Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest health challenges of our time. As bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, we lose some of our most important tools for fighting infections. To address this growing problem, researchers are developing new ways to target resistant bacteria—without harming the body’s own cells.
In this project, scientists are creating lipid-based nanomaterials—tiny fat vesicles, only 1–100 nanometers in size—that can carry small protein fragments (peptides) directly to infection sites. These nanoparticles closely resemble the body’s own fat structures, making them and increasing the potential for precise, effective, and gentle treatment.
Before such materials can be used in medicine, however, it is essential to ensure that they are also safe to produce and handle. In form of aerosols—tiny droplets in the air—they can be inhaled by workers during production and use. To understand any potential risks, the National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI) in Norway is investigating how these particles may affect the lungs.
The project applies the “Safe and Sustainable by Design” (SSbD) principle, meaning that health and environmental impacts are assessed early in the development process. The lipid particles are tested on human lung cells to determine whether they might trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, or cell death. This knowledge will help researchers to eventually refine the materials and thus minimize risks before scaling up for clinical use.
The goal is to enable safe, sustainable, and innovative nanotechnology that can become a vital tool in the global fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Project leader: Anani K Afanou
Project group members: Mayes Alswady-Hoff; Anne Straumfors; Shan Narui
External partners:
- Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Spain
- Fundación Para La Investigación Biosanitaria De Andalucía Oriental AlejandroOtero (FIBAO), Spain
- Università degli Studi di Torino (UNITO); Italia
- Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM); Portugal
- Norgenotech AS (NGT), Norway
External financial support:
NFR/ Era4Health-EU
More information is to be found on the Norwegian project page.