Wich Lab

Today, we had the honour to welcome Prof. Jennifer Doudna at UNSW! Her groundbreaking work on gene editing has revolutionized science and medicine, and her insights today were nothing short of inspiring. From discussing her life in science to exploring the ethical dimensions of genome editing, I enjoyed the chat with Merlin Crossley very much. Thank you, for sharing your expertise and passion with us!

Excited to see this fantastic work being published in the Journal Small.
It was great to collaborate on this project, which represents an impactful and important contribution to the field of and 🧠✨
Congratulations to Dr Wenqian Wang, Prof Guangzhao Mao and the entire interdisciplinary team!
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.202311921

Neural Tracing Protein‐Functionalized Nanoparticles Capable of Fast Retrograde Axonal Transport in Live Neurons Chemically conjugating the neural tracing protein WGA-HRP to gold nanoparticle (AuNP) is effective in inducing fast retrograde axonal transport of the nanoparticle in live neurons cultured in microfl...

New Paper alert! Congratulations Dr Vinod Kannaujiya and everyone involved in this team effort!

“pH-Responsive Micellar Nanoparticles for the Delivery of a Self-Amplifying ROS-Activatable Prodrug”
V. Kannaujiya, Y. Qiao, R. Sheikh, Y. Xue, T. Dargaville, K. Liang, P. R. Wich
Biomacromolecules, 2024, 25, 3, 1775–1789. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01240

🔬 Methodology: Our study focuses on innovating anticancer drug delivery using a new nanoparticle technology. By harnessing the potential of a novel amphiphilic biopolymer, we've successfully enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of the anticancer drug, camptothecin (CPT). Our approach involves designing a dimeric prodrug of CPT capable of self-amplification and responsive to reactive oxygen species (ROS). This breakthrough was achieved by integrating the intracellular ROS generator cinnamaldehyde into a ROS-cleavable thioacetal (TA) linker, resulting in a dimeric prodrug of camptothecin.
To ensure its efficient delivery, we synthesized a pH-responsive block copolymer of acetalated dextran and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (AcDex-b-PEOz). This unique block copolymer facilitates self-assembly into micellar nanoparticles (NPs), enabling high prodrug loading capacity and rapid release under acidic conditions. Upon cellular uptake by HeLa cells, DCPT(TA)-loaded micellar NPs induce intracellular ROS generation, leading to accelerated prodrug activation and enhanced cytotoxicity.

🚀 Conclusion and Impact: These promising results signify a significant advancement in prodrug delivery strategies for anticancer treatment and demonstrate the potential of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. By fine-tuning the properties of nanocarriers and prodrugs, we aim to pave the way for more effective and targeted cancer treatments.

Read the full paper here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01240

pH-Responsive Micellar Nanoparticles for the Delivery of a Self-Amplifying ROS-Activatable Prodrug The objective of this study is to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the anticancer drug, camptothecin (CPT) via a nanoparticle (NP) formulation using a novel amphiphilic biopolymer. We have designed a dimeric prodrug of CPT with the ability to self-amplify and respond to reactive oxygen species (R...

Peter had a great time presenting in the chemistry seminar series at the University of Sydney about our work on and . Thanks to Vien Huynh for organising and hosting. Great discussions with colleagues, looking forward to future collaborations!

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🗞 alert! Our latest results describe a new method for integrating catalytic functionality into 3D-printed tissue constructs. 🧬 Join me in diving into a short overview of this research project combining chemistry with biomaterials and medicine.
https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.04.577699

🌱One key obstacle for creating fully functional tissues and organs? Replicating an active biochemical environment. 🧪 This is a major hurdle in and

🥼The team led by Luca Altevogt and Rakib Sheikh tackled the challenge by combining , nature’s molecular machines, with that are required as scaffold constructs to make new .

💡 Our “secret” ingredient? The enzyme horseradish peroxidase! By covalently attaching it to a traditional gelatin scaffold that is widely used, we've unlocked stable and long-lasting bioactivity in our bioinks.

🧫 Tests confirm our enzyme-retaining scaffolds are cytocompatible, ensuring non-toxicity to cells. This opens doors to safer and more effective tissue fabrication methods. 🚪💊

🚀 We believe our findings represent an important contribution towards the of functional tissues. Stay tuned for more updates on our journey. 🌟

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-IV7TSn9pg

Progress For All - I like the new campaign by

UNSW | Progress For All The world faces monumental challenges. It always has. But if you look around, progress is everywhere. People are coming together, imagining a better future. ...

🌿 Unlocking the Molecular Secrets of Plant Cell Walls! 🌱

Ever wonder what makes plants strong and sturdy? Results recently published in the journal Science Advances used a technique called solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) to dive deep into the structure of plant cell walls. These walls, found in materials like wood, are made up of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin – but how they interact in detail has been a mystery until now.

Through ssNMR, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have unveiled the hidden architecture of these cell walls, revealing how these components fit together and influence each other's properties.
The researcher quantitatively defined the relative positioning and arrangement of the polymers in Populus wood and created a computer model to visualize the findings. The stunning 3D models for these structures, make it easier to appreciate the intricate interplay.

