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Throughout my academic journey, I have continuously strived to advance my knowledge and skills in the field of Biotechnology. In 2017 I started my master's degree in industrial biotechnology at Milano-Bicocca, which is broadly recognized as one of the top 3 universities for biotechnology science in Italy. During my studies, I excelled in the nanotechnology class, which earned me an internship at Mario Negri Institute (IT), a leading research institution in northern Italy. Here, I worked on the topic of NPs for oral delivery in an animal model. My work resulted in a master's thesis and my first publication. Overall, I gained valuable laboratory experience in the synthesis, biodistribution, accumulation, and clearance of NPs in living systems (both cells and mice) leveraging techniques for cellular and molecular biology and animal model handling. Active participation in various research group projects and international collaborations, including those with the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (BE) and Pharmazentrum Frankfurt/ZAFES (DE), resulted in 2 additional publications. Alongside this, I mentored 2 bachelor students, honing my supervision skills, and presented my work at conferences hosted by Politecnico of Milan (IT) and the University of Turin (IT). Finally, I was involved in the collaboration between Mario Negri and Bracco company which aimed to investigate the neuro-nanotoxicity of TiO2 NPs. This experience allowed me to expand my knowledge and abilities in line with both the research group's and the company's goals. Driven by the desire for international exposure and personal growth, I applied for a Ph.D. in Portugal and received the FCT Ph.D. grant under the Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, and Stem Cells program from 3B's Research Group (University of Minho). In the context of my Ph.D. project, I developed and implemented an innovative technology in the research institute, based on microfluidic micromixing for the controlled synthesis of NPs. This groundbreaking approach had not been explored by any researcher at 3B's Research Group before and has opened multiple new possibilities for investigation. Overall, the work developed resulted in 5 original scientific works and 1 comprehensive review paper, all as first author. Furthermore, I took part in the Laboratory Animal Science course at the University of Minho, which I successfully completed. As a result, I obtained the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA). This certification is essential for my experimental approach as it enables me to conduct experiments on models with increasing levels of complexity, ranging from in-vitro to in-vivo studies. In addition, I played an active role in various group projects that entailed collaborations with both internal and external partners such as the University of Porto and the University of Coimbra. These endeavors led to the creation of 4 original works (2 under revision). Moreover, I supervised 2 master's students and I participated in 15+ international conferences which improved both my mentoring and communicational skills. I then concluded my path in April 2023 when I defended my Ph.D. thesis entitled "Development of Polymeric Nanoparticles by Microfluidic Technologies as Functional Drug Delivery Devices", being unanimously approved as a Ph.D. with the maximum grade of Very Good. Shortly after, by the end of 2023, I was awarded a six-years grant for a junior researcher position (CEEC-Ind, Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia).
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Sara Gimondi
Date of birth
1993/09/04

Citation names

  • Gimondi, Sara

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
F812-6E8A-16E8
ORCID iD
0000-0002-6660-0477
Researcher Id
Q-3738-2018
Scopus Author Id
60029411

Email addresses

  • sara.gimondi@i3bs.uminho.pt (Professional)

Addresses

  • AvePark - Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017, Guimarães, Guimarães, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Engineering and Technology - Industrial Biotechnology - Industrial Biotechnology
  • Engineering and Technology - Nano-technology - Nano-materials
  • Engineering and Technology - Nano-technology - Nano-processes
  • Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Biomaterials

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Italian (Mother tongue)
English Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Portuguese Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1)
Education
Degree Classification
2018/09/01 - 2023/04/20
Concluded
Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells (Doutoramento)
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
"Development of Polymeric Nanoparticles by Microfluidic Technologies as Functional Drug Delivery Devices" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
Very good
2015/10/01 - 2018/02/28
Concluded
Industrial Biotechnology (Laurea Magistrale)
Universita degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Italy
"Stability and biodistribution of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PLGA) after oral administration in healthy mice" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
19
2012/10/01 - 2015/04/01
Concluded
Biotechnology (Bachelor)
Universita degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Italy
"Glyco-functionalized nanoparticles for glioma treatment " (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution
Employer
2018/09/01 - Current Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
Biomaterials Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2022/11/01 - 2023/01/31 FCT COVID19 Grant
COVID/BD/152016/2021
PhD Student Fellow
2018/12/01 - 2022/10/31 FCT PhD Scholarship
PD/BD/135253/2017
PhD Student Fellow
2018/09/01 - 2022/08/31 PATH (FCT Doctoral Program on Advanced Therapies for Health)
PhD Student Fellow
Biomaterials Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Portugal

