Publications by Francesca Olgiati

Virucidal compounds and use thereof

Francesco Stellacci, Bruno Emanuel Ferreira De Sousa Correia, Pablo Gainza Cirauqui, Francesca Olgiati, Corey Alfred Stevens, Lukasz Richter, Chiara Medaglia

Disclosed herein are peptide-grafted compounds that irreversibly deactivate bacteriophages or influenza virus depending on the peptide and remain safe for bacteria and mammalian cells. The active compounds comprise a core (cyclodextrin or gold nanoparticle ...

2024

Peptide-based virucidal drugs

Francesca Olgiati

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, viruses were not a major priority for the scientific community. Today, many events have changed the world and the importance of studying viruses, vaccines, and antiviral drugs is fully appreciated. The development of effective ...

EPFL2024

A Synthetic Multivalent Lipopeptide Derived from Pam3CSK4 with Irreversible Influenza Inhibition and Immuno-Stimulating Effects

Francesco Stellacci, Li Tang, Bruno Emanuel Ferreira De Sousa Correia, Quy Ong Khac, Francesca Olgiati, Pablo Gainza Cirauqui, Lixia Wei, Armand Kurum, Yong Zhu

The activation of the host adaptive immune system is crucial for eliminating viruses. However, influenza infection often suppresses the innate immune response that precedes adaptive immunity, and the adaptive immune responses are typically delayed. Dendrit ...

Wiley-V C H Verlag Gmbh2024

Broad-Spectrum Supramolecularly Reloadable Antimicrobial Coatings

Francesco Stellacci, Francesca Olgiati, Heyun Wang, Matteo Gasbarri, Lukasz Richter

Antimicrobial surfaces limit the spread of infectious diseases. To date, there is no antimicrobial coating that has widespread use because of short-lived and limited spectrum efficacy, poor resistance to organic material, and/or cost. Here, we present a pa ...

Amer Chemical Soc2024

Cryogenic electron tomography to determine thermodynamic quantities for nanoparticle dispersions

Francesco Stellacci, Davide Demurtas, Quy Ong Khac, Xufeng Xu, Francesca Olgiati, Ting Mao, Paulo Henrique Jacob Silva, Anna Murello

Here we present a method to extract thermodynamic quantities for nanoparticle dispersions in solvents. The method is based on the study of tomograms obtained from cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET). The approach is demonstrated for gold nanoparticles ( ...

2022

Lignin: A Sustainable Antiviral Coating Material

Harm-Anton Klok, Francesco Stellacci, Jeremy Luterbacher, Francesca Olgiati, Alice Boarino, Heyun Wang, Stefania Bertella

Transmission of viruses through contact with contaminated surfaces is an important pathway for the spread of infections. Antiviral surface coatings are useful to minimize such risks. Current state-of-the-art approaches toward antiviral surface coatings eit ...

AMER CHEMICAL SOC2022

Monovalent ion-mediated charge-charge interactions drive aggregation of surface-functionalized gold nanoparticles

Francesco Stellacci, Quy Ong Khac, Francesca Olgiati, Ting Mao

Monolayer-protected metal nanoparticles (NPs) are not only promising materials with a wide range of potential industrial and biological applications, but they are also a powerful tool to investigate the behaviour of matter at nanoscopic scales, including t ...

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY2022

Amphiphilic nanoparticles generate curvature in lipid membranes and shape liposome-liposome interfaces

Francesco Stellacci, Francesca Olgiati

We show by molecular dynamics that amphiphilic Au nanoparticles (NP) with a diameter of 4 nm generate curvature in phosphatidylcholine lipid membranes. NPs generate negative curvature when they adsorb on the membrane surface but, as they get spontaneously ...

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY2021

Broad-spectrum nanoparticles against bacteriophage infections

Francesco Stellacci, Francesca Olgiati, Paulo Henrique Jacob Silva, Matteo Gasbarri, Zekiye Pelin Güven, Urszula Beata Cendrowska, Lukasz Richter

Viral infections caused by bacteriophages, i.e., viruses that kill bacteria are one of the most dangerous and common threats for bacteria-based bioreactors. More than 70% of biotechnology companies have admitted to encountering this problem. Despite phage ...

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY2021