NPB

The CBEs research in Nanoparticle Bioengineering is inspired by the observation that viral proteins can self assemble in certain process environments to give highly defined nanoparticles. The Nanoparticle Bioengineering Programme has two main goals: product engineering research to understand and design self-assembling nanoparticles exhibiting diverse biological activity, and bioprocess engineering research to define knowledge that can be used to design commercial processes.

One objective is to understand and exploit the self-assembly process to provide platform technologies relevant to diverse biological and nanotechnological applications. The Nanoparticle Bioengineering Group have specifically set about to design, express, purify and assemble viral structural proteins to give synthetic nanoparticles for vaccine and gene-delivery applications.

A core activity of the Nanoparticle Bioengineering Group is the quantitative characterisation and modelling the process of Nanoparticle assembly. We seek new analytical methods that provide data suitable for modelling the physical and molecular processes occurring during VLP assembly. Techniques including micro-calorimetry, fluorescence, stopped-flow light scattering, dynamic light scattering and NMR can all provide information on the physical state of structural proteins as they self-assemble.

NPB adopts a team-based approach to its research with different staff, including postgraduate students, bringing unique complementary skills.