College: University of Otago

Thesis title: Do gastrointestinal components form a biocorona with functionalised nanomedicines? 

Email: datan492@student.otago.ac.nz

Project description: Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) improve drug delivery using nanomedicines. However, when nanoparticles are administered into the bloodstream, proteins adhere to their surface, forming a “protein corona” that can change their biological identity. Currently, we don’t fully understand how this corona forms or how it affects drug delivery when nanoparticles are administered orally. Therefore, the aim of my study is to investigate protein corona formation on CPP-decorated PLGA nanoparticles by looking at which proteins bind and how they alter nanoparticle characteristics. This will help us design better, more effective nanomedicines for oral use as it is the most common route of administration.