Overview of the results and their exploitation and dissemination:
Within the project, different main interesting results were identified, which have been selected and prioritized due to their high potential to be exploited – meaning to make use and derive benefits- downstream the value chain of MXenes, and act as an important input to policy.
i) Considering the critical unmet need to detect and image 2D materials within single cells and tissues while surveying a high degree of information from single samples, the project proposed a versatile multiplexed label-free single-cell detection strategy based on CyTOF and MIBI-TOF. This strategy, Label-free sINgle-cell tracKing of 2D matErials by mass cytometry and MIBI-TOF Design (LINKED), enabled nanomaterial detection and simultaneous measurement of multiple cell and tissue features. The label-free detection of 2D materials by mass cytometry at the single-cell level, on multiple cell subpopulations, and in multiple organs simultaneously, is expected to enable exciting new opportunities in biomedicine. This method was extended to other nanomaterials sharing similar properties, thus paving the way for new discoveries in nanomedicine and materials science.
ii) Within the project, MXenes with different characteristics were developed and the material physicochemical properties were correlated to their biological impact with a particular focus on immune cells, including macrophages and peripheral blood mononuclear cells and human skin.
iii) Detecting nanomaterial uptake from the skin is challenging. Thanks to the LINKED approach developed within the project, it was possible to evaluate the absorption of nanomaterials at the skin level. The advanced approach and analysis methodology can be applied to other kinds of nanostructures and nanomaterials with similar properties.
Exploitation mechanisms and activities to maximize the expected impact focus on identifying end-users to ensure impact and uptake of the results:
1. Several companies interested in the SEE project results have been identified. These have been targeted by different communication and dissemination actions and networking/clustering activities.
2. Results on the immune impact were obtained in advance of the scheduled time, resulting in a provisional patent application (U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/374,460) was submitted.
3. The safe use of MXenes will be beneficial not only for their biomedical applications, but also for other sectors where MXenes are emerging as promising candidates, from energy storage, catalysis, and nanoelectronics, Artificial Intelligence, to communications and sensing.
4. Understanding the effects and customizing the design of MXenes with tunable properties is expected to paw the way for a wide variety of new opportunities and discoveries for MXene technologies in several fields.
5. It will accelerate the rapid and safe adoption of newly developed materials, also facilitating general public awareness and trust in 2D material advances.
6. Can potentially contribute to the efforts of regulatory agencies in developing specific guidelines for nanomaterial safety assessment.
7. In addition, by exploring the biological impact of MXenes and shade light on their classification, the project is expected to facilitate the application-oriented design of MXenes making it possible to scale up MXene synthesis well past laboratory scales, and potentially providing a path toward the direct commercialization of MXene and MXene-based technologies.
8. The Fellow was selected among the 10 finalist teams of Start Cup Padova, a competition for the development of a star-up, proposing MXenes for biomedical applications.
