Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series featuring Edward Van Keuren, PhD – “Synthesis and applications of multicomponent nanoparticles”

IN PERSON

Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series

Edward Van Keuren, PhD
Professor, Department of Physics
Georgetown University

Location: Pre-Clinical Science LA4 and via Zoom: https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/99357306789

Title & Abstract:

“Synthesis and applications of multicomponent nanoparticles”

Nanoparticle formulations of drugs and diagnostic molecules have been extensively developed since the 1980’s. Their use provides a number of advantages, including better stability, the ability to create formulations of molecules with poor water solubility, and better control over biodistribution and pharmacokinetics. The incorporation of multiple chemical species into single particles can provide multiple functionalities, as well as new properties not observed for the individual components. However, understanding how different molecules can be assembled into a single solid phase is not always straightforward, since the formation often occurs under inhomogeneous and/or nonequilibrium conditions. My lab has been studying a number of methods for creating multicomponent nanoparticles for different applications. I will present an overview of the issues involved in achieving the colocalization of multiple species and show several examples from my lab of multicomponent nanoparticles developed for biomedical applications: the synthesis of nanoparticle contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging using miniemulsion polymerization, the formulation of novel copolymer nanoparticles for treating acute kidney injury, and the synthesis of liquid-core polymer-shell nanocapsules using flash nanoprecipitation.