Fulbright Scholar Grant results in collaboration to expand nanodevice research

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Carlos Castro, associate professor of mechanical engineering, recently returned from Dublin, Ireland, where he was completing research on a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Grant supported in part by the U.S. Department of State.

Castro, center, with RCSI Fulbright Ambassador and Research Lecturer Oran Kennedy, left, and Cathal Kearney, senior lecturer, AMBER Centre and RCSI Department of Anatomy.
Castro, center, with RCSI Fulbright Ambassador and Research Lecturer Oran Kennedy, left, and Cathal Kearney, senior lecturer, AMBER Centre and RCSI Department of Anatomy.
During his summer 2018 trip, Castro was affiliated with the Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research (AMBER) Centre, which also supported his Fulbright. While there he collaborated with Cathal Kearney, PhD, and Fergal O’Brien, PhD, faculty members at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), and Valeria Nicolosi, PhD, professor at Trinity College Dublin to investigate multiscale targeted delivery of DNA origami nanodevices. The overall goal was to establish methods for the targeted delivery of DNA nanodevices to cells or tissues by incorporating the devices into biomaterials that can safely be injected into biological systems.

“The outstanding scientific and collaborative environment of AMBER Centre, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Trinity College Dublin allowed me not only to forge invaluable connections, but also helped me take Ohio State’s research on nanodevices and nanorobotics in a new direction of biomaterials integration,” said Castro.

Combining Castro’s expertise in nanodevices with the AMBER Centre’s skill in biomaterials has resulted in a constructive collaboration. After this summer’s foundational work, the two groups plan to continue development of nanodevice-embedded materials, which could be used in the human body for targeted and sustained drug delivery.

“I am looking forward to continuing and strengthening the collaboration started over the summer,” said Castro. “I think our combined knowledge will lead to an exciting approach to realize biomedical applications of nanodevices.”

Category: Faculty