BioSpec
BioSpec
The BioSpec group is developing next-generation nanoparticle technologies that aim to transform how cancer is detected, characterised, and treated. Our flagship programme, Raman Nanotheranostics (RaNT), brings together expertise in nanotechnology, spectroscopy, imaging, and medicine to create a single platform capable of both diagnosis and therapy using light-responsive gold nanoparticles.
Funded through an award from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), RaNT is led by the University of Exeter in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, UCL School of Pharmacy, and the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
Current cancer diagnosis often requires multiple hospital visits medical imaging, tissue biopsy, laboratory analysis, and subsequent treatment planning. These processes can be invasive, time-consuming, and stressful for patients.
At the same time, clinicians need better methods for detecting disease at earlier stages, characterising tumours more accurately, and delivering targeted therapies that minimise damage to healthy tissues.
RaNT was established to address these challenges by developing a new class of nanoparticle-enabled technologies that can detect and treat cancer using a single minimally invasive procedure.
The RaNT programme uses specially engineered gold nanoparticle clsters that interact with light in unique ways.
Following administration, the nanoparticles are designed to:
This combination of diagnosis and therapy is known as theranostics, an emerging field that seeks to provide personalised treatment through integrated disease detection and intervention.
Further Information
For more information about the RaNT programme, research collaborations, or translational opportunities, please vist the Raman Nanotheranostics (RaNT) website.