To the service of health, well-being, biotechnology and industry

The development of more effective miniaturized devices will respond to therapeutic challenges, from diagnosis to patient management and his pharmaceutical treatment, as well as societal issues in the food, biotechnology and cosmetics industries.

To establish an early diagnosis of a disease, innovative materials developed from porous objects will allow the selective capture and identification of certain molecules or markers of pathologies.

For example, a drop of biological fluid could be deposited on a microfluidic device consisting of a first porous filtration system and then a sensor based on a porous solid or a protein nanopore, could allow the identification of a virus or a protein characteristic of a pathology.

The encapsulation of active molecules in porous objects will allow the control of their release in time (controlled release) and in space (vectorization). An anticancer drug can then specifically treat a cancerous tumor. As the effectiveness of the treatment increases and its collateral effects diminish, the management of the patient will be improved.

This encapsulation of active molecules has applications beyond the medical field, in particular in the cosmetics market.

High-performance packaging can also be used for the detoxification of living organisms. The properties of porous objects can then allow the detection of poisons or to effectively trap toxic substances.

Understanding how porous interact with living matter at molecular and tissue scales remains today a key point to deepen in order to improve the properties of these materials such as biodegradability or biocompatibility. Studying the interface with cells and their response to porous objects will allow the creation of the devices of tomorrow.