Associação para a Inovação e Desenvolvimento da FCT, Portugal
Ongoing
2018/09 - 2018/12 FLEXPOL
721062
Research Fellow
Concluded

Contract

Designation Funders
2024 - 2030 CEEC Individual - A Multi-Organ-on-a-Chip Platform for Comprehensive Study of Colorectal Cancer Metastasis and Screening of Targeted Nanoparticles
2023.06754.CEECIND
Post-doc Fellow
Ongoing
2023/11 - 2024/11 APTADEGRAD - A novel, pioneering aptamer-based LYTACs to address the unmet clinical needs of diabetic wounds
Post-doc Fellow
Biomaterials Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Portugal
Horizon Europe
Ongoing
Outputs

Publications

Conference poster
  1. Gimondi, Sara. "Tailoring Nanoparticle Design for Enhanced Cell Targeting: The Impact of Size on Uptake Mechanisms". Paper presented in HEALTH-UNORTE -TERM STEM 2023, 2023.
  2. Rodrigues, Ana; Quinteira, Rita; Gimondi, Sara; Martins, Albino; Neves, Nuno M.. "Decellularized kidney extracellular matrix hydrogel on the differentiattion of mesenchymal stem cells". Paper presented in HEALTH-UNORTE Conference, 2023.
  3. Gimondi, Sara. "Microfluidic synthesis of size-controlled nanoparticles for anti-inflammatory applications". Paper presented in TERM STEM 2022, 2022.
  4. Gimondi, Sara. "Microfluidic-driven synthesis of size-controlled nanoparticles for anti-inflammatory purposes". Paper presented in Third Achilles Workshop, 2021.
  5. Gimondi, Sara. "Fine Tuning Nanoparticle Precipitation with a Microfluidic Mixer for Modulating NSAIDs Delivery". Paper presented in Final FoReCaST Conference, 2021.
  6. Gimondi, Sara. "Fine Tuning Nanoparticle Precipitation with a Microfluidic Mixer for Modulating NSAIDs Delivery". Paper presented in TERM STEM 2021, 2021.
  7. Gimondi, Sara. "Microfluidic Mixing System for the Production of Tunable Nanoparticles". Paper presented in TERM STEM 2019, 2019.
  8. Gimondi, Sara. "Microfluidic Mixing System for the Production of Tunable Nanoparticles". Paper presented in Second Achilles Conference, 2019.
  9. Gimondi, Sara. "Tunable System for Nanoparticles Production Exploiting Microfluidic Mixing". Paper presented in 1st Discoveries Forum on Regenerative and Precision Medicine, 2019.
  10. Gimondi, Sara. "Exploiting Microfluidic Mixing to Produce Highly-Tunable Polymeric Nanoparticles". Paper presented in FoReCaST 2nd Workshop, 2019.
  11. Gimondi, Sara. "Exploiting Microfluidic Mixing to Produce Highly-Tunable Polymeric Nanoparticles". Paper presented in First Achilles Conference, 2019.
Journal article
  1. Rita Quinteira; Sara Gimondi; Nelson O. Monteiro; R. Sobreiro-Almeida; Laura Lasagni; Paola Romagnani; Nuno M. Neves. "Decellularized kidney extracellular matrix-based hydrogels for renal tissue engineering". Acta Biomaterialia (2024): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2024.04.026.
    10.1016/j.actbio.2024.04.026
  2. Sara Gimondi; Helena Ferreira; Rui L. Reis; Nuno M. Neves. "Intracellular Trafficking of Size-Tuned Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery". International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010312.
    10.3390/ijms25010312
  3. D. Mendanha; S. Gimondi; B.M. Costa; H. Ferreira; N.M. Neves. "Microfluidic-derived docosahexaenoic acid liposomes for glioblastoma therapy". Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine (2023): 102704-102704. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2023.102704.
    10.1016/j.nano.2023.102704
  4. Sara Gimondi; Helena Ferreira; Rui L. Reis; Nuno M. Neves. "Microfluidic Devices: A Tool for Nanoparticle Synthesis and Performance Evaluation". ACS Nano (2023): https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.3c01117.
    10.1021/acsnano.3c01117
  5. Sara Gimondi; Joana Vieira de Castro; Rui L. Reis; Helena Ferreira; Nuno M. Neves. "On the size-dependent internalization of sub-hundred polymeric nanoparticles". Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 225 (2023): 113245-113245. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113245.
    10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113245
  6. Sara Gimondi; Helena Ferreira; Rui L. Reis; Nuno M. Neves. "Size-Dependent Polymeric Nanoparticle Distribution in a Static versus Dynamic Microfluidic Blood Vessel Model: Implications for Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery". ACS Applied Nano Materials (2023): https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.3c00481.
    10.1021/acsanm.3c00481
  7. D. Mendanha; J. Vieira de Castro; M.R. Casanova; S. Gimondi; H. Ferreira; N.M. Neves. "Macrophage cell membrane infused biomimetic liposomes for glioblastoma targeted therapy". Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine 49 (2023): 102663-102663. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2023.102663.
    10.1016/j.nano.2023.102663
  8. Sara Gimondi; Rui L. Reis; Helena Ferreira; Nuno M. Neves. "Microfluidic-driven mixing of high molecular weight polymeric complexes for precise nanoparticle downsizing". Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine 43 (2022): 102560-102560. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2022.102560.
    10.1016/j.nano.2022.102560
  9. Gimondi, Sara. "Microfluidic mixing system for precise PLGA-PEG nanoparticles size control". Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine 40 (2021): 102482-102482. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2021.102482.
    10.1016/j.nano.2021.102482
  10. Morelli, Lucia; Gimondi, Sara; Sevieri, Marta; Salvioni, Lucia; Guizzetti, Maria; Colzani, Barbara; Palugan, Luca; et al. "Monitoring the Fate of Orally Administered PLGA Nanoformulation for Local Delivery of Therapeutic Drugs". Pharmaceutics 11 12 (2019): 658. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11120658.
    10.3390/pharmaceutics11120658
  11. Talamini, Laura; Gimondi, Sara; Violatto, Martina Bruna; Fiordaliso, Fabio; Pedica, Federica; Lan Tran, Ngoc ; Sitia, Giovanni; et al. "Repeated administration of the food additive E171 to mice results in accumulation in intestine and liver and promotes an inflammatory status". Nanotoxicology (2019): http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17435390.2019.1640910.
    10.1080/17435390.2019.1640910
  12. Violatto, Martina Bruna; Casarin, Elisabetta; Talamini, Laura; Russo, Luca; Baldan, Simone; Tondello, Camilla; Messmer, Marie; et al. "Dexamethasone Conjugation to Biodegradable Avidin-Nucleic-Acid-Nano-Assemblies Promotes Selective Liver Targeting and Improves Therapeutic Efficacy in an Autoimmune Hepatitis Murine Model". (2019): http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.8b09655.
    10.1021/acsnano.8b09655
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/06/27 Beyond Batch Variability: Microfluidic Solutions For Controlled Therapeutic Nano-delivery 7th Termis World Congress
(Seattle, United States)

