Cured by light - New funding success for SULSA Facility

Professor Kishan Dholakia and Dr Frank Gunn-Moore from the University of St Andrews will use the funding to translate and commercialise their labwork into devices that can be used to investigate a range of diseases.

 

Using their combined expertise in physics and biology, the researchers will develop their novel photoporation technology with colleagues at the University of Dundee in the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) funded project.

 

The funding will allow for new trials of the technology in applications such as stem cell science and in agriculture.

 

It will build on already successful laboratory research by producing novel ‘optical transfecting’ devices, which work like a syringe by injecting compounds into cells.  During the course of the project, the team will collaborate with several optical commercial businesses.

 

Professor Dholakia commented, “It’s quite astonishing how far we have come with this technology.  We are delighted to see the work progress to such an extent that we have been given the chance to liaise with industry and test its possibility in new areas such as stem cell science and agriculture.”

 

Under normal circumstances, the cell membrane acts as an impermeable barrier to the passage of most molecules.  The selective introduction of therapeutic agents to the inside of diseased cells has been a key challenge for scientists for many years. The St Andrews-Dundee team have developed a novel system to over come this barrier which will enable targeted drug delivery to cells and tissue at will.

 

Their studies in ‘shaping’ laser beams have resulted in a new method to create minute self-healing holes in the cell membrane that can permit therapeutic agents to be introduced into cells.

 

Dr Gunn-Moore commented, “As a biologist I never thought I would end up working in the physics world.  This work came from a chance conversation with Kishan. It truly is amazing that this light syringe has come so far so fast, and we are able to perform experiments we never thought would be possible four years ago. Indeed we have had a lot of interest from other researchers in particular the Cell Biology theme of SULSA.”

 

The new project, which will fund four postdoctoral positions over 3.5 years, will be a flagship project in the new laboratories within the newly built Interdisciplinary Medical Research Institute at St Andrews. SULSA is supporting the project by funding a postdoctoral technologist whose job is to help scientists across SULSA universities apply this new technology and other developing biophotonics techniques in their research.

 

Research groups and companies interested in accessing the photoporation technology should contact Dr Frank Gunn-Moore fjg1@st-and.ac.uk