Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The pandemic heightened the need to urgently develop new nanotechnology-based vaccines and tests. For this, new nanomaterials are required. The cornerstone of research in this area is the elucidation of physicochemical properties of nanosystems, specifically size and surface charge measurements, using a zetasizer. We require a new zetasizer to replace an aging instrument that is heavily utilized and is the only instrument of this kind at the University of Saskatchewan. Size and surface charge measurement are based on light scattering, the only technology that provides quantitative high-resolution data. Alternative methods for assessing the size and morphology of nanostructures, such as high-resolution electron or atomic-force microscopy and fluorescent microscopy do not provide quantitative data; require expensive instrumentation; are low throughput; and require processing of samples that might alter their native behaviour. Moreover, none of these alternative techniques is suitable to measure surface charge. Our team of six investigators conducts research in the areas of development of new biomaterials, engineering nanocarriers for nucleic acids and proteins, development of vaccines, and improvement of function of medical devices. All these areas rely heavily on the use of a zetasizer to optimize composition and properties of nanostructures for a variety of applications and establish structure-function/activity relationships. We belong to three research communities: Drug Discovery and Development Research Group, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, and Biomedical Engineering. Our work with the instrument has resulted in numerous conference presentations and invited talks and more than 200 publications in high-impact journals. The zetasizer has been instrumental in catalyzing collaborations among our team members and other researchers. It is also a common element enabling HQP to be exposed to and learn from each other's projects and start conversations. To date, our team has trained over 70 HQP who used the zetasizer in their research projects. The diversity of our areas is invaluable for training HQP who develop broad expertise in multidisciplinary fields, including pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, veterinary sciences, vaccinology, and engineering. During their training, our HQP elucidate the basic properties of nanomaterials such as size and surface charge and gain marketable skills to engineer new delivery systems and vaccines, and design new medical devices.