X – Ray Diffraction Laser THERMO LOGG Contact Angle Analyzer Langmuir – Blodgett Film Deposition Scanning Electron Microscope with EDS (X-ray spectrometry) Small Angle X-Ray Scattering Apparatus Wide Angle X-Ray Scattering Apparatus Mercury Porosimeter Mass Spectrometer Nitrogen Porosimeter ultra-microtome AA GC-MS Scanning Electron Microscope with EDS (X-ray spectrometry) Proteome analysis [Proteomics] Remote Measurement System Transmission Electron Microscope CNC ΑGIECharmilles ΑCTSPARK FW-1P [CNC AGIE] CNC DMG CTX 510 Eco PHOTRON FASTACAM SA3 INSTRON 8801 Testing Device ROMER OMEGA R-SCAN & 3D RESHAPER LASER Cutter Pantograph with extra PLASMA torch CNC ΙDA XL 1200 Optical and Contact Coordinate Measuring Machine TESA MICRO-HITE 3D  RSV-150 Remote Sensing Vibrometer Ground Penetration Radar [GPR] Audio Magneto Telluric Optical Time Domain Reflectometers [OTDR] Non ion Rad Electric e-mat analysis Thermogravimetric Analyzers - Differential Scanning Calorimetry Magnetron Deposition Metal Deposition Grid Computing Center

ΝΑΝΟΕΝΙΣΧΥΜΕΝΟ ΕΥΦΥΕΣ ΑΝΤΙΠΑΓΩΤΙΚΟ ΟΔΟΣΤΡΩΜΑ – ΝΕΑ ΟΔΟΣ

Στα πλαίσια της Δράσης Ερευνώ-Δημιουργώ-Καινοτομώ, η οποία συγχρηματοδοτείτε από το Ευρωπαϊκό Ταμείο Περιφερειακής Ανάπτυξης (ΕΤΠΑ) της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και εθνικούς πόρους μέσω του Ε.Π. Ανταγωνιστικότητα, Επιχειρηματικότητα & Καινοτομία (ΕΠΑνΕΚ), πραγματοποιείται η ανάπτυξη ενός καινοτόμου αγώγιμου οδοστρώματος με ευφυή χαρακτηριστικά και ικανότητα αυτοθέρμανσης το οποίο θα μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για την πρόληψη σχηματισμού πάγου στα οδοστρώματα αυξάνοντας την ασφάλεια τους. Για την επίτευξη αυτής της ικανότητας αποπάγωσης (deicing), το σκυρόδεμα, το οποίο χρησιμοποιείται αποκλειστικά σε δρόμους με μεγάλη κλίση, ενισχύεται χρησιμοποιώντας αγώγιμα νανο-υλικά με βάση τον άνθρακα τα οποία παράγονται από βιο-διατροφικά υπολείμματα μηδαμινού κόστους. Επιπλέον καινοτομία της παρούσας έρευνας είναι η επίτευξη ομοιόμορφης διασποράς των παραπάνω πράσινων νανο-υλικών στο νερό της μίξης με την εισαγωγή νανοφυσαλίδων.

Στόχοι του έργου ΝΕΑ-ΟΔΟΣ (κωδικός έργου: Τ1ΕΔΚ-02692):

  1. Ανάπτυξη και βελτιστοποίηση νανοσυνθέτων τσιμεντοειδών υλικών με αντιπαγωτική ικανότητα χρησιμοποιώντας αγώγιμα νανο-υλικά με βάση τον άνθρακα προερχόμενος από βιο-διατροφικά απορρίμματα.
  2. Ανάπτυξη αξιόπιστης μεθόδου διασποράς των νανο-υλικών άνθρακα εφαρμόζοντας την τεχνική των νανοφυσαλίδων (ΝΒs) για χρήση στη βιομηχανία σκυροδέματος.
  3. Ανάπτυξη ολοκληρωμένης μεθοδολογίας μελέτης και εφαρμογής του νέου αντιπαγωτικού οδοστρώματος.
  4. Πιλοτική εφαρμογή του Νανοενισχυμένου Ευφυούς Αντιπαγωτικού ΟΔΟΣτρώματος (ΝΕΑ-ΟΔΟΣ).
  5. Μελέτη τεχνικής σκοπιμότητας (ΜΤΣ) για τις ευκαιρίες που προσφέρει η ανάπτυξη του οδοστρώματος συγκριτικά με την υφιστάμενη κατάσταση, καθώς και οι τυχόν απειλές και αδυναμίες που ελλοχεύει η επένδυση.

