Evaluation of carbon dots for light-controlled siRNA delivery and photodynamic therapy

The proposed post-doctoral position is part of the CaDoRNA research project funded by the National Research Agency. This project aims to design, synthesize and evaluate the biological activity of carbon dots (CDs) allowing light-controlled delivery of siRNA, associated with photodynamic therapy. CDs are carbonaceous nanoparticles which possess exceptional properties: ease of synthesis and functionalization from widely available raw materials, nanometric size, chemical stability, high solubility/dispersibility in water, and intrinsic fluorescence allowing their monitoring in the cell by imaging. Furthermore, they have been described very recently as potent nucleic acid delivery agents in vitro and in vivo. The CDs that will be developed as part of the CaDoRNA project will be doped by a photosensitizer and decorated on the surface by cationic species via a chemical bond sensitive to singlet oxygen. Thus, they will act as siRNA vectors, thanks to their cationic charges allowing the nucleic acid to be complexed, and will produce under light irradiation, thanks to the photosensitizer, singlet oxygen which will allow precise spatio-temporal release of the siRNA but also photodynamic therapy (PDT).