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The University of Southampton
Interdisciplinary Research Excellence

Bioengineering Seminar: Understanding nanoparticle interactions with cells and cell colonies Event

Origin:
Institute for Life Sciences
Blastocyst. Credit: Alan Handyside
Time:
12:00 - 13:00
Date:
13 May 2016
Venue:
University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Building 85, Room 2207

For more information regarding this event, please email Dario Carugo or Adam Corres at IfLSAdmin@soton.ac.uk .

Event details

Presented by Professor Huw Summers of Swansea University.

Huw Summers abstract figure
Huw Summers abstract figure
Human cell. Credit: David Becker
Confocal image of a human cell. Credit: David Becker

Abstract: The interaction of nanoparticles with single cells has been widely studied, with the influence of particle physio-chemistry and biological membrane function well recorded. The core interest of our research group at Swansea is in how these processes vary from cell to cell and how this heterogeneity determines the nanoparticle uptake and effect at the population level. In this talk I will present an overview of our work using fluorescent nanoparticles (QDots) together with high throughput, automated imaging to quantitatively assess the variation of nanoparticle dose across cells. I will show that through the use of probabilistic statistics we can accurately predict cellular dose and its dilution through cell proliferation. I will also present an analysis of the role of the cell colony on particle uptake and show that the local environment of a cell and in particular its spatial relation to neighbours is the critical determinant of nanoparticle accumulation.

Title image credit: Alan Handyside, Wellcome Images - Mouse Blastocyst showing inner cell mass. Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence.

Inset image credit: Dr David Becker, Wellcome Images - Confocal image of a human cell. Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence.

Speaker information

Professor Huw Summers ,Centre for Nanohealth, Engineering, Swansea University,Specialist Subjects: Nanomedicine, Optical Techniques for Biomedicine, Cytometry, Nanoparticle Fluorophores. For further information on Professor Summers’ research visit www.systemscytometry.org

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