During his postdoctoral training in Christian Eggeling's lab at University of Oxford, Iztok Urbančič has mastered super-resolution techniques such as STED and FCS and has transferred from our lab to Oxford some important experience in FMS and optical tweezers. He has gained important expertise in working with immune cells, the work of entire consortium including I. Urbančič has been accepted for publication in Nature Immunology (2018, Capturing resting T cells: the perils of PLL, A'' & IF=21.5). The very tight collaboration between our group (LBF) and Eggeling's lab is reflected also in the joined organisation of Advanced microscopy workshop at Jozef Stefan Insititute in September 2017 and already resulted in STED-related expertise transfer from Oxford group to LBF. Substantial expertise in superresolution imaging techniques, gained from Eggeling's lab, is crucial for the introduction of nonlinear superresolution microscopy to enable imaging of cell interaction with nanomaterials as proven also in the recently submitted joined paper (I.Urbančič as the first author, J.Štrancar as a corresponding author), which is currently under consideration in high-IF journal.
COBISS.SI-ID: 31228711
Within the research field of interactions and dynamics of multicellular systems, tissues and other complex systems, we tested the properties of a new MR imaging contrast agent based on ferrite nanoparticles. We have shown that ferriliposomes (ferrite nanoparticles encapsulated into lipid vesicles) can be used as outstanding T2 MRI contrast agent. Thus, they enable monitoring drug delivery to desired position by MRI detection. Furthermore, we confirm their use as a targeted drug delivery system to the specific site by external magnetic field in vivo improving the effectiveness of existing cancer treatments. With this study we were involved in the outstanding publication in the journal Nature nanotechnology. Since its publication the paper (A'' & IF=27) was cited 176 times (without autocitations). U.Mikac played the most important role in coupling nanomaterials and MRI imaging.
COBISS.SI-ID: 25057831
One of our strength is the ability to understand and design molecular probes devoted to address well-defined experimental challenges. Stane Pajk was involved in probe development for optical micro resonators and lasers constructed from liquid crystal micro droplets. Different optical modes can be excited in the droplets with a fluorescent dye using an external excitation source of light. By synthesizing a suitable fluorescent probe, which spontaneously inserted in the micro droplets, we contributed to the publication of a highly cited work in prestigious journal Nature Photonics (A'' & IF=23). The paper already has 73 pure citations. We developed a novel experimental technique fluorescence microspectroscopy (Biomed Opt Express 2011 2:2083) together with environmentally sensitive fluorescent probes (Tetrahedron letters 2014 (55): 6044) for spectrally-ontrasted imaging with included bleaching correction with nanometre spectral peak position resolution enabling the use of photosensitive probes. (Opt Express 2013 21:25291). J.Štrancar, I.Urbančič, S.Pajk in Z.Arsov have the most important role in probe and method development.
COBISS.SI-ID: 22940455
In the last 10 years we have developed several outstanding and unique approaches to characterise the molecular organisation in membranes and proteins, which present significant challenges for other methods (especially membrane and intrinsically disordered proteins). We published several outstanding publications: description of molecular ordering in bilayers via EPR spectroscopy (the last paper v J. Phys.Chem. Lett. z IF 7.5, which belongs to class A''), description of molecular conformations in membrane with polarized fluorescence microspectroscopy (Opt. express and Biophys. J., which belong to class A') and description of protein structure (Biophys J. with 41 pure citations, and Proteins with 72 pure citations). All these methods will be employed in the proposed research of lipid-protein reach surfactant wraps around nanomaterials and in recovery of the surfactant layers over epithelium. Three PhD students have succesfully defended their PhDs in these topics recently. J.Štrancar, I.Urbančič and T.Koklič have the most important role in development of models of molecular oragnization.
