This project proposes a novel treatment of glutamate excitotoxicity which affects all neurodegenerative diseases. In case of glaucoma, it causes vision loss of 64.3 million people worldwide. This work suggests application of liposomes as detoxifying agents capable of glutamate absorption via incorporated membrane EAAT2 transporters. It is supposed that absorption of excessive glutamate by liposomes should prevent receptor over-stimulation and protect the neuron cells. Liposomes suitable for such purpose were synthetized. Their characteristics were assessed by fluorescent microscopy and Raman spectroscopy with Raman imaging.
Affordable 3D-printed Equipment for Innovative Robotics Education
This project deals with the development of 3D-printed models, electronics and software for innovative education in robotics, sufficiently cheap to allow the schools (technical or vocational, as well as re-qualification courses or hobby clubs) to afford them for all their students in the class. Each and every student might make/repair/improve his/her own robots from a scratch and naturally “learn-by-making” multiple subjects from CAD modeling and 3D printing to electronics assembly to coding on multiple platforms. The models developed so far include the universal control system for a wide range of 3D-printed robotic manipulators, and a robotic model of a human hand, controlled wireless via a sensory glove and expandable with future advanced modules (muscle control, computer vision etc).