 

Επίσημη ιστοσελίδα του έργου 

 

 

espalogo

 

 

magnother logo

MAGNOTHER project aims in the development of a novel nanoparticle fluid oriented for localized cancer therapy by the combination of magnetic hyperthermia treatment and thermally-triggered drug delivery. For its realization, a facile and scalable method of preparation will be designed to establish accurate control of synthetic parameters and a significant cost reduction compared to commercially available competitors. The ultimate product of this methodology combines a number of advantages with significant importance in cancer research including magnetic targeting of tissues, high heating efficiency (~1 kW/g), on-site heat-assisted release of drugs, low toxicity and favorable cell internalization.

 

The project is financially supported by Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

 

Product

 

The outcome of this project will be a fully inorganic nanocomposite consisting of a magnetic carrier combined with a layered phase able to store quantities of anticancer drugs. The motivation for developing such system arises from the need for a product that not only beneficiary combines two synergistic methods for cancer treatment (MPH, chemotherapy) but each one individually contributes with its optimum efficiency. The product will be available as a stable colloid solution at physiological pH loaded with various anticancer agents on demand.

In the recent years, magnetic particle hyperthermia (MPH) is regarded among the most promising and least invasive strategies for cancer treatment schemes. It is based on the local heat release generated by magnetic nanoparticles under the application of a radio frequency AC magnetic field. Due to the high impact of MPH in targeted areas and its application in synergy with other therapies, the method has been intensively studied by research having reached clinical trials.

 

Still, a number of issues need to be addressed prior to its wide implementation in cancer treatment protocols. Most of them deal with the low heating power of many studied nanoparticles, their toxicity and the extremely high cost of commercial products specialized for other biomedical uses (e.g. MRI agents).

 

The demand for nanoparticles in biomedical applications is rapidly increasing with the market showing an annual growth rate of 20 %. Moreover, the targeted segment of nanomaterials, specialized for MPH agents, is practically unexploited though an increasing number of customers from the biomedicine sector are seeking for magnetic nanoparticles with reliable properties to cover their field studies. However, extremely high prices of competitive products, usually consisting of small dispersions volumes of iron oxide nanoparticles, constrains continuation of intense research. Its success to fulfil these requirements enables an optimistic perspective for possible commercialization of the developed product.

 

 

Τhe innovation of the product is not only limited to the particle architecture but spreads out to the designed production process which contributes to the significant reduction of cost at accessible levels supporting continuation of corresponding research and clinical trials. The multi-stage continuous flow setup represents a simple and proportionally scalable production line using low-cost chemical reagents (excluding cost for anticancer agents), mild reaction conditions and minimum energy consumption. The process is fully environmental friendly since a 100 % conversion of reagents to solid occurs and no toxic byproducts are produced.

 

Main advantages of the product

 

  • Fully inorganic

  • Drug loading on demand

  • High heating rate

  • Field-controlled magneto-/chemo- therapy

  • Biocompatible

 

NANOCAPILLARY is an integrated tool facilitating an in-depth characterisation of porous materials. The tool contains 3 distinctive and innovative elements: 1) EXPERIMENTALHARDWARE, 2) SOFTWARE, and 3) DATABASE; described as follows:

 

EXPERIMENTAL-HARDWARE refers to an appropriate sample cell that allows an in-situ study of the adsorption process with Small Angle Scattering (SAS) -normally a static procedure- to be carried out under dynamic conditions. A centrifugal field of force will be attained by rotating the sample cell, setting the adsorbed film into vibration; at a relative pressure close to capillary condensation in a given class of pores, a spectrum of metastable configurations will become experimentally accessible. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time that a research group attempts this kind of dynamic experiment.

 

SOFTWARE refers to a suitable program for SAS data analysis. This software will allow the user to virtually synthesise a material, using a simple 2D drawing toolset, and then mathematically model the material in 3D-space with the aid of a 3D Visualisation Server and the database described below. The output will be a theoretical scattering spectrum; and vice versa: that is, SAS data may be input into the software for analysis, resulting in a model for the material and the adsorption and flow processes that takes place inside it (when applicable). This semi-empirical method is a new approach to the problem of the analysis of scattering data, where commonly the inverse Fourier transformation techniques are

employed with limited success.

