Nano-materials and drug-delivery systems

Novel nano-materials that interact with the body’s biological processes at the cellular level are providing new, targeted drug delivery opportunities.

Our research is exploiting self-organising principles to build novel, bio-compatible materials for treatment of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, HIV, cancer, type one diabetes and sensorineural hearing loss.

Working with industry, hospitals, universities and research institutes around the world, our research is developing second and third-generation targeted drug delivery systems.

The key research areas are vaccine delivery systems, nano technologies for insulin delivery, vascular nano-therapeutics and neurotrophin delivery to the inner ear with nano-technology.

Capabilities

  • Controlled release particle systems for therapeutic applications.
  • Thin film-based materials functionalised with therapeutics.
  • Cutting-edge platform capabilities in high-end microscopy and imaging.
  • Broad range of materials and biological characterisation techniques.

Impact

Work on particle engineering has laid the foundation for the application of responsive particle systems in the field of nano-bioscience.

More information

Program leader

Professor Frank Caruso
fcaruso@unimelb.edu.au

Case studies

Nano engineered peptide polymers clean up resistant ‘superbugs’

Polymer implants provide next-generation medical treatments