BrainMap

Lorant Janosi

Ph.D.

Senior Researcher (Scientific Researcher I) - INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Researcher | Scientific reviewer

Web of Science ResearcherID: http://www.researcherid.com/rid/C-1074-2012

Curriculum Vitae (15/04/2025)

Expertise & keywords

Adaptive Design and Assembly of Polymer-based nanoplaTforms for smart gene and drug delivery Call name: P 5.2 - SP 5.2.1 - Proiecte de cercetare pentru stimularea tinerelor echipe independente - Competiția 2023
PN-IV-P2-2.1-TE-2023-0300 2025 - 2026

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Project website:

Abstract:

Recent breakthroughs in gene therapy have cleared the way for a larger second wave of medicines and established the groundwork for next-generation technologies. An effective gene delivery system is essential for gene therapy to be successful. As some of the most adaptable building blocks in soft nanotechnology, natural and synthetic macromolecules are the main focus in the development of delivery vectors with specialized compositions and functions. In this project, we propose a novel computational approach to smart tune polymers and/or nanocomposite architectures as efficient building blocks for polymer-based nanoplatforms (PBNs). We will (i) create delivery vectors depending on the gene or drug that needs to be delivered while reducing the socio-economic burden of various diseases. We will also (ii) develop a novel protocol to find drug-excipient combinations that produce stable, self-assembled polymer-based nanoplatforms as smart delivery vectors. These will represent the scaffold that is needed to shift from the traditional drug/gene delivery to personalized medicine. Cutting-edge developments in artificial intelligence and state-of-the art modeling approaches will be all combined in the adaptive design of the polymer-based nanoplatforms in a synergistic fashion and show how computational modeling can lead to the discovery of novel delivery vectors with technological applications.

Ready-to-use flexible wound dressing with synergistic photothermal and antimicrobial capabilities Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect experimental - demonstrativ
PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2021-3342 2022 - 2024

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE - DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA SI INGINERIE NUCLEARA " HORIA HULUBEI " - IFIN - HH

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE - DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA SI INGINERIE NUCLEARA " HORIA HULUBEI " - IFIN - HH (RO); UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE - DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA SI INGINERIE NUCLEARA " HORIA HULUBEI " - IFIN - HH (RO)

Project website: https://www.nipne.ro/proiecte/pn3/66-proiecte.html

Abstract:

The increasing costs of treatment of chronic wounds has urged the scientific community to look for more efficient wound-dressings. When addressing a chronic wound one should consider the diverse microbial environment that needs to be targeted, but also supporting wound healing. Biocompatible materials support the healing of the wound while antimicrobial agents (i.e., iodine, honey and silver, etc) can be easily incorporated if needed. Due to the rise of antibiotic resistance treatment of chronic wounds has become extremely complicated because of the lack of adequate dressing systems. Recently there is a growing interest towards the use of natural products with antimicrobial features, such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Therefore, we plan to design AuBPs-based flexible PDMS patches functionalized with antimicrobial peptides used as a new alternative for chronic wounds treatment. We plan to combine the effect of photo-thermal disinfection generated by gold nanobipyramids activated with white light (e.g. smartphone torch light) with the one obtained by AMP release. To our knowledge, this is the first study that envisages flexible wound dressing with synergistic photo-thermal and antimicrobial capabilities.

design of Highly Efficient AntimicrobiaL peptides: in Silico preDiction and Experimental validation Call name: P 1 - SP 1.1 - Proiecte de cercetare pentru stimularea tinerelor echipe independente
PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2016-0032 2018 - 2020

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Project website: http://www.itim-cj.ro/PNCDI/te99/index.htm

Abstract:

Antimicrobial peptides are a type of host defense peptides that present both high therapeutic potential and high selectivity of interaction with bacterial cells over mammalian cells. However, the possibility of bacterial resistance occurring against natural AMPs activity, combined with the already picked low-hanging fruits of obvious natural peptide targets, suggests the need for novel AMP design approaches. The main challenge is increasing efficacy of the novel drugs in safety conditions, since previous individual design methods had only limited success thus far.

