Generales

By Carlos Olimpo Restrepo S., Journalist at UdeA Communications Office

For eight years, the Max Planck Tandem Group in Nanobioengineering at the Universidad de Antioquia has focused on designing miniature devices that can diagnose diseases and deliver targeted treatments at the cellular level. These devices also promise to pave the way for more effective, personalized therapies with minimal side effects. In recognition of their groundbreaking work, the research team, led by Jahir Orozco Holguín, received the Universidad de Antioquia Research Award from the Academic Council in 2024.

Jahir Orozco Holguín, director of the Max Planck Tandem Group in Nanobioengineering, has spearheaded research in this field at UdeA for eight years. Photo: UdeA Communications Office / Alejandra Uribe Fernández.

The Max Planck Tandem Group in Nanobioengineering (GTMP-N) at UdeA aims to develop miniature devices that can diagnose diseases with high precision and deliver treatments that target affected cells directly. This approach operates on a much smaller scale and uses technology that sets it apart from traditional methods.

In pursuit of this goal, the 15 researchers on the team have dedicated over eight years to their study, Nanobioengineering of Theranostics. On October 9, their work earned the Universidad de Antioquia Research Award in Exact and Natural Sciences, Economics, Engineering, and Technology, presented by the Academic Council.

“This innovative biomedicine research takes a cross-disciplinary approach, drawing on multiple fields to achieve real-time diagnosis and personalized treatment. It utilizes the distinct properties of nanomaterials, which are fundamentally different from those of larger-scale materials,” as stated in Academic Resolution 3801.

In this document, the Academic Council of UdeA acknowledged the group’s outstanding contributions to science, including the development of nanosensors for detecting SARS-CoV-2 and diagnosing COVID-19, genosensors (DNA-based sensors) for identifying a genotype of hepatitis E virus, diagnostic platforms for toxoplasmosis, tools for detecting bacteria affecting fish like tilapia, and disinfectants for contact lenses, among others.

“We began with this collaborative project with the Max Planck Society, but over time, we secured funding for 11 other research projects. Eight of these projects are complete, and three are still ongoing, with funding from the university and various grant opportunities,” explained Jahir Orozco Holguín, founder and director of the GTMP-N.

Orozco Holguín earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from UdeA before spending 15 years abroad. During this period, he completed his PhD in Chemistry at the University of Barcelona and the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona. He also conducted postdoctoral research at the Oceanographic Observatory of Banyuls-sur-Mer, France; the Department of Nanoengineering at the University of California, San Diego, USA; and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Spain. These experiences expanded his research expertise, leading him to his current role at the Alma Mater.

The success of this research is primarily the result of teamwork and international collaboration. “In these eight years, through this project, we have trained three doctors and worked with a postdoctoral researcher, all of whom are from UdeA. We are an interdisciplinary team because this research demands expertise from multiple fields,” said the group leader.

“I am a product of this university, where professors and researchers who served as great role models trained me. At this point, as part of the scientific ecosystem, conducting high-impact research, and becoming a reference for the generations shaping today, we see this Award as a great honor. It is the result of our team’s collective effort,” said Jahir Orozco Holguín, director of GTMP-N.

This Is the Process

The devices deliver fast and reliable results without requiring bulky equipment. Photo: UdeA Communications Office / Alejandra Uribe Fernández.

Nanobioengineering of theranostics may be challenging to grasp, but in simple terms, it combines tiny devices that can diagnose and treat diseases.

“We harness the properties of matter at the nanoscale—microscopic scales—and combine them with biological molecules. From an engineering perspective, this allows us to create valuable healthcare products,” said Orozco Holguín, who also noted, “We are working on developing devices that can both diagnose and treat diseases.”

“Nanobioengineering is valuable not only for addressing infectious and tropical diseases but also for other conditions, such as cancer,” said Orozco. “Consequently, this team of scientists has concentrated on developing devices to detect pathogens—such as bacteria, parasites, and viruses like Zika and SARS-CoV-2—and to identify colorectal cancer markers.”

As a result, the group’s research takes two complementary approaches: one focuses on the devices, while the other examines how to administer the therapy. The first approach aims to use these tiny devices to provide fast and reliable diagnoses in laboratories and real-world, non-controlled settings.

The second approach aims to ensure that drug molecules target the affected cells or pathogens directly, minimizing damage to other cells and organs, which often occurs with conventional drugs.

“Initially, we perform an analytical characterization of the devices, studying them in the laboratory under controlled conditions to confirm that they function as designed,” explained the scientist.

The researcher explained that they collect blood, saliva, or urine samples using a micropipette, placing a single drop on a portable chip. The chip connects to a computer, tablet, or smartphone, where a downloadable app detects the presence or absence of a specific disease.

“Next, we enter the clinical validation phase. If the device works in the lab, we test it with patient samples alongside those from healthy individuals in a statistically significant group to ensure it performs well in real-world conditions,” explained the researcher, citing the example of nanosensors for detecting SARS-CoV-2. As part of their work on a similar device for cancer detection—one of the GTMP-N’s main objectives—they’ve reached Technology Readiness Level (TRL) seven. However, they must reach TRL nine to advance toward pre-commercialization.

Therapeutics face a slower development process. For cancer treatments, researchers consider challenges like poor drug solubility, compound degradation, and unwanted interactions with other molecules that may harm healthy organs beyond the targeted area.

“That’s why we focus on designing devices that encapsulate the medicine’s active ingredient and deliver it directly to the therapeutic target. For intracellular infections, where the pathogen resides inside a cell, this technology enables precise drug delivery to the infected cell, leaving healthy cells unharmed. In cancer treatment, we can specifically target cancerous cells while sparing the healthy ones,” explained the head of the Max Planck Tandem Nanobioengineering Group.

He added that this approach will optimize treatments, lower drug doses, reduce the risk of resistance, and enable personalized therapies. The patient’s genetics, physiology, eating habits, smoking status, and use of other substances will determine the dose. “With this, we are advancing toward a new paradigm of precision medicine,” said Orozco.