Vera Šnajder Award 2022 Awardee Amina Tucak-Smajić goes to Austria

The field of nanomedicine is rapidly advancing, and researchers worldwide are working tirelessly to develop innovative solutions to medical challenges. One such researcher is Amina Tucak-Smajić, a Vera Šnajder awardee who recently attended the BioNanoMed 2023 conference in Graz, Austria.

The BioNanoMed 2023 conference is an international event that brings together researchers and industry professionals from around the world to discuss and present the latest advances in nanomedicine. Amina had the opportunity to present her research on "Cationic lipid nanoparticles as nucleic acid delivery systems," which was selected as one of the best posters and awarded the Poster Prize Award.

Amina is a third-year PhD student at University of Sarajevo-Faculty of Pharmacy, and she conducted the experimental part of her research at University of Graz, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, under the supervision of prof. dr. Andreas Zimmer and prof. dr. Edina Vranić.

Her research focuses on developing cationic nanostructured lipid carriers that can deliver therapeutic nucleic acids (miRNAs) to target cells. Nucleic acid delivery is a promising approach for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including genetic disorders, viral infections, and cancer. However, the delivery of these molecules is often challenging due to their hydrophilic properties, negative charge, and poor cellular uptake.

“I was particularly impressed by the quality of the research presented, and it was exciting to see how the field of nanomedicine is rapidly evolving. The conference covered a wide range of topics, from the latest drug delivery systems to the development of nanosensors and biomaterials.”

Her approach involves using cationic lipids, which are positively charged molecules that can interact with nucleic acids and form nanoparticles. These nanoparticles can protect the nucleic acids from degradation and facilitate their delivery to target cells.

The BioNanoMed 2023 conference provided Amina with an excellent platform to share her research and network with fellow researchers. The conference covered a wide range of topics, including drug delivery systems, nanosensors, and biomaterials. Amina had the opportunity to attend talks and poster sessions, learn about the latest trends and innovations in the field, and interact with researchers from around the world.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation for their support in making my attendance possible through the Vera Šnajder Award travel grant. Furthermore, this award enabled me to perform cryo-TEM analysis in December 2022 and present these results at the conference.

I am grateful for this support and the opportunity to participate in such an important event in the field of nanotechnology and I am looking forward to building on the connections and knowledge gained at the conference and applying what I learned in my future research.”

We congratulate Amina on her outstanding achievement and wish her continued success in her future endeavors!