Known as the Oscars of Australian Science, this year Eureka Prize was given to SNAL associated partner in Swinburne University of Technology Profs. Elena Ivanova and Saulius Juodkazis for invention of mechano-bactericidal surfaces inspired by insect wings. See full story at Swinburne University web site.
A line of SNAL research Membrane-active nanostructured surfaces has won the […]

Expertise in Microbiology and Biotechnology/Nanobiotechnology. Design, fabrication and operation of planar micro-devices, immobilization of bio-molecules and micro-organisms in micro/nano/environments, bacterial interactions with macro/micro/nano-structured surfaces.

OBJECTIVES
The project is based on a recent publications showing the importance of membrane tension for interaction of nanoparticles with cells1–3. Deformation of cells and compression of lipid bilayers by strongly adsorbing nanoparticles is related to a non-chemical and non-biological mechanism of recently discovered antibacterial action of nanoparticles.
(i) Molecular Dynamics, Langevin dynamics, numerical surface evolvers, as […]

Adv. Mat. 32 (52), 2005679 (2020)
Denver P. Linklater, Vladimir A. Baulin, Xavier Le Guével, Jean‐Baptiste Fleury, Eric Hanssen, The Hong Phong Nguyen, Saulius Juodkazis, Gary Bryant, Russell J. Crawford, Paul Stoodley, Elena P. Ivanova

It is commonly accepted that nanoparticles (NPs) can kill bacteria; however, the mechanism of antimicrobial action remains obscure for large NPs that […]

This project is part of RMIT University node under the Australian Centre for Electromagnetic Bioeffects Research (ACEBR), which is a Centre of Excellence funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia since 2005. ACEBR’s remit is, among other things, to conduct cutting-edge research into potential health effects associated with exposure to the […]

Scientific Reports, 9, 4694 (2019)
Berardo M. Manzi, Marco Werner, Elena P. Ivanova, Russell J. Crawford and Vladimir A. Baulin
Recent technological advances have allowed the development of a new generation of nanostructured materials, such as those displaying both mechano-bactericidal activity and substrata that favor the growth of mammalian cells. Nanomaterials that come into contact with biological […]

Langmuir, January (2019)
S. Cheeseman, Vi Khanh Truong, V. Walter, F. Thalmann, C. M. Marques, Eric Hanssen, J. Vongsvivut, M. Tobin, V. A. Baulin, S. Juodkazis, S. MacLaughlin, G. Bryant, R. J. Crawford, E. P. Ivanova
The waxy epicuticle of dragonfly wings contains a unique nanostructured pattern that exhibits bactericidal properties. In light of emerging concerns of […]

ACS Nano, 114(9), 2165–2173 (2018)
Denver P. Linklater, Michael De Volder, Vladimir A Baulin, Marco Werner, Sarah Jessl, Mehdi Golozar, Laura Maggini, Sergey Rubanov, Eric Hanssen, Saulius Juodkazis, Elena P. Ivanova
The properties of lipid bilayers in sucrose solutions have been intensely scrutinized over recent decades because of the importance of sugars in the field of biopreservation. […]

Scientific Reports, 8, 8413 (2018)
Susan Stuhr, Vi Khanh Truong, Jitraporn Vongsvivut, Tobias Senkbeil, Yang Yang, Mohammad Al Kobaisi, Vladimir A. Baulin, Marco Werner, Sergey Rubanov, Mark J. Tobin, Peter Cloetens, Axel Rosenhahn, Robert N. Lamb, Pere Luque, Richard Marchant, Elena P. Ivanova
Insects represent the majority of known animal species and exploit a variety of fascinating […]

Interface Focus, 8, 20170060, (2018)
Denver P. Linklater, Vladimir A. Baulin, Saulius Juodkazis and Elena P. Ivanova
Growing interest in the bactericidal effect of graphene and graphene-derived nanomaterials has led to the investigation and effective publication of the bactericidal effects of the substratum, many of which present highly conflicting material. The nature of bacterial cell death on graphene […]

