Research Focus Areas

Custom Synthesis of Metal/Porous Nanoparticles
Plasmonic nanoparticles include silver and gold. Metal oxides include iron and the lanthanide-series elements of gadolinium, cerium, and hafnium. Porous nanoparticles are silica-based or polymeric micelles.

Nanotoxicology
Assessing in vitro toxicity of nanoparticles on murine and human cell lines. In vivo toxicity was assessed in zebrafish models, and in vivo biodistribution was assessed in mouse models.

Biomedical Image Contrast Agents
Plasmonic, fluorescence, MRI, and X-ray modalities of detection in a mouse animal model. Single-mode and multi-mode detections.

Precision Nanoprobes
Antibody, affibody, biologics mediated targeting. Volume loaded therapeutics, photosensitizers and radiosensitizers. This is applicable to cancer biology and neurodegenerative disease studies.

Molecular Nanotechnology
Utilizing anisotropic and hybrid nanoparticle architectures to introduce directionality in motion, precisely orienting targeting molecules and directed exertion of force by nanosystems. Anisotropic nanoparticles can be ‘Janus’ hybrids or non-spherical nanoparticles and includes rods, plates, prisms, and core-shells.

Custom Synthesis of Metal/Porous Nanoparticles

Standardized synthesis of Gold nanoparticles (nanoclusters, 5 nm, 10 nm, 16 nm) Silver nanoparticles (nanoclusters, 10 nm, 40 nm, 95 nm) Iron oxide nanoparticles (10 nm) Gadolinium oxide (5 nm, 10 nm) Hafnium oxide (5 nm, 10 nm) Microporous silica particles (15 nm, 50 nm, 100 nm, 400 nm) Other nanoparticles currently being optimized include …

View page »

Nanotoxicology

Nanotoxicity assessment is an integral part of designing biomedical probes. In vitro toxicity of nanoparticles is assessed using murine (L929) and human cell lines (HUVEC, RAW246.7). In vivo toxicity was assessed in zebrafish models, and in vivo biodistribution/blood pool kinetics was assessed in athymic and euthymic mouse models. Representative Publications           …

View page »

Biomedical Image Contrast Agents

Scaled up the synthesis of nanoparticle contrast agents. I specialize in the synthesis of long emission lifetime, fluorescent and photoluminescent nanoparticles. This is achieved by modifying Au cores with fluorophore embedded shells or Au nanoclusters with tunable photoluminescence. Fluorescent silica particles with sizes ranging from 15 nm to 400 nm are also available. Such probes …

View page »

Precision Nanoprobes

Antibody-drug conjugates are emerging as a frontrunner in precision targeted therapeutics. However, this capability is still beyond the ability of most academic laboratories. The primary reason for this is the need to identify a precise binding site on the constant region of the antibody (Fc) for the drug molecule to be conjugated, while not affecting …

View page »

Molecular Nanotechnology

This is the current focus of my research. Utilizing anisotropic and hybrid nanoparticle architectures to introduce directionality in motion, precisely orienting targeting molecules and directed exertion of force by nanosystems. Anisotropic nanoparticles can be Janus hybrids or non-spherical nanoparticles and include rods, plates, prisms, and core-shells. This will lay the basis for nanomotors and nanomachines …

View page »

Nallathamby Lab Presents Phage-Mimicking Antibacterial Nanoparticle Results at Military Health Sciences Research Symposium 2022 in Orlando, Florida (Sept 12-15, 2022)

We are losing in an antibiotic arms race with bacteria due to the emergence and global spread of new antibiotic resistance mechanisms.1,2 At current rates of antibiotics discovery and development we will eventually lose to antibiotic-resistant strains, and by 2050, antibiotics resistant strains of bacteria will kill more patients per year than all cancers combined. …

Read more

CTSI-Think Tank Seed Funds our Efforts to facilitate CAR-T Therapy to Treat Solid Tumors.

Breast Cancer is the most widespread cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the U.S.A. As a treatment option, gene-modified T cells are under active therapeutic consideration for both hematological and solid malignancies.  As of 2016, there are 17 active TCR and 103 ongoing CAR-modified T cell studies registered through …

Read more