Development of new macromolecular systems for biomedical applications

Funding of a new project led by Professor  Ali Nazemi.

Project cost : 265 859 $
FCI : 105 000 $
MEI : 105 000 $

In recent decades, various types of nanoscale materials have found biomedical application. Much of the success in this area is due to the development of a wide variety of macromolecules. Although the manufacture of multifunctional materials for biomedical applications has been very successful, significant challenges remain to improve their efficiency. This requires the design and synthesis of new macromolecular systems endowed with innovative chemical structures, making it possible to better control the stability, size, morphology and surface functionality of the nanomaterials obtained. The project aims to develop new polymers, dendrimers and hybrid inorganic-organic nanomaterials that offer unprecedented potential for applications in nanomedicine. In its first part, the research aims to create a new class of macromolecules containing well-defined metals and having different topologies (linear and globular). These materials will then be used for the controlled synthesis of biologically relevant metal nanoparticles with optimized sizes and optoelectronic properties. The second component focuses on the development of crystalline linear-dendritic block copolymers (BCPs) as novel self-assembling building blocks for nanomaterial engineering. By using BCPs with their dendritic segments lending themselves to different functionalities (drugs, target groups and signaling fragments), highly multifunctional nanomaterials can be developed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Source : Actualités UQAM