J. Synchrotron Rad. 25, 874-877 (2018)
Vi Khanh Truong, Jitraporn Vongsvivut, Nipuni Mahanamanam Geeganagamage, Mark J. Tobin, Pere Luque, Vladimir A. Baulin, Marco Werner, Shane Maclaughlin, Russell J. Crawford and Elena P. Ivanova
Damselflies Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis exhibiting black wings are found in the western Mediterranean, Algeria, France, Italy, Spain and Monaco. Wing pigmentation is caused by the presence of melanin, which is involved […]

Materials 2018, 11(4), 605 (2018); https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11040605
Jason V. Wandiyanto, Denver Linklater, Pallale G. Tharushi Perera, Anna Orlowska, Vi Khanh Truong, Helmut Thissen, Shahram Ghanaati, Vladimir A. Baulin, Russell J. Crawford, Saulius Juodkazis and Elena P. Ivanova
Titanium is a biocompatible material that is frequently used for making implantable medical devices. Nanoengineering of the surface is the common method for increasing material […]

23-24 March 2018. Management meeting in Ischia island, Naples, Italy

Agenda:
Venue:
Meeting will be held in Hotel “Le Querce”,
Via Baldassarre Cossa, 55 – Ischia, ITALY
Attending people:

Vladimir Baulin (URV, Spain, coordinator)
Marco Werner (URV, Spain, project manager)

Ian Tucker (Unilever, UK)

 John Seddon (Imperial, UK)

 Fernando Bresme (Imperial, UK)

 Domenico Lombardo (CNR, Italy)

 Elena Ivanova (Swinburne, Australia)

 Carlos Marques (CNRS, France)

 Kevin Ward (Biopharma, UK)

 Jian R […]

Nano-Micro Lett., 10, 36 (2018)
Chris M. Bhadra, Marco Werner, Vladimir A. Baulin, Vi Khanh Truong, Mohammad Al Kobaisi, Song Ha Nguyen, Armandas Balcytis, Saulius Juodkazis, James Y. Wang, David E. Mainwaring, Russell J. Crawford, Elena P. Ivanova
One of the major challenges faced by the biomedical industry is the development of robust synthetic surfaces that can resist […]

Materials, 11(1) 60 (2018)
Anna Orlowska, Pallale Tharushi Perera, Mohammad Al Kobaisi, Andre Dias,
Huu Khuong Duy Nguyen, Shahram Ghanaati, Vladimir A. Baulin, Russell J. Crawford, Elena P. Ivanova
Cellular attachment plays a vital role in the differentiation of pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. PC12 cells are noradrenergic clonal cells isolated from the adrenal medulla of Rattus norvegicus and studied extensively […]

Acta Biomaterialia, 59, 148-157 (2017).
Elena P. Ivanova, Song Ha Nguyen, Yachong Guo, Vladimir A. Baulin, Hayden K. Webb, Vi Khanh Truong, Jason V. Wandiyanto, Christopher J. Garvey, Peter
J. Mahon, David E. Mainwaring, Russell J. Crawford
The wings of insects such as cicadas and dragonflies have been found to exhibit nanostructure arrays that are assembled from fatty acids, […]

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol (2017). doi:10.1007/s00253-017-8205-9
Vi Khanh Truong, Nipuni Mahanamanam Geeganagamage, Vladimir A. Baulin, Jitraporn Vongsvivut, Mark J. Tobin, Pere Luque, Russell J. Crawford, Elena P. Ivanova
Nanostructured insect wing surfaces have been reported to possess the ability to resist bacterial colonization through the mechanical rupture of bacterial cells coming into contact with the surface. In this […]

18 November 2016 – Amposta, Spain
As a part of the annual event “Week of Science” celebrated in Catalonia (Setmana de la Ciència a Catalunya), Vladimir Baulin (researcher at URV) and Pere Luque (entomologist in the Museu de les Terres de l’Ebre) presented an open lecture for general public about research on dragonflies in Catolonia. The event took place […]

Langmuir: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b02601 (2016)
Duy H. K. Nguyen, Vy T. H. Pham, Mohammad Al Kobaisi, Chris M. Bhadra, Anna Orlowska, Shahram Ghanaati, Berardo Mario Manzi, Vladimir A Baulin, Saulius Juodkazis, Peter Kingshott, Russell J Crawford, and Elena P. Ivanova

