We are pleased to announce that the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, has been selected as one of the beneficiaries of the National Science Centre’s OPUS 30+LAP/Weave call for proposals. Funding has been awarded to the ARCHICu (Architecture-Controlled Cu-Ion Release in Multilayers) project entitled ‘Effect of transparent TiO₂/CuOx/TiO₂ multilayer architecture on Cu-ion migration kinetics from embedded layers and their bioactivity’.
A team led by Bogumiła Szponar, PhD, DSc, from the Laboratory of Medical Microbiology at the IIET PAS is involved in the project. The grant is led by Wrocław University of Science and Technology, with Damian Wojcieszak, PhD, DSc, Eng., as project manager. On the lead institution’s side, the research is being carried out by the Division of Thin Film Technologies (TFT) operating within the Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems. The project’s international partner is the Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic), represented by the team led by Alena Ševců, PhD.
The aim of the ARCHICu project is to develop a new generation of transparent, bioactive coatings with controlled release of copper ions. The carefully designed architecture of these multilayer materials is intended to ensure effective antimicrobial activity whilst maintaining biocompatibility.
As part of the grant, research will be conducted into the design and manufacture of multilayer oxide coatings, the mechanisms of copper ion transport, and the relationship between a material’s structure and its biological properties. The solutions developed may find application in, amongst other things, contact lens technologies, optical components, medical devices and modern optoelectronic systems.
The total funding for the project amounts to 1,983,720 PLN.
Full ranking list:
https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/default/files/listy-rankingowe/opus30-lap-pl-cz.pdf