Nanomedicine is an interdisciplinary branch of medicine that uses tools and knowledge of nanotechnology for applications in healthcare. The success of nanomedicine relies on the development of programmable and well-defined nanoparticles (of 100nm or less in diameter) of specific materials that have exciting properties making them unique tools for new solutions in therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Despite numerous exciting research findings, the area of nanomedicine suffers from several drawbacks, and the translation from laboratory to clinical products is significantly lower than the expected pace. This is due to several challenges and unexpected factors at the bio/nano interface that influences nanoparticles (NPs) efficacy in clinical use and their low accumulation in the affected area and their biocompatibility.
NanoCarb will bring together the multidisciplinary expertise of eight Beneficiaries and nine Partner Organisations, including universities, Research Centres, SMEs and one Large Enterprise in the fields of synthetic chemistry, polymer chemistry, biochemistry. The common purpose is to explore new BioNano formulations and to develop nanomaterials capable of efficient targeting and with an enhanced circulation half-life in the bloodstream. This innovative training programme will provide unique training to the 15 Early Stage Researchers who will be hired within the project and will become new multidisciplinary leaders in nanomedicine. The project is coordinated by Dr Marco Monopoli of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
The Kick-off meeting took place in Dublin on the 16th of October and aimed at gathering the different partners involved in the project.