Department Radiation Science Technology
Principal investigator Antonia Denkova & Robin de Kruijff
E-mail address r.m.dekruijff@tudelft.nl
What happens to dietary supplements in your body?
Supervisor: Robin de Kruijff, r.m.dekruijff@tudelft.nl
Stable elements play a large role in our daily lives. A number of these metals are important for the proper functioning of the human body, or even essential to our survival. Dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular, both prescribed by the hospital as well as self-medicated. However, there is a delicate balance, where too much or too little can often be toxic. In many cases the underlying biochemical mechanisms and health effects are not well known. Therefore, research into the safety and effectiveness of these supplements is required.
If you are you looking for a project where you can apply your skills to solve these type of societal issues, this could be the place for you. Possible bachelor and master projects include looking at 1) the effectiveness of iron supplements in patients, and their possible influence on gut microbiota, 2) the use of calcium supplements and whether they actually lead to an increased calcium uptake in bones, and 3) evaluating the uptake in the body of nanoparticles which are found in consumer products.
Techniques
- Radiochemistry
- Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis
The effect of Fe supplementation on human gut bacteria
Supervisor: Robin de Kruijff, r.m.dekruijff@tudelft.nl
Stable elements play a large role in our daily lives. A number of these metals are important for the proper functioning of the human body, or even essential to our survival. Dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular, both prescribed by the hospital as well as self-medicated. However, there is a delicate balance, where too much or too little can often be toxic. The microbiome of an individual plays an important role in human’s health. The majority of the microbiome is made up of mico-organisms present in the gut. Metals are known to play a role in the survival and reproduction of bacteria. Iron (Fe) supplementation can be necessary in the treatment of iron deficient anaemia and mostly oral supplements are used to restore iron stocks. However the intestinal uptake of this iron is low, which results in an exposure of the human micriobiome in the gut to an excess of iron. Little is known about the effect of such an exposure on the various strains of bacteria. There are indications that such an excess of iron may be detrimental to the balance between favorable and pathological bacteria. In handling metals by bacteria, metalloproteins play a vital role in cell metabolism. The MIRAGE technique, studying metalloproteomics in bacteria by using radioactive metal isotopes as tracers, provides information on the effect of overexposure as well as deficiency of metals on cell metabolism of bacteria. We use this technique to study the effect over overexposure to iron on various micro-organisms that play a crucial role in the maintenance of the human microbiome. This will help us understand how Fe supplementation may affect the human microbiome, and therefore human health, down to the molecular level.
Techniques
- MIRAGE
- Radiochemistry
Further reading
The Role of Iron in Staphylococcus aureus Infection and Human Disease: A Metal Tug of War at the Host-Microbe Interface, M.C. van Dijk, R.M. de Kruijff, P. Hagedoorn, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 2022, 10, 1-7
Block copolymer micelles in nuclear medicine
Supervisor: Antonia Denkova, a.g.denkova@tudelft.nl
Block copolymer micelles are typically used in drug delivery. To date, however, studies that account for the use of micelles in nuclear medicine are strikingly low. In this project we investigate the best possible morphology of block copolymer micelles for application in nuclear medicine. The studies include, the preparation, characterization and radiolabelling of different types of micelles and subsequent in vitro studies.
Techniques
- Radiochemistry
- Ion exclusion chromatography
- In vitro testing
Nanomaterials for 99Mo/99mTc generators
Supervisor: Robin de Kruijff, r.m.dekruijff@tudelft.nl
99mTc is the medically most applied radioactive isotope, accounting for nearly 80% of all nuclear diagnostic tests. It is supplied in the clinics from isotope generators. These generators contain a sorbent that tightly binds molybdenum-99 ions. 99Mo decays with a half-life of 66 h to 99mTc, which can be regularly eluted from the sorbent in the form of 99mTcO4-.
This research project studies the synthesis of different nano-sized target materials. An increase of production options for molybdenum will have large impact on the preparation of 99Mo/99mTc generators. One reason for that is that it will allow reduction of generator size and thus costs. But an even more important reason is that it will enable the usage of 99Mo produced by alternative routes to the commercial uranium fission routes (less nuclear waste, no risk of proliferation).
Techniques
- Radiochemistry
- Nanomaterials