Conference scientific committee

Conference name Conference host
2023/09/20 - 2023/09/22 HEALTH-UNORTE Final Conference
2022/05/25 - 2022/05/27 Final Achilles Conference
2022/05/24 - 2022/05/25 TERM STEM 2022
2022/05/23 - 2022/05/24 Workshop MicSeaOnMed
2021/10/27 - 2021/10/29 Third Achilles Workshop
2021/10/25 - 2021/10/27 Final FoReCaST Conference
2021/06/15 - 2021/06/18 TERM STEM 2021
2021/06/14 - 2021/06/15 Third Forecast Workshop
2019/11/06 - 2019/11/08 TERM STEM 2019
2019/11/04 - 2019/11/08 20th Anniversary of the 3B’s Research Group.
2019/09/25 - 2019/09/27 1st Discoveries Forum on Regenerative and Precision Medicine
2019/07/11 - 2019/07/12 FoReCaST 2nd Workshop
2019/07/08 - 2019/07/11 1st Achilles Conference
2019/05/08 - 2019/05/08 Workshop “Translational science in musculoskeletal disorders”
2018/12/25 - 2018/12/26 Chem2Nature Workshop
2018/10/23 - 2018/10/24 Gene2Skin and Chem2Nature Final Conferences

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2020/01/27 - 2020/02/07 Laboratory Animal Science Training Course