Study by researchers from Embrapa Instrumentation and the University of São Paulo (USP) showed that a chitosan-deriving amphiphile has large potential in the topical treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. The research made unprecedented use of different nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to investigate the structure and morphology of chitosan derivatives. An amphiphilic substance is a macromolecule that has a hydrophilic water-soluble part, and another hydrophobic fat-soluble one. The byproduct was efficient in the production of chitosan nanoparticles, which were loaded for the sustained release (which keeps the concentration constant for a long time) of the antifungal medication clotrimazole. The process proved to be efficient in the treatment of the infectious disease. The relevance of the research had William Marcondes Facchinatto be awarded the "USP Featured Thesis Prize - 11th Edition", which celebrates the best PhD theses defended in 2021. The prize will be awarded on November 22, starting from 2pm, during the 3rd Postgraduate Meeting at the university's Camargo Guarnieri Amphitheater in São Paulo. Despite the availability of a significant range of antifungal drugs and topical products, the management of the infection is not always effective, and new approaches are needed. "Thus the study paves new pathways to different forms of drug release for use in humans, animals and even in plants", states the Embrapa Instrumentation researcher Luiz Alberto Colnago, who advised Facchinatto at the São Carlos Institute of Chemistry's Chemistry Graduate Program (IQSC/USP). The study was awarded in the area of Exact and Earth Sciences. Advantages and limitations Facchinatto's thesis approached "Chemically modified chitosan derivatives through solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance: from properties to applications". Part of the study was performed at the University of Porto, in Portugal. In Brazil, the researcher conducted the study's experimental stages in the laboratory of the Group of Macromolecular Materials and Lignocelullosic Fibers (IQSC/USP) and in the NMR laboratories at Embrapa Instrumentation. In Portugal, he worked at the Institute of Health Research and Innovation (i3S) and the National Institute of Biomedical Engineering (INEB), under the guidance of co-advising professors Bruno Sarmento and José das Neves. The study counted on important collaborators, including professors Sérgio Paulo Campana Filho (IQSC/USP), Eduardo Ribeiro de Azevedo (IFSC/USP) and Tiago Bueno de Moraes (ESALQ). With a degree in Pharmacy, a specialist's degree in NMR applications in foods, biomaterials and nutraceuticals, and two post-doctoral degrees from the University of the Pennsylvania, Colnago explained that both chitosan, a linear polymer obtained from natural sources, and its derivatives have awakened considerable interest for different biomedical applications. "This is due to its characteristics of mucoadhesiveness, biocompatibility and biodegradability, and have been widely used for the production of albumin-stabilized silver nanoparticles for drug delivery purposes", observed the researcher with a background in biochemistry and a PhD in Chemistry. However, chitosan and most of its derivatives are hydrophilic in nature and may not be suitable to incorporate highly hydrophobic drugs like clotrimazole. In order to address the problem, Facchinatto synthecized an amphiphilic chitosan derivative that exhibited not only a self-assembly aspect in water, but also high loading capacity of lipophilic drugs. “ The derivative was used as nanocarrier of clotrimazole for the topical treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. The nanosystem featured pH-independent sustained drug release for up to 48h, which affected both in vitro anti-Candida activity and cytotoxicity", observed Facchinatto, who now has a PhD in Physical-Chemical Sciences. Double satisfaction Facchinatto found the award rather unusual. He reports that during his entire academic journey he had the chance to celebrate small victories rather than large distinctions, but which represented small steps towards professional recognition overall. “ As for the USP Featured Thesis Prize, I understand that this recognition can provide a leap beyond what I had imagined to be capable, as even though I had aspired to the prize, I led the process without the expectation that it was possible", the awardee said. He said that the doctoral work was naturally laborious, but he believes that learning how to conduct scientific work, focusing on quality, impact and the value of potential collaborations (which were encouraged by then advisor Luiz Alberto Colnago), was determinative for the thesis. “ This way, for me this prize represents a confirmation that my way of planning, leading and reporting science is well driven ”, concluded Facchinatto, who is now finishing a period of postdoctoral training at the University of Strasbourg, in France. In addition to the award, which will give a prize of R$ 10,000 to Facchinatto and R$5,000 to Colnago, the scholar also received the confirmation that he was approved in a selection process for the position of Researcher at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, starting in January 2023. The new doctor said that such opportunity is timely as obtaining a permanent academic position is an arduous task anywhere and not only in Brazil. “In this new job, I hope to effectively contribute to new research areas that are related to those I have been developing and explore new frontiers. Thanks to the studies and publications that I could lead or participate in as a collaborator so far, I have several professional partners in different areas in Brazil, with whom I will certainly keep in contact, contributing to the internationalization of students and future collaborators ” he states. During the development of his PhD studies until the date of the final thesis submission, several papers were published in peer-reviewed journals. The last one, “Clotrimazole-loaded N-(2-hydroxy)-propyl-3-trimethylammonium, O-palmitoyl chitosan nanoparticles for topical treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis", was published on Acta Biomaterialia, v. 125, p. 312-321, 2021 and is available on this web address. The study was funded by the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp), the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and partly by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes).