Nanoscale Horizons 2019 Outstanding Paper awards

Following on from the success of our inaugural Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Paper awards last year, we are delighted to introduce the winners of our 2019 Outstanding Paper awards in this Editorial.

Our selection process remains the same as last year (see our introductory Editorial from 2019), retaining the focus on the science presented and the potential future impact of the work. Similarly to last year, the quality of the articles we published throughout 2019 was excellent, and therefore we have chosen to again award not only our most Outstanding Paper but also a runner-up and an Outstanding Review in 2019.

Please join us in congratulating our winners; we hope you enjoy reading their outstanding articles as much as we did.

 

Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Article 2019:

Additive-manufacturing of 3D glass-ceramics down to nanoscale resolution

Darius Gailevičius, Viktorija Padolskytė, Lina Mikoliūnaitė, Simas Šakirzanovas, Saulius Juodkazis and Mangirdas Malinauskas

In this concept paper, ultrafast 3D laser nanolithography and calcination were combined to prepare a high-temperature glass-ceramic material. The initial 3D structures with ultra-small (100 nm) feature dimensions were fabricated from the hybrid resist SZ2080 and then sintered at different temperatures (up to 1500 °C in air). The organic components were decomposed and a pure inorganic glass-ceramic hybrid was obtained. A proportional downscaling with a 40–50% change in the volume of the 3D polymerized object took place without distortion of the size proportions of the initial 3D design. This 3D nano-sintering technique is scalable from nano to micro dimensions and opens a conceptually novel route for optical 3D nano-printing of various crystalline inorganic materials.

The Nanophotonics Group at the Laser Research Center at Vilnius University is well known for its work in the field of 3D laser nano-/microlithography. Scientists from the Department of Applied Chemistry at Vilnius University focusing on materials research and characterization were involved in this project as well. Much of their joint experience is based on work with hybrid photopolymers that combined with thermal post-treatment can transform into ceramic substances retaining their initial 3D features. This collaboration has led to the development of the conceptually new technology of additive 3D printing of ultrafine inorganic structures, which can be applied in the field of photonics, currently studied at Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Australia) and made commercially available by the high technology company “Femtika” in Vilnius.

 

Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Article runner-up 2019:

Detecting and targeting senescent cells using molecularly imprinted nanoparticles

Akang E. Ekpenyong-Akiba, Francesco Canfarotta, Bashar Abd H., Marta Poblocka, Mireia Casulleras, Laura Castilla-Vallmanya, Gabriella Kocsis-Fodor, Michael E. Kelly, Justyna Janus, Mohammad Althubiti, Elena Piletska, Sergey Piletsky and Salvador Macip

Damaged cells enter senescence, a state of permanent arrest in which they secrete disruptive factors. Accumulation of senescent cells over time has been linked to symptoms associated with age and age-related diseases. Thus, clearing senescent cells has enormous clinical potential. To this end, targeted nanoparticles that specifically deliver a toxic load to senescent cells were designed. These molecularly imprinted nanoparticles kill senescent cells selectively, and can be used to detect and track senescent cells in vivo and are not toxic to animals. It was proposed that they could be a new diagnostic and therapeutic tool to increase healthspan and lifespan in humans.

This project was possible thanks to a collaboration between chemists and cell biologists, who approached the research question from different angles. The Mechanisms of Cancer and Ageing Lab, headed by Salvador Macip, has been studying senescence for over a decade and has lately focused on defining new strategies to clear senescent cells. The Piletsky lab offered their molecular imprinting tools to address this issue and Francesco Canfarotta from MIP Diagnostics contributed with his expertise in the area. Together, the three parties designed and produced a nanoparticle with active targeting capabilities that can recognize senescent cells via a specific epitope on their membrane, and this was then tested in different cellular and animal models. The success of this project highlights the importance of multidisciplinary research teams to tackle clinically relevant issues and the vital role that chemistry currently plays in drug discovery and development.

 

Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Review 2019:

Recent advances of bioinspired functional materials with specific wettability: from nature and beyond nature

Yihan Sun and Zhiguang Guo

This review highlights recent advances in functional materials with special wettability, outstanding mechanical and optical properties, and unidirectional liquid transport performance, including state-of-the-art fabrication techniques, emerging novel applications, developing trends and directions, as well as challenges.

Professor Zhiguang Guo's biomimetic materials of tribology (BMT) group continually focuses on understanding natural phenomena at multiscale surfaces and interfaces, as well as designing and constructing nature-inspired interfacial materials and devices for energy-saving, environmental, biomedical and engineering applications. They first applied inorganic aluminium phosphate in constructing superwetting materials in order to dramatically enhance robustness, and the developed novel superwetting states and facile fabrication strategy enjoy improvable advantages in various interfacial applications, including oil–water separation, fog harvesting, drag reduction and multiphase fluid manipulation.

 

Professor Harold Craighead, Editorial Board Chair

Dr Charlotte Marshall, Managing Editor

 

Author Biographies:

Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Article 2019:

Additive-manufacturing of 3D glass-ceramics down to nanoscale resolution

Dr Darius Gailevičius received his PhD in Physics at Vilnius University in 2019. His thesis was based on the development, fabrication, characterization and in-laser applications of photonic crystal spatial filters. Currently, he is working as a Researcher at the Laser Research Center, Physics Faculty, Vilnius University, with a focus on nano- and micro-photonics, direct laser fabrication enabled technologies and laser physics. He is also affiliated with the company “Femtika” in Vilnius, Lithuania, working as a Senior Researcher for Advanced Process Development.

Viktorija Padolskytė worked in the Laser Nanophotonics group at Vilnius University Laser Research Center from 2017 to 2019, where she researched the influence of heat treatment on direct laser structured photoresist materials and authored or co-authored 10 research publications. In 2019, she joined the State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Department of Environmental Research, where she researched aerosol particles in forest environments. In 2020, she received her Bachelor's degree in Physics from Vilnius University. Her current interests are in software engineering.

Dr Lina Mikoliūnaitė received her PhD in Physical Sciences, Nanotechnology and Biosensors in 2015 at Vilnius University Faculty of Chemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania. She is currently conducting research work and teaching at the Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University and at the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology. Dr Lina Mikoliūnaitė focuses her research attention on surface investigations using Atomic Force Microscopy techniques, as well as the investigation of materials using Raman Spectroscopy and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. Now, she is doing her postdoctoral project based on the synthesis of magneto-optic nanoparticles for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy measurements.

Simas Šakirzanovas is a Professor and Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences at Vilnius University, Lithuania. He received his PhD in Physical Sciences from Vilnius University in 2011. He held positions in the R&D department (Steinfurt, Germany) of the “LED materials” project funded by Merck for three years. His research interests lie in scalable material synthesis techniques, upconverting nanoparticles and metal–organic precursors for 3D printing. He is currently head of the Materials Science Laboratory at Vilnius University.

Saulius Juodkazis is Professor of Nanophotonics at the Optical Sciences Centre at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. He is Director of the multi-user nanotechnology facility Nanolab at Swinburne. His current research is focused on applying the principles of light-field enhancement and its spectral control for applications in micro-optics, metamaterials, polariscopy, sensing, and solar energy conversion. Professor Juodkazis received his doctorate in experimental physics and materials science jointly from Vilnius University (Lithuania) and Lyon-I University (France) in 1998. He has also held previous tenured positions at the University of Tokushima and Hokkaido University in Japan. He is a Visiting Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan and Bordeaux University, France since 2018. He is a Fellow of OSA and SPIE.

Mangirdas Malinauskas received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in 2004 and 2006 as a physicist at Vilnius University. He defended his PhD in 2010 at the Laser Research Center of Vilnius University. His thesis theme was “Laser Fabrication of Functional 3D Polymeric Micro/Nanostructures” under the supervision of Prof. R. Gadonas. During his career, he has undertaken several traineeships at LZH (Hannover, Germany) and IESL-FORTH (Heraklion, Crete, Greece), in groups led by Prof. B. N. Chichkov and Dr M. Farsari, respectively. Since 2019, he is a specially appointed Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo, Japan), in the group of Prof. J. Morikawa. Currently at the Laser Research Center at Vilnius University, he continues his investigation on the fundamental study of laser 3D micro-/nano-structuring of cross-linkable materials for applications in microoptics, nanooptics (photonics), and biomedicine. Financing for the laboratory is acquired via national, European and worldwide (NATO, US Army) funding schemes.

 

Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Article runner-up 2019:

Detecting and targeting senescent cells using molecularly imprinted nanoparticles

Akang Ekpenyong-Akiba is a Research Scientist and Lecturer in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Her recent research has focused on cellular senescence and its role in cancer and age-related diseases. She is also interested in discovering novel therapeutic agents, targets and approaches to combat inflammatory diseases and cancer. Akang obtained her BSc in Biochemistry in 2005 from the University of Calabar, Nigeria. She worked as a Graduate Assistant at the then Department of Chemical Sciences, Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH), Calabar, before going on to study for a Master's degree in Molecular Medicine at Cranfield University, UK, in 2010. Upon completion of her MSc in 2011, she returned to lecture at CRUTECH until 2015 when she commenced her doctoral degree in the UK. She was awarded a PhD in 2018 by the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Leicester, UK. Akang worked with MIP Diagnostics Ltd in 2018 as a Research Scientist, developing assays for biological applications. She also worked as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham from June 2018 to August 2019. She is currently a Lecturer at CRUTECH.

Francesco Canfarotta received his Master of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from the University of Palermo (Italy) in 2010 and his PhD from University of Leicester (UK) in 2016. During his academic studies, he worked on the synthesis of polymeric micelles for drug delivery applications. Afterwards, he worked as a pharmacist for 6 months and then he joined Cranfield University in 2011 as a Marie Curie Research Fellow, where he worked on fluorescent imprinted nanoparticles. In 2014, he then moved to the University of Leicester, where he completed his PhD research on molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles for diagnostic applications, including fluorescent and multifunctional nanosystems based on optical detection. Part of his work included the assessment of particle biocompatibility in cells, the characterisation of nanosystems by Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and the production of rationally designed polymers. Francesco has been part of MIP Diagnostics Ltd since its inception, and he has been collaborating with Professor Sergey Piletsky's lab on the development of novel nanostructured imprinted polymers for diagnostic applications, which led to several joint papers and patents.

Bashar Hatem Abd received his PhD in Polymer Chemistry in 2018 from the University of Leicester. During his PhD in Professor Sergey Piletsky's lab, he developed magnetic and fluorescent imprinted nanoparticles for diagnostics and drug delivery, with a particular focus on biological applications with senescent cells. He is currently a Lecturer in Industrial Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry in the College of Science at Al-Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad (Iraq).

Marta Poblocka is a final year PhD student at the University of Leicester and a recipient of an MIBTP-BBSRC studentship. Her current research is based in the Mechanisms of Cancer and Ageing Laboratory under the supervision of Dr Salvador Macip. She obtained her BSc in Biology at the University of Gdansk and her MSc in Cancer Sciences at the University of Glasgow. Her research interest is understanding the mechanisms that define cellular senescence and its involvement in cancer and aging, in order to propose novel therapies that could be used clinically in the near future.

Mireia Casulleras is a fourth year PhD student on the Medicine and Translational Research Programme of the University of Barcelona in IDIBAPS as a part of the Inflammation and Hepatic Disease research group, coordinated by Dr Joan Clària. Mireia graduated with a biotechnology degree from Universitat de Vic, Barcelona in 2015 and she undertook an internship with a research group at the Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, where she became more interested in science and research. After that, in 2016, she completed a Master's in Biomedical Research at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. Her Master's thesis was completed at the University of Leicester in the research group of the Mechanisms of Cancer and Aging Laboratory, coordinated by Dr Salvador Macip. Her Master's thesis was about characterization of strategies for the elimination of senescent cells and their therapeutic potential. Mireia was involved in the optimization of molecularly imprinted particles for the correct detection of the target proteins. After her Master's thesis, she came back to Barcelona where in 2017 she started her PhD on anti-inflammatory effects and the mechanism of action of human serum albumin in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Last year, she performed a short-term internship of four months in a research group in Inserm, Paris, under the supervision of Dr Loredana Saveanu, where she learned new laboratory skills and techniques to improve the value of her doctoral thesis.

