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The
convergence of biotechnology and nanotechnology has led to the
development of a new field, namely nanobiotechnology. We are
interested in exploring nanobiotechnology for biological and biomedical applications.
Specifically, our research objectives are to engineer nanostructures
with biomolecules,
aiming to create nanomaterials for regenerative medicine, novel nanomedicines for therapy, and nanoprobes for clinical testing.
Currently, we are working on:
Nanoprobes for Ex Vivo Detection
The
levels of many molecules in the body fluids can change before the
occurrence of symptoms or during and after treatment. Various
nanobio-based detection technologies have recently been investigated
for measuring the levels of biomolecules. However, they still
suffer from many limitations. We are exploring novel nanoprobes
to detect and quantify proteins in the body fluids.
Nanomedicines for In Vivo Diagnosis
The development of imaging agents with high-sensitivity, high-specificity and
low-toxicity is of considerable significance to improve diagnosis and therapy
in the clinic. However, the imaging agents for non-invasive diagnosis are
currently far from optimal. Our interest is to develop novel diagnostic agents for in vivo bioimaging.
Nanomedicines for Cancer Therapy
In comparison to conventional drugs, nanomedicines are
presumably more potent in targeting tumor tissues and less toxic in normal
ones. However, the in vivo potency of nanomedicines for cancer therapy was
significantly limited by physiological delivery barriers. Our interest is to
develop proper nanomedicines that can bypass the barriers and recognize tumor
tissues with high delivery efficiency and specificity.
Nanomaterials
for Controlling Cell Behaviors
A key to
achieve the success of tissue engineering or biomaterial implantation is to
functionalize materials to obtain specific cell-material interactions. Our
interest is to develop nanomaterials that can specifically and actively
communicate with the living cells or tissues, and resultantly regulate cell
behaviors.
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