The results not only shed light on how plants build their cell walls, but they also have exciting implications for creating better biofuels and improving materials made from plant fibers.



Bennett Addison et al., Atomistic, macromolecular model of the Populus secondary cell wall informed by solid-state NMR. Sci. Adv. 10, eadi7965 (2024). DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adi7965

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi7965

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-macromolecular-secondary-cell-wall
(Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY)

🎓👏 Exciting News! Huge congratulations to Jonas Kaltbeitzel and Vinod Kannaujiya on completing their PhDs in our research labs and graduating from late last year 🎉

Thanks for your dedication, curiosity and exceptional work in advancing biomaterials for nanomedicine! 🧬

All the best wishes for your future endeavours! 🚀

UNSW UNSW Engineering UNSW School of Chemical Engineering

And that’s a wrap of an incredible week at SciX@UNSW 2024! 🎉 So much enthusiasm by the 150 senior high school students diving into the world of science and engineering with us . From engaging lab tours to "Ask a STEMM expert" sessions, masterclasses, and of course the main part, the hands-on research lab sessions… the energy and fun were exciting to see! 🧬🧑‍🔬

Special thanks go to Amy Gullins (PhD candidate in our labs) for the planning and running of the research lab sessions for our “Bioink” project. Throughout the whole week, the students learned the principles of 3D bioprinting, how to prepare the biopolymer materials and finally were also able to print their own structures with a 3D printer!

A big shoutout to all involved who made this possible and a success. Until next time! 🚀

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🔬✨ Festive greetings from the Wichlab, wishing everyone in the community a joyous holiday season! 🎄❄️ May the festive spirit bring warmth and happiness to you and your loved ones. As we bid farewell to a successful 2023, let's embrace the new year with enthusiasm and curiosity. Looking forward to exciting discoveries, collaborations, and achievements in 2024! 🌟👩‍🔬👨‍🔬

Recently, I had the pleasure to organise and host together with Edgar Wong the 2023 PolyNSW Early Career Researcher Symposium at UNSW.
We had a fantastic day and welcomed over 90 polymer chemists from all over NSW, from HDR students to early career researchers (ECRs), mid-career researchers (MCRs), as well as senior researchers 🎉

Special thanks to Prof Brigitte Voit (Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Germany) who gave the plenary lecture as the 2023 Solomon Lecturer (https://polymer.org.au/2023-solomon-lecturer-professor-brigitte-voit/)

A big thank you also to our invited speakers:
Laura Delafresnaye (QUT) https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/laura.delafresnaye
Cheng Zhang (UQ) https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/14693
Nona Farbehi (UNSW) https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/nona-farbehi
Jonathan Yeow (UNSW) https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/jonathan-yeow

The main focus of the day and certainly the highlight of the symposium were the excellent presentations by all early career researchers.
We're thrilled to congratulate the following researchers for their outstanding presentations, earning them well-deserved awards 🏆:
Mirela Johnson , Henry Foster, Rebecca Lai, Valentin Bobrin

Thank you to everyone who helped out during the day, during the lead-up and to all the attendees! 👏
Big thanks also to all financial supporters of the event, without which we would not have been able to run it for free for everyone: the main sponsor School of Chemical Engineering, as well as Era Polymers and RSC Applied Polymers.
It was great to see everyone showcase their research and we look forward to seeing what everyone has in store for the future of polymers! 💯

Thanks to Carmine Gentile for the invite to give a talk at yesterday! Was great to chat with everyone about our
(btw, amazing teaching labs!)

Saluo joins our Team as PhD student – Saluo will work on enzyme-based biopolymers as functional and therapeutic materials.
Welcome to our labs and good luck with your experiments!

New paper in AngewandteChemie - Very happy to see the final PDF version coming online! Congratulations Jonas!

“Protein-based Nanoparticles: From Drug Delivery to Imaging, Nanocatalysis and Protein Therapy”
J. Kaltbeitzel, P. R. Wich
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202216097 (DOI: 10.1002/anie.202216097)
➞ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202216097

Long in the making but finally online 🎉 We summarize and highlight in this review the progress in the development of protein nanoparticles as biocompatible assemblies for a wide range of nanomedicine-related applications.

In the last decade, new generations of nanosystems emerged, that extend beyond simple transport vehicles and represent multifunctional drug delivery systems. Innovative opportunities for advanced nanomaterials include for example cell-specific interactions, catalytic active enzyme particles, or the intracellular delivery of therapeutic proteins.

Our review highlights the advantages of a broad range of underlying proteins and, in addition, has a strong focus on functional enzyme systems – a first in the context of protein nanoparticle reviews. Here we summarize recent advances for the chemical modification and formation of functional biohybrid assemblies, with resulting applications far beyond the delivery of drugs.