Laura Castilla-Vallmanya is a third-year PhD student in the Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics department of the Biology Faculty at the University of Barcelona. She is part of the Human Molecular Genetics research group led by Dr Susanna Balcells and Dr Daniel Grinberg. Laura obtained her Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Science at Universitat de Barcelona in 2016, after completing an internship in the Mechanisms of Cancer and Aging Laboratory, coordinated by Dr Salvador Macip, at the University of Leicester. There, she completed her final degree thesis, where she worked on the characterization of senescent cells and possible strategies to eliminate them. Laura was involved in the validation of differentially expressed proteins in senescent cells and the optimization of molecularly imprinted particles for the correct detection of these target proteins. After finishing her Bachelor's thesis, she moved back to Barcelona and enrolled in a Master's in Genetics and Genomics at the University of Barcelona. She did her Master's research on the diagnosis and functional characterization of mutations involved in several rare neurodevelopmental disorders in the same research group where she is now carrying out her PhD research.

Gabriella Kocsis-Fodor is a Study Manager with a history of working in the research industry and academia. Currently, she works for Covance Laboratories Ltd and is skilled in animal work, molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. She completed a PhD in 2011 in Theoretical Medicine focused on Cardiovascular Science at the Doctoral School of Multidisciplinary Medical Science, Biochem, Biophys, MolCellBiol, Univ. Szeged. Her additional professional training is as follows: Certificate in Laboratory Animal Science: FELASA C (2014); Home Office Licensee Training: UK L&E1, UK PIL AB & C (Mouse/Rat/Guinea pig/Rabbit) Scottish Accreditation Board (2014, PIL NO.: 17596C0C6); Study Director Training (2018); Home Office Licensee Training: E1/L-PIL A-PIL B (Guinea pig/Hamster/Mouse/Rat) Royal Society of Biology Reg. No: 277981 (2019, PIL NO.: ENV/19/052); Home Office Licensee Training: UK Module E2 (EU 9); UK Module Experimental Design (EU 10); UK Module Design and Management of Procedures and Projects (EU 11) Scottish Accreditation Board Red Kite Veterinary Consultants Ltd (2019, PPL NO.: SAB: 1551). From her multidisciplinary scientific activities, she has 48 publications with 838 full citations and an i10-index of 20.

Dr Michael Kelly: “I studied Applied Physics at Dublin City University and graduated in 2004. I developed a keen interest in the physics of medical imaging when studying for a Master's degree in Medical Physics at Trinity College Dublin. I then went on to study for a PhD in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at Trinity College Dublin, specifically in the area of brain blood flow imaging with MRI. On completing my PhD, I moved from Ireland to the United Kingdom to take up a post-doctoral position at the Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB) Centre, Oxford University. During my 4 years at Oxford, I worked primarily on the development of novel quantitative brain MRI techniques. My subsequent position as lead of the Preclinical Imaging Facility at the University of Leicester incorporated not only MRI research but also ultrasound, computed tomography and in vivo light imaging. It was during this post that I had the privilege to work on the study entitled “Detecting and targeting senescent cells using molecularly imprinted nanoparticles”, led by Dr Salvador Macip. My contribution to the project involved developing and optimising the in vivo light imaging component of the work through close collaboration with the project team. In early 2019, I moved back to Ireland to take up the position of Senior Diagnostic Imaging Physicist at St. Vincent's Private Hospital in Dublin. My main focus in this role is the optimisation and development of imaging techniques to improve the safety, efficiency and sensitivity of diagnostic imaging modalities in the clinical setting.”

Justyna Janus: “I completed my MSc in Molecular Pathology and Toxicology at the University of Leicester in 2008, but my interest and experience in imaging has grown greatly during my previous role as a Research Technician at the Cardiovascular Sciences Department, University of Leicester in 2011. Since then, I undertook several research roles involving both clinical and preclinical imaging, focusing my interest on the use of imaging to study disease. Between 2013 and 2019, I supported the operation of the Preclinical Imaging Facility at the University of Leicester with its four in vivo imaging systems: micro-CT, high frequency ultrasound, bioluminescence/fluorescence scanner and MRI. During that time as a Senior Preclinical Imaging Technician, I was involved in Dr Salvador Macip's project, contributing to the optimisation of the in vivo imaging protocol, experiment preparation and image analysis. Currently, I work as a Non-Ionising Radiation Specialist within the Medical Physics Department at the University Hospitals of Leicester, NHS Trust, where I further continue my interest in imaging with an emphasis on ultrasound imaging.”

Dr Mohammad Althubiti obtained a B.Lab.Med. degree with First Class Honours (2008) from the Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Saudi Arabia, an MSc with Distinction (2011) from Ulster University, and a PhD (2016) from Leicester University in the UK. In 2016, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine at UQU, Saudi Arabia. Dr Althubiti has published many original articles in highly prestigious journals and has contributed to many book chapters. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at UQU, and the leader of the Molecular Inflammatory Pathways of Chronic Diseases (MIPCD) research group at UQU, and has recently been appointed (2020) as the Head of the Biochemistry Department at UQU.

Dr Elena Piletska started her research career in 1985 after graduating from Moscow State University with a degree in Microbiology. She completed a PhD on the study of chloroplast DNA in 1989 at Bach's Institute of Biochemistry, Moscow. Dr Elena Piletska is now an Associate Professor of Bioanalytical Chemistry at the School of Chemistry at the University of Leicester, UK. Her main interests are in life science applications of molecularly imprinted polymers, particularly in imaging, controlled drug delivery and surface proteomics.

Professor Sergey Piletsky obtained his degree in Bioorganic Chemistry from Kiev State University in 1985 and completed his PhD in 1991, working on the synthesis of polymers selective for nucleic acids. Professor Sergey Piletsky is a Professor of Bioanalytical Chemistry in the School of Chemistry at the University of Leicester where he is leading a Leicester Biotechnology Group. Sergey's main areas of expertise include Biotechnology (design, synthesis and analysis of the functional properties of biomimetic materials and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs)); Diagnostics (custom design of bio- and chemical sensors based on molecularly imprinted and functional polymers); Polymer Chemistry (development of polymers/oligomers possessing biological activity); Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry (synthesis of nanoparticles with receptor and enzyme-like properties for imaging and drug delivery) and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (application of MIPs in proteomics, specifically analysis of protein–protein interactions and identification of new biomarkers).

Salvador Macip is an Associate Professor at the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, UK. He got a medical degree at the University of Barcelona, Spain (1994), where he also obtained a PhD in Physiopathology and Molecular Pathology (1998), under the supervision of Professor Cristobal Mezquita. He next trained at the Department of Oncological Sciences at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, under the supervision of Professor S. A. Aaronson (1999–2007), first as a Postdoctoral Researcher and then as an Instructor, where he published seminal papers on the role of ROS in senescence. He was appointed as a New Blood Lecturer at the University of Leicester in January 2008, where he established the Mechanisms of Cancer and Ageing Lab. Since 2020, he is also a Professor and researcher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. His lab focuses on the DNA damage response, the p53 pathway, oxidative stress and senescence. He has published several reports on the basic molecular pathways involved in senescence and ageing, including the first characterization of the senescent surfaceome and the first targeted senolytic using surface markers.

 

Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Review 2019:

Recent advances of bioinspired functional materials with specific wettability: from nature and beyond nature

Yihan Sun received his BS degree (2016) from Qingdao University of Science and Technology. He is currently a Doctoral student in Professor Guo's biomimetic materials of tribology (BMT) group at Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). His current scientific interests are focused on bioinspired superwetting interfacial materials, multiphase fluid manipulation and the application of bioinspired materials with multifunction integration.

Professor Zhiguang Guo completed his PhD degree (2007) at Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) under the direction of Professor Weimin Liu. After that, he joined Hubei University. From October 2007 to August 2008, he undertook postdoctoral research in Professor Bao-lian Su's group at the University of Namur (FUNDP), Belgium. From September 2008 to March 2011, he worked for the Funds of National Research Science (FNRS), Belgium, as a “Charge de Researcher”. From February 2009 to February 2010, he worked in the Department of Physics, University of Oxford, UK, as a visiting scholar. Now he is a full Professor at LICP, financed by the “Top Hundred Talents” program of CAS. His current scientific interests are focused on bioinspired interfacial materials, membrane science and technology, polymer materials, liquid marble, and micro/nano-fabrication for environmental, energy-saving and engineering applications.

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