Research Goal
The group is mainly focused on the use of fluorinated nanostructures as enabling tools to learn about dynamic biological processes. On the one hand, we use fluorine as a label that can be tuned for the design of OFF/ON, or Smart, contrast agents based on 19F MRI or as a reporter for the study of protein corona in complex environments via fluorine based magnetic resonance (19F NMR, MRS, or MRI). On the other hand, we take advantage of the particular properties of organic fluorine for encapsulation and delivery purposes inside cells. In this field, we aim at tuning the nanoparticles’ surface to achieve controlled interaction with cell membranes to direct and improve delivery.
Group members
-
Mónica Carril
Ikerbasque Research Associate Professor -
Miriam Feijoo
Research Technician -
Davide Bello
Postdoctoral Fellow -
Noelia Soto Gómez
PHD Student -
Galder Llorente
Postdoctoral Fellow -
Karen Contreras
PhD Student -
Grace Monica Mehta
PhD Student -
Huu Bao Nguyen
PhD Student -
Juan Manuel Arango
PhD Student
Publications
-
Synthesis of Novel Amphiphilic Fluorinated Polymers for the Dispersion of Hydrophobic Gold Nanoparticles, Quantum Dots, or Highly Fluorinated Molecules in Water
ACS Nanosci Au. 2025 Sep 27;5(6):482-492. doi: 10.1021/acsnanoscienceau.5c00069. PMID: 41426009; PMCID: PMC12715620. -
Fluorine Labeling of Nanoparticles and In Vivo 19F Magnetic Resonance Imaging
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2021, 13, 11, 12941–12949, (2021) doi: 10.1021/acsami.1c01291 -
In Vitro Cellular Uptake Studies of Self-Assembled Fluorinated Nanoparticles Labelled with Antibodies.
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(8), 1906; (2021) doi: 10.3390/nano11081906 -
Therapeutic Pretargeting with Gold Nanoparticles as Drug Candidates for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy
Part Part Syst Char. 2000200 (2020) doi: 10.1002/ppsc.202000200 (2020) -
Toward Diffusion Measurements of Colloidal Nanoparticles in Biological Environments by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Small :e2001160. (2020) doi: 10.1002/smll.202001160. (2020) -
Recent Developments in the Design of Non-Biofouling Coatings for Nanoparticles and Surfaces
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 21(3), 1007 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21031007. (2020) -
Surface-active fluorinated quantum dots for enhanced cellular uptake
Chemistry. doi: 10.1002/chem.201804704. (2019) -
Fluorinated CdSe/ZnS quantum dots: Interactions with cell membrane
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 173:148-154. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.09.050. (2019) -
Multimodal 19F?NMR dopamine detection and imaging with a nanoparticle?based displacement assay
Chemistry: A European Journal, 2018 (accepted article, in press). DOI: 10.1002/chem.201802482 (2018) -
Study of Fluorinated Quantum Dots-Protein Interactions at the Oil/Water Interface by Interfacial Surface Tension Changes
Materials (Basel). 2018 May 8;11(5) DOI: 10.3390/ma11050750 -
Taking Advantage of Hydrophobic Fluorine Interactions for Self-Assembled Quantum Dots as a Delivery Platform for Enzymes
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2018 Apr 23;57(18):5033-5036 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201801155