Polymer-[2]rotaxane molecular shuttles: a new class of non-covalent mechanophore for sensing cell forces

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Annual cancer diagnoses in Europe will increase to more than 4.3M by 2035, making it the second most important cause of death andmorbidity. The Horizon Europe 'Cancer mission' aims to save 3 million lives from cancer by 2030, making it critical that new strategiesfor the early diagnosis of cancer are established. The primary objective of this project is to develop a novel molecular probe fordetecting a key marker of metastatic cancer: the mechanical forces that arise from uncontrolled cell division. To realisethis, the project brings together Dr Sharma (Fellow), an expert in polymer mechanochemistry, and Dr Barendt (Host), an expert inphoto-active molecular machines. This project presents a timely opportunity for the team to fill the current need for mechanophoresfor bio-sensing. This project will arm biologists and clinicians with a state-of-the-art sensor for diagnosing cancer at an early-stage.The project synergises Fellow and Host expertise, providing opportunities for two-way knowledge transfer throughout theprogramme. For the Fellow, specific training objectives in scientific and transferable skills will enable them to realise their next careergoal: leading an independent research programme in organic materials for bio-sensing. The project work plan (work packages, tasks) and established support team (scientific,transferable skills) will ensure all research and training objectives are realised.