Hsin-Yi Chiu

Taiwanese

My research project aims at delivery of nanobodies into living cells by using colloidal mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Nanobodies are single-domain antibody fragments derived from the antibodies of camelid species. These single-domain antibody fragments are much smaller than normal antibodies but they process the same antigen-binding capability with the original heavy-chain antibody and are very stable. Owing to the unique structure and functional properties, nanobodies are popular in the applications of therapeutic treatments, monitoring and modulating protein function in living cells, and biochemical studies. While fusing nanobodies with fluorescent proteins (we called chromobodies), we can use them as a tool for bioimgae to detect protein localization and dynamic function in living cells. However, the efficiency of delivering nanobodies directly into living cells is pretty low (only about 1 ~ 2 %). Colloidal mesoporous silica (CMS) nanoparticle is a promising drug delivery carrier thanks to its large pore volume, large surface area, good stability in aqueous solution, and tunable size in the range of nano-scale. By using CMS nanoparticles as the delivery vehicle for nanobodies, we hope to enhance the efficiency of nanobodies delivery, and further develop a convenient, useful system for bioimage applications.