What We Do
Protein Corona on Nanomaterials
Securing long-term sources of rare earth elements (REEs) including lanthanides, scandium and yttrium is critical to India’s transition to an environmentally friendly and sustainable future. These elements are exploited for their broad range of unique properties including magnetic, catalytic and optical properties. Existing techniques involve the use of toxic components and/or non-biodegradable, to ensure a sustainable future there is a need to develop an effective biocompatible technology for selective extraction of rare earth elements.
We are developing an universal biochemical adsorption technique by designing proteins to selectively capture these rare earth elements and other metal ions that are critical to India's economic independence.
Work Led by Hrishitha Sree S
Polymers manufactured from petroleum-based sources contribute to the growing emission of greenhouse gases resulting in global warming. This along with their slow degradability results in their persistence in the ecosystem. These coupled with inadequate and effective recycling systems have resulted in the rise of plastic pollution as a serious concern. In light of the above challenges, there is a need to develop alternate strategies to design biodegradable polymers.
We are developing next-generation protein based solutions with additional functionality to replace and economically compete with synthetic plastics.
Work Led by Tanu Tiwari
Nanomaterials exhibit extraordinary physicochemical properties making them ideal candidates as drug delivery vehicles and imaging beacons to target diseased sites in our body. However, when these nanomaterials are injected inside the body for treatment, the proteins present in the fluid adsorbs on to it and forms the protein corona. This protein corona alters the effectiveness of the nanomaterial and also invokes an immune response which is detrimental to our health.
We are trying to uncover the rules behind protein-corona formation on these nanomaterials to effectively develop transformative nanomaterials based solutions which will make a clinical impact.
Work Led by Krishna Agrawal