The main objective of this application is the development of a new approach on identifying potential novel antimicrobial drugs. The ground-breaking nature of the proposed approach is that it combines the predicting power of several complementary computer-aided design methods with experimental validation of the proposed AMPs. We will computationally design new AMPs whose purpose would be to disrupt or pass through membrane models, and experimentally validate their efficiency against several bacterial strains. This new approach, can, in principle, be applied to find novel AMPs and rank them by their computationally predicted relative antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity.

Design of New Lipid-Modified Peptides to Destabilize Ras Nanoclusters - A Novel Therapeutic Approach for Targeting Oncogenic Ras Proteins Call name: Projects for Young Research Teams - RUTE -2014 call
PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-2418 2015 - 2017

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Project website: http://www.itim-cj.ro/PNCDI/ru118/

Abstract:

Ras proteins mediate a wide variety of signal transduction pathways that regulate cell growth,proliferation and differentiation.These proteins are small GTPases acting as binary switches between the GDP-bound “off” and the GTP-bound “on” states.Oncogenic mutations of Ras renders them constitutively active and are associated with ~15% of all human cancers and up to 90% in specific tumors.Current strategies for developing drugs targeting Ras mutants had little success.Experiments and computer simulations alike showed that membrane-bound Ras proteins form nonoverlapping dynamic nano-sized subdomains (nanoclusters) in an activation state-/isoform-dependent manner.Nanoclusters are protein-lipid assemblies serving as exclusive sites for effector recruiting and signal activation.The main objective of this application is the development of a new approach on finding potential drugs against oncogene Ras.The ground-breaking nature of this approach is that it exploits the dynamic nature of Ras nanoclusters and the key role of their stability in signal transduction.We will computationally determine Ras self-association binding sites and their binding strengths.The results will be used to design new lipid-modified peptides(LMPs) which,due to their designed features,would disrupt Ras nanoclusters.Since Ras nanoclusters are highly dynamic in nature,the peptide-Ras interaction should disrupt nanocluster’s stability and hence the signal output.

Ion sensing and separation through modified cyclic peptides, cyclodextrins and protein pores Call name: Complex Exploratory Research Projects - PCCE-2011 call
PN-II-ID-PCCE-2011-2-0027 2012 - 2016

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University

Project partners: “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University (RO); National Research and Development Institute of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies (RO); “Babes-Bolyai” University (RO); “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering (RO); “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy (RO)

Affiliation: National Research and Development Institute of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies (RO)

Project website: http://science.research.uaic.ro/biosens/

Abstract:

Development of nanostructures capable of detecting and separating individual molecules and ions has become an important field of research. Particularly, protein-based nanostructures are attractive due to their ability for tunable molecular recognition and ease of chemical modification, which are extremely important factors on various applications. In this project, self-assembly functionalization will be approached, aimed at providing an efficient design for molecular recognition, ion sensing and separation, through new host-guest chemical methodologies, bio-nanofabrication and physicochemical manipulations methods. New crown ether type macrocycles, functionalized cyclodextrins and cyclic peptides will be engineered to work as specific molecular adaptors for the -hemolysin protein, giving rise to hybrid molecular superstructures possessing ion sensing and selectivity properties. The size and functionality of the macrocycles are targeted to ensure the anchorage in the pores and the selectivity of specific host-guest complexation processes. A surface detector array device suitable for use with a biosensor is envisioned, through ink printing nanotechnologies. The device architecture will be formed of a substrate having a surface defining a plurality of distinct bilayer-compatible surface regions separated by one or more bilayer barrier regions. Custom designed nanoscale bilayers containing selected receptors through cyclodextrins derivatives and macrocyclic peptides, self-assembled on different micro-nano arrays surfaces (polymers, Au or Si) will be fabricated. Further engineering of such functionalized nanomaterials based on molecular recognition and host-guest methodologies, in conjunction with flexible and mechanically robust enough substrate platforms, have the great potential for applications such as separation of nanoparticles, sensors, drug delivery, removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions and chiral separation.

Association of Aquaporin Transmembrane Channels and Influence of their Oligomerization State on the Transport Properties Call name: EC-FP7
FP7-94759-254470 2010 - 2012

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI CAGLIARI

Project partners: UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI CAGLIARI (IT)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI CAGLIARI (IT)

Project website:

Abstract:

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader	Download (35.25 kb) 26/06/2023
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects