostics.
Read more:
Inkjet printed flexible non-enzymatic glucose sensor for tear fluid analysis
Agostino Romeo, Ana Moya, Tammy S. Leung, Gemma Gabriel, Rosa Villa and Samuel Sánchez
Applied Materials Today (2018) 10, 133-141
Smart biosensors for multiplexed and fully integrated point-of-care diagnostics
Agostino Romeo, Tammy Sue Leung, and Samuel Sánchez
Lab Chip (2016) 16, 1957-1961
Flexible sensors for biomedical technology
Diana Vilela, Agostino Romeo, and Samuel Sánchez
Lab Chip (2016) 16, 402-408
Staff
ibecbarcelona.euProjects
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26/09/2020 | Rafael Mestre /Xavier Arqué / Dr. Maria Guix | Bojos i boges per la
27/10/2019 | Xavier Arqué | Participation at “13a Festa de la Ciència”
ACS Nano
Advanced Materials Interfaces
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