The protein adsorption of two human plasma proteins, albumin (Alb) and fibronectin (Fn) onto synthetic nanostructured bactericidal material, black silicon […]

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces: 8(34) 22025-22031 (2016)
Vy T. H. Pham, Vi Khanh Truong, Anna Orlowska, Shahram Ghanaati, Mike Barbeck, Patrick Booms, Alex James Fulcher, Chris M. Bhadra, Ricardas Buividas, Vladimir A Baulin, Charles James Kirkpatrick, Pauline Doran, David E. Mainwaring, Saulius Juodkazis, Russell J Crawford, and Elena P. Ivanova

With an aging population and the consequent […]

30 September 2016. Management meeting in Salou, Spain
Agenda:
Venue:
Meeting will be held in Hotel Magnolia Salou,
Carrer de Madrid, 8, 43840 Salou, Tarragona
Attending people:

Vladimir Baulin (URV, Spain, coordinator)
Marco Werner (URV, Spain, project manager)
Jens-Uwe Sommer (IPF, Dresden)
 Domenico Lombardo (CNR, Italy)

 Elena Ivanova (Swinburne, Australia)

 Fabrice Thalmann (CNRS, France)

 Marc Schmutz (CNRS, France)

PLoS ONE 11(7): e0158135 (2016)
The Hong Phong Nguyen , Vy T. H. Pham , Song Ha Nguyen , Vladimir A. Baulin, Rodney J. Croft, Brian Phillips, Russell J. Crawford, Elena P. Ivanova

The mechanisms by which various biological effects are triggered by exposure to an electromagnetic field are not fully understood and have been the subject […]

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (2015) 99 (16), 6831-6840 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6572-7
Vi K. Truong, Vy T. H. Pham, A. Medvedev, R. Lapovok, Y. Estrin, T. C. Lowe, V. Baulin, V. Boshkovikj, C. J. Fluke, R. J. Crawford, E. P. Ivanova

The surface nanotopography and architecture of medical implant devices are important factors that can control the extent of bacterial attachment. The ability to prevent bacterial attachment […]

7 August 2015 – Massif Els Ports, Tarragona, Spain
Outreach activity:
Catalan TV channel TV3 film our expedition in Terres de l’Ebre to describe our research on dragonfly wings in Massif Els Ports. 

http://mp4-medium-dwn.media.tv3.cat/6/2/1440073012926.mp4

Highlight in newspapers and radio:

TV3
TarragonaRadio
URV Activa
La Vanguardia
Diari de Tarragona
ElEconomista
Comsciencia
Ceics news
Nacidigital
Biblioteca Roquetes

How it was filmed:
 

 
Authors

ACS Nano, DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b03368 (2015)
Vy T. H. Pham, Vi Khanh Truong, Matthew D. J. Quinn, Shannon M. Notley, Yachong Guo, Vladimir A. Baulin, Mohammad Al Kobaisi, Russell J. Crawford, and Elena P. Ivanova

Pristine graphene, its derivatives, and composites have been widely reported to possess antibacterial properties. Most of the studies simulating the interaction between bacterial cell […]

22 October 2015. Management meeting in Salou, Spain
Agenda:
Venue:
Meeting will be held in Hotel Magnolia Salou,
Carrer de Madrid, 8, 43840 Salou, Tarragona
Attending people:

Vladimir Baulin (URV, Spain, coordinator)
Marco Werner (URV, Spain, project manager)
Jens-Uwe Sommer (IPF, Dresden)
 Domenico Lombardo (CNR, Italy)

 Elena Ivanova (Swinburne, Australia)

 Fabrice Thalmann (CNRS, France)

Shahram Ghanaati (GUF, Frankfurt)
Ian Tucker (Unilever, UK)
David Mainwaring (Swinburne, Australia)

26 June 2015 – Massif Els Ports, Tarragona, Spain
Dragonfly expedition to Massif Els Ports in collaboration with Museu de les Terres de l’Ebre, Amposta, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia and Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona
Unique limestone massif Els Ports is situated in Catalonia, Valencia and Aragon, characterised by its abrupt cliff faces, which has been inhabited […]

