ESR 6 - Nanomotor-based cell targeting and sorting

The main focus of my project will be to develop nanomotors based on polymer vesicles that can recognize, bind and isolate specific cells. Bowl-shaped vesicles, also known as stomatocytes, will be created out of biodegradable block copolymers prepared from poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(D,L- lactic acid) and loaded with enzymes, specifically glucose oxidase and catalase. Their surface will be decorated with glycopolymers to interact with specific cell types. After binding, the addition of a gradient of a biological fuel (glucose) will induce motion in the nanomotors and hence motion of the bound cells. This will lead to separation of bound cells from unbound cells, and results in cell sorting. Besides cell binding, also cell uptake will be studied.