But wait, it gets even better! You always wanted to know, how this science would sound in German? Jonas and I also wrote a 🇩🇪 version of the paper:

“Protein-basierte Nanopartikel: Von Wirkstofftransport zu Bildgebung, Nanokatalyse und Proteintherapie”
J. Kaltbeitzel, P. R. Wich
Angew. Chem. 2023, e202216097 (DOI: 10.1002/ange.202216097)
➞ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ange.202216097

Last week we had an amazing three days of nanomedicine talks and science discussions at 2023!
The conference location right under the Sydney Harbour Bridge is always a highlight
Great work by our team members that attended!

A huge congratulation to the three winners of the ECR Oral Presentation Prizes at the 2023 International Conference in

Aria Ahmed-Cox (Children's Cancer Institute) talked about the visualisation of nanoparticle delivery in 3D blood-brain barrier and tumour organoids.
Jonathan Yeow (UNSW Sydney, Biomedical Engineering) presented on enzyme-encapsulated polymersomes as artificial organelles.
Santhni Subramaniam (University of South Australia) talked about the delivery of antibiotics against pulmonary infections using liquid crystalline lipid nanoparticles.

It was my pleasure to present the three awards on behalf of the Royal Society of Chemistry that sponsored these prizes (RSC Polymer Chemistry, RSC Biomaterials Science, RSC Applied Polymers)

We had amazing talks over the last three days! Thanks to all that contributed and were involved in front and behind the scenes Maria Kavallaris AM FAHMS FRSN, Cyrille Boyer, Kris Kilian, Justin Gooding, Tushar Kumeria and Kimberly Edmunds. Also thanks to all session chairs and all student/postdocs that helped to make the conference run smoothly.
See you next year, 24–26 June 2024!

New paper in Biomacromolecules!

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00031

Congratulations to the joint first authors, Matthias and Vinod from our group and everyone else involved in bringing this project to life!

The paper describes the preparation of a protein–polysaccharide conjugate by covalent conjugation of the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with a polysaccharide (acetalated dextran (AcDex) via a thiol exchange reaction. The resulting degradable bioconjugate shows a dual-responsive behavior in acidic and reductive environments and can release drugs in a controlled way.

We show, that in slightly acidic conditions, the micellar nanoparticles disassemble and release an encapsulated prodrug (IAA). The conjugated enzyme then has the chance to react and activate the prodrug by oxidation into cytotoxic radicals, which leads to cellular death. The results indicate that this novel biohybrid conjugate has great potential to be used as a novel approach in enzyme prodrug therapy for cancer treatment.

“Dual-Responsive Enzyme–Polysaccharide Conjugate as a Nanocarrier System for Enzyme Prodrug Therapy”
M. Konhäuser, V. K. Kannaujiya, J. Kaltbeitzel, P. Winterwerber, E. Böhm, B. Breitenbach, P. R. Wich
Biomacromolecules, 2023, 24, 2138−2148. (DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00031)

Dual-Responsive Enzyme–Polysaccharide Conjugate as a Nanocarrier System for Enzyme Prodrug Therapy Biopolymer-based drug delivery systems have gained considerable attention in the field of nanomedicine. In this study, a protein–polysaccharide conjugate was synthesized by covalent conjugation of the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with acetalated dextran (AcDex) via a thiol exchange reaction...

Lilah joins as PhD student in joint supervision with Cordelia Selomulya – Lilah will work on biopolymer-based edible coatings that can be applied on food for improvements in quality and storage performance.

Welcome to our labs and good luck with your experiments!

I'm excited to join RSC Applied Polymers as Associate Editor and to contribute to the journal's mission of advancing the field of applied polymer science.
Thank you Royal Society of Chemistry for the warm welcome, I can't wait to get started - Submissions are open!

https://www.rsc.org/journals-books-databases/about-journals/rsc-applied-polymers/

I'm very happy and honoured to be awarded the David Sangster Polymer Science and Technology Achievement Award of the Polymer Division. Huge thanks to all my current and previous students, colleagues, and mentors!

I'm very humbled as previous awardees are among my all-time favourite scientists: Martina Stenzel, Kristofer Thurecht, Andrew Whittaker, Georgina Such, Sébastien Perrier, Michelle Coote, Gordon Wallace, and Frank Caruso

It was a great pleasure to talk about our science at the Pacific Polymer Conference in Brisbane last week. This, together with seeing again so many friends and colleagues was a wonderful conclusion to this year.

UNSW, UNSW Engineering, UNSW School of Chemical Engineering, The Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz-Germany, University of California, Berkeley, Universität Würzburg Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy,

Very happy that our research labs received the Bronze level award of the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF)

We are the second lab in the Faculty of Engineering and hope that more labs join us in our sustainability journey ♻️💚

LEAF is an internationally recognised certification that helps build a culture of with improved engagement and collaboration in laboratories around the world
More info: https://www.sustainability.unsw.edu.au/get-involved/laboratory-efficiency-assessment-framework-leaf

The 2022 class of Wichlab 🧑‍🔬🧑‍🎓

Viktoria joins our team as a visiting student from Germany – She will work on the evaluation of biopolymer-based materials for 3D printing and drug delivery. Welcome to our labs and good luck with your experiments!