This talk will provide an overview of our recent developments in bioinspired materials for applications in advanced therapeutics and biosensing with focus on establishing translational pipelines to bring our innovations to the clinic [1]. Our group has developed fabrication methods to engineer complex 3D architectures that mimic anisotropic and multiscale tissue structures and generate spatially arranged bioinstructive biochemical cues [2]. I will discuss recent advances in our tunable nanoneedle arrays for multiplexed intracellular biosensing at sub-cellular resolution and modulation of biological processes [3]. We are developing creative solutions for targeted and controlled delivery using microrobots with unique bioinspired characteristics that respond to external stimuli to release a payload [4]. Our therapeutic delivery portfolio includes high molecular weight polymer carriers for enhanced delivery of saRNA therapeutics and photo-responsive nanoreactors inspired in the circadian rhythms [5]. We are exploiting the sensing capabilities of functionalised nanoparticles to engineer nanoprobes for in vivo disease diagnostics that produce a colorimetric response ideal for naked eye read-out and for CRISPR-based preamplification free detection of ncRNAs (CrisprZyme) which we have validated with cardiovascular disease patient samples [6]. I will present advances in Raman spectroscopy for high- throughput label-free characterization of single nanoparticles (SPARTATM) that allow us to integrally analyse a broad range bio-nanomaterials without any modification enabling exciting biosensing applications using extracellular vesicles as disease biomarkers, a growing area of interest in cardiovascular medicine [7]. Finally, I will explore how these versatile technologies can be applied to transformative biomedical innovations and will discuss our efforts in establishing effective translational pipelines to drive our innovations to clinical application while actively engaging in efforts towards the democratisation of healthcare [8].

References

[1] J.P.K. Armstrong; M.M. Stevens; Science Translational Medicine, 2020, 12, eaaz2253.

[2] T. von Erlach; M.M. Stevens; Nature Materials, 2018, 17, 237-242.

[3] C. Chiappini; M.M. Stevens; E. Tasciotti; Nature Materials, 2015, 14, 532.

[4] X. Song; M.M. Stevens; Advanced Materials, 2022, 34, 2204791; R. Sun; M.M. Stevens; Advanced Materials, 2022, 35, 2207791.

[5] A. Blakney; M.M. Stevens; ACS Nano, 2020, 14, 5711-5727; O. Rifaie-Graham; M.M. Stevens; Nature Chemistry, 2023, 15, 110-118.

[6] C.N. Loynachan; M.M. Stevens; Nature Nanotechnology, 2019, 14, 883-890; M. Broto; M.M. Stevens; Nature Nanotechnology, 2022, 10, 1038.

[7] J. Penders; M.M. Stevens; Nature Communications, 2018, 9, 4256; J. Penders; M.M. Stevens; ACS Nano, 2021, 15, 18192–18205; H. Barriga; M.M. Stevens; Advanced Materials, 2021, 34, 2200839.

[8] A.T. Speidel; M.M. Stevens; Nature Materials, 2022, DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01348-5.