From Modeling to Advanced Applications
Date: 23 July 2015
Location:  Main Palace Hotel, Roccalumera, Sicily (near Taormina) – Italy
Satellite Event of ITN-SNAL Summer School on Biomaterials, Cell Membranes and Bilayers 24 July – 2 August 2015

This workshop will bring together researchers working in different fields of Nanoscience and Biotechnology and is an opportunity to discuss the existing and novel approaches in Modeling, Fabrication, […]

Delivery of molecular payloads through primary human cell membrane

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2 (19), 2785-2948 (2014)
Vy T. H. Pham, Vi Khanh Truong, David E. Mainwaring, Yachong Guo, Vladimir Baulin, Mohammad Al Kobaisi,   Gediminas Gervinskas, Saulius Juodkazis, Wendy R. Zeng, Pauline Doran, Russell J Crawford and Elena P. Ivanova

Microscale devices are increasingly being developed for diagnostic analysis although conventional lysis as an initial step presents […]

Nature Comm., 4, 2838 (2013)
E. P. Ivanova, J. Hasan, H. K. Webb, G. Gervinskas, S. Juodkazis, Vi K. Truong, A. H. F. Wu, R. N. Lamb, V. A. Baulin, G. S. Watson, J. A. Watson, D. E. Mainwaring, R. J. Crawford

 Black silicon is a synthetic nanomaterial that contains high aspect ratio nanoprotrusions on its surface, produced through a simple reactive-ion etching technique for use in photovoltaic applications. Surfaces with high […]

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol., 97 (20), 9257-9262 (2013)
Jafar Hasan, Hayden K. Webb, Vi Khanh Truong, Sergey Pogodin, Vladimir A. Baulin, Gregory S. Watson, Jolanta A. Watson, Russell J. Crawford, Elena P. Ivanova
The nanopattern on the surface of Clanger cicada (Psaltoda claripennis) wings represents the first example of a new class of biomaterials that can kill bacteria on contact […]

Biofouling, 29 (2), 163-170 (2013)
H.K. Webb, V. Boshkovikj, C.J. Fluke, V.K. Truong, J. Hasan, V.A. Baulin, R. Lapovok, Y. Estrin, R.J. Crawford and E.P. Ivanova
Despite the volume of work that has been conducted on the topic, the role of surface topography in mediating bacterial cell adhesion is not well understood. The primary reason for this lack of […]

S. Pogodin, J. Hasan, V.A. Baulin, H.K. Webb, V.K. Truong, T.H.P. Nguyen, V. Boshkovikj, C.J. Fluke, G.S. Watson, J.A. Watson, R.J. Crawford and E.P. Ivanova

Biophys. J., 104 (4), 835-840 (2013)

The nanopattern on the surface of Clanger cicada (Psaltoda claripennis) wings represents the first example of a new class of biomaterials that can kill bacteria […]

Elena P. Ivanova, Jafar Hasan, Hayden K. Webb, Vi Khanh Truong, Gregory S. Watson, Jolanta A. Watson, Vladimir A. Baulin, Sergey Pogodin, James Y. Wang, Mark J. Tobin, Christian Löbbe, Russell J. Crawford

Small, 8 (16), 2489 – 2494 (2012)

Natural superhydrophobic surfaces are often thought to have antibiofouling potential due to their self-cleaning properties. However, when […]

Many surfaces found in nature possess sophisticated topographical structures which provide them with exceptional properties. Nano-structured surface of lotus leafs efficiently repel water, microscopic brushes of gecko fingers drastically increase the contact with surfaces, topographical structures provides for enhanced anti-reflection surface properties in insects. Self-cleaning ability of bio-surfaces enables them to prevent contamination by particles […]

All People

E. Ivanova, V. Khanh Truong , H. Webb , V.A. Baulin, J. Wang , N. Mohammodi, F. Wang, C. Fluke, R. Crawford

Langmuir, 27(18), 11710-11721 (2011)

Magnetron sputtering techniques were used to prepare molecularly smooth titanium thin films possessing an average roughness between 0.18 nm and 0.52 nm over 5 μm × 5 μm AFM scanning areas. Films […]