COBISS.SI-ID: 28004647
Interactive whiteboard (IWB) are today a relatively common educational tool in schools in developed countires. However, it seems that the unique possibilities of IWBs are rarely used to enhance teaching and learning. We investigated what were the crucial elements for a high-school physics teacher to learn and use the IWB in a new way, how she planned and implemented a lesson on motion of planets, a topic that does not allow using real experiments in a classroom, while being able to perform spatial manipulation is of crucial importance. Findings can be transferred to teaching many other topics such as dynamics of particles on a microscopic scales, processes in biological systems, quantum phenomena and more. PAper has been published in A'' journal, treated as outstanding achievement. G. Planinšič and A.Mohorič have the most important role in development of didactis tools.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3059812
The knowledge gained from exploring complex cell systems have been transferred to the study of complex geometries of heat and mass currents within the building blocks, proving our ability to make significant scientific breakthrough on very much applied problem on micrometer scale being very relevant for the industry of large passive objects. The paper has been published in renowned journal Building and environment, gaining already 18 pure citations (without autocitations). One PhD students has successfully defended her PhD in this topic. J.Štrancar and R.Podlipec have the highest impact on the knowledge transfer from basic ideas into application.
COBISS.SI-ID: 26407719
We have gained the expertise of producing artificial tissue scaffold from collagen and its degradation prodcuts. By EPR spectroscopy we discovered that cell ingrowth depends on the mobility of the local polymer chains (paper with IF=7.1, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2014 (6):15980). With the optical tweezers system for optical micromanipulation built within the confocal fluorescence microscope system, the cell adhesion dynamics and measured adhesion force have been further correlated with the cell growth, measured on a days scale (published in paper with IF=6.7, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2015 (7):6782). These experiences will be used in further development of the in vitro model of lung air-blood barrier, so-called lung-barrier-on-chip. J.Štrancar, T.Koklič and R.Podlipec have the highest impact on the development of tissue models.
COBISS.SI-ID: 28541479
A new approach for gel thickness determination, that is formed around the dry tablet core upon contact with body fluids, has been developed. The gel lyer is the key element in drug release from hydrophilic matrix tablets since it regulates the penetration of body fluids and controls drug dissolution and diffusion. A develped approach is a combination of three MRI methods: T1 weighted spi-echo MRI, T2 mapping, and SPI imaging method, that enables imaing of samples with short T2. T1-weighted sequence was used to determine the erosion front (the border between the gel and bulk medium), T2 mapping the swelling front (the border between hydrated polymer in glassy state and the gel), and SPI pulse sequence the penetration front. The new approach has been used to study the gel layer in xanthan matrix tablets. It has been shown that medium pH and ionic strength affect gel layer thickness and structure. The paper has been published in the journal with IF=7.2, gaining already 34 clean citations (without autocitations) . I.Serša is the most important member in MRI methods development.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2780273
The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of in situ monitoring of electric field distribution during in vivo electroporation of mouse tumors in order to predict reversibly electroporated tumor areas. Reversibly electroporated tumor areas were determined by means of magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT). In addition, T1-weighted images of tumors were acquired to determine entrapment of contrast agent within the reversibly electroporated area. Obtained tumor areas were also histologically analyzed by means of histopathological staining. Results showed that coverage of tumors with reversibly electroporated tumor cells obtained by MREIT and fraction of tumors with entrapped MR contrast agent were correlated and were statistically similar to fraction of tumors with entrapped fluorescent dye. Implementation of presented method in electroporation based treatments could increase efficiency of the treatment. The paper repesents an outstanding achievement (A'', IF=6.8), gaining already 16 clean citations (without autocitations) . I.Serša is the most important member in MRI methods, including MREIT development.
COBISS.SI-ID: 10729556
We investigated molecular diffusion effect on NMR signal in extremely non-uniform magnetic fields gaining insight to new method as a tool to study translational processes on molecular level. The method was implemented on a specialized NMR system, based on Earth's magnetic field. The paper represents an outstanding achievement (A'', IF=6.7), gaining already 16 clean citations (without autocitations). A.Mohorič as the highest impact in MR development for study of molecular diffusion.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2157156