The major limitations in drug carrier production are protocol efficiency, bioincompatibility and cost. There is a great need to overcome these limitations and meet the requirements of sustainability and environmental friendliness, such as using algae.

Our main goal is to explore innovative marine bioinspired algal carrier on model organism that will enable advances in life sciences and biotechnology.

To achieve this goal, building regional research cooperation (V4-Croatia) would allow cross-border access to infrastructures and complementary expertise, as well as the exchange of young fellows.  The project is co-financed by the Governments of the Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

Grantee

• Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
• Project coordinator: Dr. Nadica Ivošević DeNardis
• Collaborators: Dr. Nives Novosel, Dr. Tea Mišić Radić, Dr. Tanja Matijević Glavan, Dr. Ruža Frkanec

Partners

• Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Trebon, Czech Republic
  (Prof. Dr. Ondrej Prasil, Dr. Severio Rana, Dr. Martin Lukeš)
• Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
  (Dr. Tibor Pali, Dr. Krisztina Sebők Nagy)
• Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bratislava, Slovakia
  (Dr. Maria Klacsova, Katarina Zelinska PhD student, Prof. Dr. Daniela Uhríková)
• Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
  (Dr. Joanna Zemla, Prof. Dr. Malgorzata Lekka)

Twitter link

ANNOUNCEMENT OF PROJECT ACTIVITY

• Kickoff meeting
  24.10.-25.10.2022. Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
• Regional research exchange

1. Dr. Joanna Zemla, Prof. Dr. Malgorzata Lekka, from the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland visited the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia.
   Host: Dr. Nadica Ivošević DeNardis
   Time of visit: 26.10.2022.-28.10.2022.
   Work plan: algal ghost vesicle isolation, nanomechanical characterization of algal ghost vesicles
2. Dr. Tibor Pali, Dr. Krisztina Sebok Nagy, from the Biological Research Center, Szeged, Hungary visited the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia.
   Host: Dr. Nadica Ivošević DeNardis
   Time of visit: 26.10.2022.-28.10.2022.
   Work plan: preliminary measurements for membrane permeability and antioxidant activity
3. Dr. Maria Klacsova, Prof. Dr. Daniela Uhríková from the Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bratislava, Slovakia visited the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia.
   Host: Dr. Nadica Ivošević DeNardis
   Date of visit: 25.06.-29.06.2023.
   Work plan: preparation of reconstructed vesicles from lyophilized material, AFM and confocal imaging
4. Dr. Joanna Zemla from the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland visited the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia.
   Host: Dr. Nadica Ivošević DeNardis
   Date of visit: 18.09.-22.09.2023.
   Work plan: preparation of nanometer-sized reconstructed vesicles, mechanical characterization (AFM-based force spectroscopy measurements)
5. Dr. Tea Mišić Radić, Dr. Nadica Ivošević DeNardis from the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia visited Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bratislava, Slovakia
   Hosts: Dr. Maria Klacsova and Prof.Dr. Daniela Uhrikova
   Date of visit: 26.09.-29.09.2023.
   Work plan: Experimental setup to measure reconstructed vesicle stability under physiological conditions using differential scanning calorimetry. Discussion of DNA fluorescent dyes and antiobiotic selection. Lecture is given for undegraduate and PhD students.
6. Dr. Tibor Pali, Dr. Krisztina Sebok Nagy from the Biological Research Center, Szeged, Hungary visited the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Trebon, Czech Republic
   and Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bratislava, Slovakia
   Host in CZ: Prof. Dr. Ondrej Prasil
   Date of visit: 05.12.-07.12.2023.
   Workplan: measurements of fluorescence spectra from rehydrated lyophilized material, discussion of options for complementary fluorescence techniques and possible redox-active processes in the ghost vesicles
   Hosts in SK: Dr. Maria Klacsova, Prof. Dr. Daniela Uhrikova
   Date of visit: 07.12.-08.12.2023.
   Work plan: discussion of different protocols for loading model drugs into ghost vesicles prepared by ultrasonic sonication or extrusion procedure.
7. Prof. Dr. Ondrej Prasil, Dr. Martin Lukes, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Trebon, Czech Republic will visit the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia.
   Host: Dr. Nadica Ivošević DeNardis
   Date of visit: 26.02.2024.-28.02.2024.
   Work plan: discussion of joint results and final workshop organization

Thesis

1. Karlo Ojdanić, M. Sc. Thesis, Nanomorphological characterization of microalgal cells and reconstructed membrane vesicles, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, 22.09.2023., menthors: N. Ivošević DeNardis, I. Juranovic Cindrić
2. Patrícia Zsófia Illés, B. Sc. Thesis, Spin-label Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of potential drug delivery membrane vesicles of algal origin, HUN-REN Szeged Biological Research Center Institute of Biophysics, University of Szeged, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Szeged, Hungary, 19.12.2023., menthors: T. Pali, K. Sebokne Nagy
3. Lucia Ly Nguyenová, Student scientific thesis, Algal-based ghost vesicles as potential gene delivery systems Faculty of Pharmacy, Commenius University of Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia (supervisor: Mgr. Mária Klacsová, PhD.), submission deadline: 29. 02. 2024.
4. Viktória Müllerová, M. Sc. Thesis, Physico-chemical characterisation of algal-based vesicles, Faculty of Pharmacy, Commenius Universitz of Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia (supervisor: doc. Mgr. Marcela Chovancová, PhD., consultant: Mgr. Mária Klacsová, PhD.), submission deadline: 21. 04. 2024.
5. Kristina Križanec, M. Sc. Thesis, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, methors: T. Matijević Glavan, P. Peharec (Thesis title will be approved: 03-04/2024, expected defense: 09/2024.)

Final workshop

• 13.03.-15.03.2024., Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Center of Algatech, Trebon, Czech Republic (host: Prof. Dr. Ondrej Prasil)