Annette Kraegeloh
Abstract
In the field of biomedicine, advanced materials, comprising nanomaterials, are already used and continuously developed, e.g. as diagnostic tools or delivery vehicles. In order to support safe applications of such materials, their efficacy, but also their safety has to be proven, ideally at an early stage of the development. The same applies to advanced materials used for technical applications. However, one main difference between these two areas is that biomedical applications include intended administration of specific materials, whereas for technical applications, exposure might occur unintentionally.
Bioimaging includes methods used to detect advanced materials and to monitor their distribution in the body as well as their interactions with single cells in vitro and in vivo. The presentation highlights techniques based on optical imaging used to determine the localisation, cellular uptake, and intracellular accumulation of advanced materials. The significance and limitations of these imaging approaches are discussed in the context of safety and efficacy assessment.
About Annette Kraegeloh
Dr. Annette Kraegeloh is a graduate biologist and received her doctorate in the field of Microbiology at the University of Bonn. In 2004 she joined the INM-Leibniz Institute for New Materials as a research fellow and was engaged in antimicrobial nanomaterials. In 2008, she became head of the Nano Cell Interactions group, which was recently transformed into the Advanced Materials Safety group. In 2020 she completed her habilitation in Cellular Biochemistry at Saarland University. From 2013-2021 she was coordinator of the Leibniz Alliance Nanosafety and from 2022 until now she acted as co-spokesperson of the Leibniz-Research Alliance Advanced Materials. Her research interests are focused on the impact of advanced materials and their interactions with cells, motivated by the development and application of safe and sustainable materials.