Our group explores how nanoengineered materials can be designed to interact intelligently with living systems. At the intersection of nanotechnology, molecular biology, and synthetic biology, we engineer proteins to maximise their ability to target nanoparticles to specific cells.
A central focus of our work is improving the way nucleic acid therapeutics are delivered to specific cells. We have developed a modular antibody-capture system that orients antibodies optimally on lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), enabling dramatically improved targeting of mRNA to specific cell types without chemically modifying the antibody itself. We are currently working towards translating this technology for a number of disease applications
The therapeutic effect of most drugs occurs in specific locations within the cell, so the intracellular fate of drugs is vital. Nanoengineered materials are increasingly being used to deliver novel therapeutics, however the cellular processing of these nanoengineered materials is not well understood. We are developing molecular sensors to understand how biotherapeutics enter cells and how they are trafficked once they are inside cells. This work will have implications for improved vaccine and gene therapy, particularly for autoimmune diseases, HIV and cancer.
The National Centre for Biopharmaceutical Optimisation of mRNA Therapeutics (CORTX) is a unique platform providing services for academics and biotech companies to comprehensively evaluate the biopharmaceutical properties of mRNA delivery systems. CORTX uses cutting edge sequencing technology to profile the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution to improve the design of mRNA medicines. We are combining this technology with our cell-targeting technology to improve the efficiency, specificity, efficacy and safety of mRNA-nanoparticle formulations.