 

DATABASE refers to a world-large databank that will be developed to store results and observations from experiments to enable an empirical solution to the problem. The University of Oxford will host the databank. The results will be taken from current or previous experiments, including those that are detailed in publications or submitted to the database by users. Data mining algorithms will be developed to extract data and classify them (using metadata) into data marts, so that they can be systematically retrieved when necessary. A database of scattering spectra of various materials is a simple but powerful action that will greatly benefit our SAS community.

 

nanocapilary1

 

nanocapilary2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Study of bio-samples with Small Angle X- Ray Scattering and Electron Microscopy

 

The aim of the project is the study of bio – materials by the methods of Small/Wide X – Ray Scattering (SAXS/WAXS) and electron microcopy. With these techniques studied healthy and cancerous tissues, bone nanostructure, cerebrospinal fluid, drug delivery in bones and mechanical stresses in bones (compression, torsion, 4 point bending).
To date, have been analyzed breast cancer tissues and a critical amount of rabbit bones. Particularly impressive are the results of measurements taken from rabbit bones with SAXS technique. Already made some preliminary SAXS experimental on rabbit bones, some of which were treated with the drug Protelos. The study has found that in the treated bones, the substance collects at the ends of the bone instead of in the center.

bones1

The main novelty of the project is the innovative use of in-situ characterization techniques, which to the best of our knowledge has never been done before. In situ techniques are accepted to be research orientated and very rare in routine analysis. This is because the instruments needed for in–situ studies are usually high–cost and high–tech equipment’s that are overly burdened with routine experiments. Yet, in-situ studies provide information not only on the structure of the materials under investigation but also on the mechanism of the phenomena and processes that take place inside the structure. This latter knowledge is of critical importance in the context of modern medical challenges in drug delivery, biomechanics, etc.

 

The study approximates two issues high demand and scientific value that is: a) the development of a diagnostic method of CA and b) biomechanics of bones. The project carried out, under the supervision of Prof. E. Sivrides, Scholl of Medicine (D.U. Th. ) and the experiments performed in the CISS lab of KavTech.

 

Indicative Literature.

 

Lewis, R.A., Rogers, K.D., Hall, C.J., Towns-Andrews, E., Slawson, S., Evans, A., Pinder, S.E., Dance, D.R., “Breast cancer diagnosis using scattered X-rays”, Journal of Synchrotron Radiation 7 (5),(2000), pp. 348-352.

Liu, Y., Manjubala, I., Schell, H., Epari, D.R., Roschger, P., Duda, G.N., Fratzl, P., “Size and habit of mineral particles in bone and mineralized callus during bone healing in sheep”, (2010) Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 25 (9), pp. 2029-2038.

Ballarre, J., Manjubala, I., Schreiner, W.H., Orellano, J.C., Fratzl, P., Ceré, S., “Improving the osteointegration and bone-implant interface by incorporation of bioactive particles in sol-gel coatings of stainless steel implants”,(2010) Acta Biomaterialia, 6 (4), pp. 1601-1609.

 

N. Vordos

Kavala Institute of Technology

St. Lucas, 65404, Kavala, Greece

Tel: +30 2510 462247

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The fast development of the world economy since the industrial revolution and the more recent fluctuations in the price of oil has led to serious environmental and global energy problems. The production of pure hydrogen and its use as the main source of vehicular fuel make it one of the more promising solutions for the production of clean and cost-effective energy. 

 

To this end, a multitude of new process for the production of hydrogen has been proposed from the international scientific community. Current technologies for the clean production of pure hydrogen revolve around the water electrolysis process. Unfortunately, the electrolysis of pure water requires excess energy to overcome the various activation barriers, so the process is not efficient. This has led to research into hydrogen production, which focuses on renewable/inexhaustible energy sources. 

 

Membrane technology is one of the more promising areas for hydrogen production, and area in which our team has a long established experience. 

 

The microporous carbon hollow fiber membrane is a new type of carbon membrane that can be used in gas separations process, more so in hydrogen production applications. However, the fragility of these membranes means that the scale-up of the process from lab to industrial-scale is difficult. In order to tackle this problem, the proposed project is focused on the production of a new generation of nanocomposite nanoporous carbon hollow fiber membranes with advance properties in gas separations coefficients for hydrogen.