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

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Kickoff meeting

24.10.-25.10.2022. Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia

Regional research exchange

• 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, 26.10.2022.-28.10.2022.
• Dr. Tibor Pali, Dr. Krisztina Sebok Nagy, from the Biological Research Center, Szeged, Hungary visited the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia, 26.10.2022.-28.10.2022.
• 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, 25.06.-29.06.2023.
• Dr. Joanna Zemla from the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland visited the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia, 18.09.-22.09.2023.
• 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, 26.09.-29.09.2023.
• 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, 05.12.-08.12.2023.
• 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. 26.02.2024.-28.02.2024.

Congress participations

• Matijević Glavan, Tanja; Mišić Radić, Tea; Ojdanić, Karlo; Peharec Štefanić, Petra; Jurkin, Tanja; Frkanec, Ruža; Ivošević DeNardis, Nadica, The cytotoxicity of reconstructed membrane vesicles as potential drug delivery system // Peptide chemistry day 2023 : Book of abstracts. Zagreb: Hrvatsko kemijsko društvo; University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, 2023.
• Klacsova, Maria; Uhrikova, Daniela; Horvat, Lucija; Mišić Radić, Tea; Ivošević DeNardis, Nadica A fluorescence study of algal-based ghost vesicles as potential gene delivery systems // Book of Contributions: 12th International Conference Structure And Stability of Biomacromolecules. Košice, Slovakia: Institute of Experimental Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (IEP SAS), 2023.
• Smokrović, Kristina; Ivošević DeNardis, Nadica; Maltar-Strmečki, Nadica, Algae-enriched tomato juice as a potential superfood - EPR characterization //7th International ISEKI-Food Conference Next-generation of food research, education and industry: book of abstracts. Wiena, Austria: ISEKI-Food Association, 2023.. doi: 10.34623/5jyp-p.83
• Mišić Radić, Tea; Lisac, Katarina; Ojdanić, Karlo; Zemla, Joanna; Lekka, Małgorzata; Peharec Štefanić, Petra; Ivošević DeNardis, Nadica, Nanomorphological and nanomechanical characterization of microalgal reconstructed membrane vesicles // 2nd Croatian Microscopy Symposium Book of Abstracts. Split, Croatia: Sveučilište u Splitu, 2023.
• Lisac, Katarina; Klascova, Maria; Uhrikova, Daniela; Mišić Radić, Tea; Ivošević DeNardis, Nadica, Nanomorphological Characterization of Self-assembled Algal Nanovesicles // VI. simpozij supramolekulske kemije – Supramolecular Chemistry 2023, Zagreb, Croatia.
• Križanović, Kristina; Peharec Štefanić, Petra; Ivošević DeNardis, Nadica; Matijević Glavan, Tanja, The Cytotoxicity of Algae-Based Vesicles on Different Human Cell Linesof Biology // The Symposium of Biology Students, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, 2024.

Thesis

• 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
• 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
• Lucia Ly Nguyenová, Student scientific congres competition, Algal-based ghost vesicles as potential gene delivery systems Faculty of Pharmacy, Commenius University of Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia (supervisor: Mgr. Mária Klacsová, PhD.), 14.04.2024 (chemical sciences, 2nd place)
• 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.), 22. 04. 2024.
• Kristina Križanec, M. Sc. Thesis, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, methors: T. Matijević Glavan, P. Peharec (Thesis title will be approved: 04/2024, expected defense: 09-10/2024.)

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)