Pille Pata

The rapid emergence of new illegal drugs (HHC, nitazenes, synthetic cathinones, etc.) creates a need for fast, on-site drug testing tools that can detect multiple substances in biofluids. These tools are crucial for clinicians, anti-doping experts, and law enforcement. Multiplexed portable analytical tools have a great potential to be implemented for this purposes. Moreover, such kind of instruments could be utilized in personal healthcare monitoring by enabling early-stage diagnostics of health problems. This project aims to develop electrophoresis-based analytical tools for reliable, fast and cost-effective metabolism studies in vitro, revealing the characteristics and metabolic pathways of new psychoactive substances. Additionally, new on-site biofluid testing tools (focused on oral fluid) will be developed for detecting new drugs. The results of this project will enhance drug monitoring, support public health, and improve safety.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and plastic pollution are global emergencies. Small microplastics (sMPs) (> 100µm) cause havoc in nature and are alarmingly prevalent in humans (e.g., placenta, brain, blood, and bone). sMPs also increase the risk of AMR by absorbing other pollutants (e.g., antibiotics) and promoting microbial aggregation and biofilm formation. Making screening and evaluation methods for new antibiofilm compounds widely available is essential. This project aims to develop a sustainable and democratized microfluidics platform to fight sMPs-induced AMR. Droplet-based microfluidics shows great potential for advancing knowledge and tackling this problem, allowing separation and manipulation of samples into thousands of miniscule drops (environments) for parallel studies. By using sustainable droplet technology with novel 3D-printed component for automated screening and evaluation of antibiofilm compounds, the project develops innovative solutions for global challenges.

The research infrastructure on experimental studies and applications of cellular processes aims at gathering national know-how in the field of cell and molecular biology, and aims at setting up an instrumental capability to develop competence and services in the fields of microbial and mammalian cell processes and their applications. The infrastructure will be built up jointly by the University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn University, Estonian University of Life Sciences and the Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics. The vision is to become a know-how and service centre to partner health, biotechnology and environment-focused public sector organisations, medical institutions, biotechnology and pharmacological companies. The focus will be on acquiring and setting up relevant instrumental complexes, development and offering of services, popularisation and dissemination of the field in order to ensure sustainability of researchers and future activities.