I have visited Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, USA for 4 months (from 17.01.2014 to 19.05.2014) within Work Package 3: Development of novel structural descriptors for nanoparticles.
My goal was to investigate interactions between small gold nanoparticles and biomacromolecules, such as proteins and DNA. A set of important small proteins existing in human organisms and two DNA sequences – standard and palindromic, was chosen to assess binding affinity of gold nanoparticles to macromolecules.
During my stay I was performing extensive studies of these systems by Molecular Dynamics simulations in all atom force-field Amber using experience of Prof. Leszczynski group members about nanoparticles. read more >>
My journey to Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, USA was between 17th January and 19th May 2014. I was visited Prof. Jerzy Leszczyński group: Interdisciplinary Center for Nanotoxicity. During this visit I was working on WP3: Development of novel structural descriptors for nanoparticles. The international collaboration is very important to expand our ability, get new experience and meet wonderful people.
During the visit I was working on interaction of TLR receptors with carbon nanotubes. Toll–like receptors (TLR) are a group of proteins which play a crucial role in the innate immune system. Modern goal of medicine is to create the better drugs and carriers for them. read more >>
My visit at National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) in Tsukuba (Japan) was held from 26 March to 2 June 2014 as a part of Work Package 2 „Carrying out experiments to produce necessary (missing) data for nanoparticles”.
The characterization of twenty photocatalysts was successively carried. The first type of photocatalysts was NaTaO3 modified with noble metal nanoparticles (Au, Ag, Pd). Next types of photocatalysts were single, two and three-semiconductor nanocomposites obtained by using hydrothermal method. Samples of semiconductor nanocomposites were modified in various amount and different combinations of TiO2, MoS2, CdSe, KTaO3, WO3 nanoparticles. Correlation between amount, type and combination of metals on the properties nanoparticles were investigated. The aim of the study was to get measurements by Specific Surface Area analysis, phase composition and size crystals using X-ray diffraction (XRD). read more >>
Between 2 and 11 of April 2014 Prof. Puzyn and Dr. Gajewicz paid a short visit at Jadavpur University (Kolkata, India). This short visit has been conducted within BRIDGE II: Exchanging ideas developed simultaneously by different groups with similar profiles (computational-computational).
“During a seminar and general meeting we have exchanged information on the progress in the development of computational and methods within NanoBRIDGES project. We have discussed advantages and disadvantages of using different systems for describing nanoprticles’ structure, namely: (i) physico-chemical, interfacial, and processing parameters; (ii) descriptors derived from quantum-mechanical calculations; (iii) descriptors derived from computational processing of microscopic (SEM/TEM/AFM) images of the particles; (iv) descriptors based on anisotropy dimensions, as proposed by Glotzer and Solomon. read more >>
My journey to the University of Gdansk, Poland, between 24.11.2013 and 19.03.2014 was most fruitful as a part of Work Package: WP4 – Development of novel NanoQSAR methodologies. This type of multi-institutional collaborative work is always important for young researchers to encourage the development of innovative and groundbreaking strategies in investigating increasingly novel, complex and convoluted areas. No doubt in my mind that NanoBRIDGES is one of the best possible multi-institutional projects on nonmaterial’s in the recent time.
During this period, I have tried to find out the mechanism of the cellular uptake of magnetofluorescent nanoparticles in pancreatic cancer cells (PaCa2) using quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR), homology modeling and molecular docking studies. read more >>
