Half-time seminar with Marco Tjakra: Artificial colonic mucus for studies of the mucus absorption barrier in vitro

2023-10-13

Wednesday 25 October, Marco Tjakra, PhD student at the Department of Pharmacy and SweDeliver, will present his research on drug dissolution, diffusion and absorption from the human colon with a focus on the role of the colonic mucus layer. Join at BMC or online via Zoom.

(Image removed)

During the autumn semester 2023, the SweDeliver national competence center will conduct four half-time seminars. Wednesday 25 October, Marco Tjakra, PhD student at the Department of Pharmacy, will present his research project Diffusion, dissolution and release mechanisms for dosage forms that deliver drugs to the colon: the importance of the colon's mucus layer as a barrier to drug absorption, conducted within the framework of COLOTAN.

“The unique structure of the mucus enables it to act as a barrier of drug absorption, but it can also be utilized as a reservoir by making use of mucoadhesive drug carrier. However, there are still some problem regarding specificity and release, in combination with properties such as low drug solubility and microbial interference, and through this project we hope to add important knowledge about drug dissolution, diffusion and absorption from the human colon with a focus on the colon's mucus layer,” says Marco Tjakra.

(Image removed) Marco Tjakra's research, illustration: SweDeliver

In the long term, the work will provide a basis for the design of decision schemes for drug delivery in the large intestine and improved in silico models to predict dosage form design as well as performance in vivo for complex controlled and sustained release formulations. The result will also be relevant for nutrition and food sciences, since the mucus also serves as a barrier for nutrition uptake process.

Marco Tjakra was recruited to Uppsala University and Lab Bergström in 2021. He has previously studied Biomedical Engineering in Chongqing University, China and graduated with Master of Engineering degree in 2020. His previous research involves signalling pathway in the neurovascular unit with relation of hemodynamic force and toxicology. During bachelor study in Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, he was investigating antimicrobial compound from essential oil to combat oral biofilm forming bacteria.

At Marco Tjakra's half-time seminar, the following committee will attend:

Michael Gradzielski, Professor of Physical Chemistry and Molecular Material Sciences, Technical University of Berlin
Sonja Visentin, Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin
Christer Tannergren, Doctor in Biopharmaceutics and Principal Scientist in Biopharmaceutics AstraZeneca

FACTS

Time 25 October, at 09.15–11.00
Venue BMC, room C2:301 and online via Zoom (https://uu-se.zoom.us/j/62279749067)

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CONTACT

(Image removed) Marco Tjakra, PhD student
Department of Pharmacy
marco.tjakra@farmaci.uu.se

(Image removed) Christel Bergström, Professor
Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala University
Christel.Bergstrom@farmaci.uu.se

text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt