Novo Silico for Smart Biodelivery…
Your situation: Many biologics, such as nutrients, catalysts, therapeutics or immune modulators, do not reach their target on their own. On the way to their target, they may be degraded or cause off-target effects or even toxicity. Natural and/or artificial biodelivery systems resolve such challenges by protecting the molecule, carrying it to its target, overcoming barriers, and releasing it safely at the right time and dose.
Smart natural biodelivery systems also include viruses! They are protein-based nanocapsids delivering DNA or RNA into target cells.
As the complexity of biologics design increases, the importance and sophistication of biodelivery increasing as well. Yet, creating suitable biodelivery solutions is time-consuming and costly, with a substantial experimental burden. Optimizing stability and release kinetics by trial and error in the wet lab, in particular, can be prohibitive.
Our Proposal: In silico technology allows rapid prototyping of molecule carriers, screening millions of candidate designs and securing suitable targeting, stability and biodistribution. In particular, in silico tools allow simulation of how molecules, carriers, biological environments and off-targets interact, before testing in the lab. This may allow more efficient, accurate and affordable biodelivery solutions.
Particular focus is given to prediction of…
- …polymer carrier behavior and performance;
- …cell membrane, protein and tissue interactions;
- …drug release timing & dosing profiles;
- …polymer networks changing properties and releasing, triggered by pH, temperature and/or enzymes smart hydrogels)
- …clinically relevant outcomes, e.g. tumor penetration or nanoparticle clearance.
Such prediction is done before in vitro or in vivo testing is started.
View example applications?
Prominent example applications include:
- Oncology: Therapeutic conjugates consisting of a binder (antibody, nanobody, peptide, small molecule etc.) delivering payload (cytotoxic drug, radionuclide, immune stimulator etc.) to a cancer cell. The binder is targeting a specific antigen overexpressed by the cancer cell, driving precision oncology. The binder is releasing the payload by breaking its binder through an enzyme in the cancer cell or its microenvironment
- Bioprotection: Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) carrying mRNA or double-stranged RNA (dsRNA) entering a target cell. Without protective LNP, the RNA would degrade instantly due to ambient conditions, enzymes, etc. This biodelivery system plays a crucial role in gene silencing treatments harnessing virus infections of crop.
- Biocement: Polymer-encapsulated biomineralizing peptides, nucleating and accelerating CaCO3 formation. The polymer micro- to nanocapsules protect the peptides from high pH, hydration, heat, mechanical mixing forces and premature reactions. The peptides yield a patentable premium additive for carbon-negative concrete with reduced clinker need, denser microstructure, higher CO2 uptake, etc.
- Remediation: Enzyme carrier for efficient and robust delivery of industrial catalysts. Carriers are optimized for stability and release kinetics, delivering e.g. enzymes degrading durable toxic industrial waste such as per-and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) into harsh industrial environments (high heat, solvents, pH extremes).
- Bioreactors: Enzyme immobilization platforms e.g. for biomass conversion in biorefineries, producing biofuels and high-value platform chemicals. Immobilized enzymes improve the economics, scalability and sustainability of biomass-to-chemicals processes in continuous flow bioreactors. They extend enzyme lifetime, productivity and scalability to industrial volumes…
