BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk// X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Molecular Bioengineering for Neuroscience - Professor Giuseppe Bat taglia\, The Krebs Institute\, The Centre for Membrane Interactions and Dy namics\,&\; Department of Biomedical Science\, University of Sheffield DTSTART:20120509T110000Z DTEND:20120509T120000Z UID:TALK36792@talks.cam.ac.uk CONTACT:Shannon Tinley-Browne DESCRIPTION:In the last years we have developed a series of molecular and macromolecular tools that allows us to design nano-strucutred materials th at have astonishing similarities with biological structures. These are de signed with several purposes: from getting macromolecules delivered within live cells and through other biological barriers such as the Blood Brain Barrier and the Blood Cerebral Fluid Barrier to support stem cells and con trol their differentiation.\nI will discuss how water-bourne supramolecula r interactions such as hydrophobic forces\, hydrogen bonding\, polymer/pol ymer phase separation can be exploited to engineer functional nanomaterial s with exquisite control of the size\, shape\, surface topology\, and mech anical properties. I will show how these can be made so to mimic natural v irus ability to get across biological barriers with important consequences on traditional and new therapies. I will present our ongoing work in coll aboration with Neurologists to design particles to deliver within the cent ral nervous system. Finally I will discuss how the same molecular engineer ing can be applied to replicate the structural and functional properties o f extra cellular matrix for controlling cell adhesion and differentiation. \n\n\n\n\nProf Giuseppe Battaglia holds the Chair in Synthetic Biology i n the department of Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield. Pro f Battaglia graduated in Chemical Engineering from the University of Paler mo and obtained a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Sheffie ld. He was appointed to a Lectureship straight after his PhD with the Depa rtment of Materials Sci. and Engineering at Sheffield and in 2009 relocate d to the Department of Biomedical Science where he was promoted to a senio r lectureship in 2010 and to a personal chair in 2011. He's also associate d with the Krebs Institute\, and he is founder member of the Sheffield Cen tre for Membrane Iterations and Dynamics\, and the Sheffield Cancer Resear ch Centre. \nProf Battaglia is interested in research problems that requir e a considerable understanding of biology to tackle clinical challenges vi a the development of new physical tools. He tackles this by studying the s pecific design rules behind inter/intra molecular interactions and self-as sembly of soft matter systems\, often taking inspiration from biological s ystems such as cells and viruses. These are subsequently translated into t he engineering of nanostructured biomaterials. This involves the detailed biological and pharmacological evaluation of these novel functional materi als for applications that range from drug and gene delivery\, diagnostic\, to cell and tissue engineering. Prof Battaglia has published more than 60 papers and presented more than 30 invited and keynote presentations at se veral international meetings. He is the recipient of the Human Frontier Sc ience Program Young Investigator award (jointly with Prof A Engler-UCSD) ( 2009)\, the\nUniversity of Sheffield Exceptional Contribution award (2009 and 2010)\, the 2011 PPG/DPOLY Polymer Exchange Lecture: awarded by Americ an Physical Society and the Institute of Physics\, The 2011 GSK Emerging S cientist Award\, and the 2011 ERC Starting Grant Award.\n\nSelected public ations: Gaitzsch et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012 in the press\; LoPresti et al. ACS Nano 2011\, 5 (3)\,1775–1784\; Murdoch et al. Nanomedicine 2010\, 5\, 1025-1036\; Gill et al. Nature Chem. 2009 1\, 662 - 667\; Howse et al. Nature Mater. 2009\, 8\, 507 - 511\; Lomas et al. Adv. Mater. 20 07\, 19\, 4238–4243\; Battaglia et al. Nature Mater. 2005\, 4\, 869–87 6 LOCATION:Brain Repair Centre\, Forvie Site\, Robinson Way END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR