for their invaluable support, enthusiasm and mentoring over these years. With them, working in three separate departments with very diverse laboratory facilities and skill requirements became an exciting challenge, where I had the opportunity to truly experience hands-on interdisciplinary research. Their collaboration has been a great example for me -and I also immensely value how each of their doors was never closed. I need to also thank Dr. Arjan Buis and Sarah Day for taking me onboard a new

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... project with the necessary flexibility that allowed for the (sane!) completion of this thesis. Big thanks also to the people working alongside me during these research years, especially Alison for smoothing my way into nanoparticle chemistry, Jenny and Kerrie for all their help with managing the cell cultures and their ever cheerful presence, and Graham, Barbara, Kay and the rest of the Zagnoni Lab for joyfully sharing the microfluidics road with me. Also to everyone else at the Centre for Microsystems and Photonics, remembering the old Royal College days -a group where I felt at home since the very beginning and where most of the research in this thesis was done. A special note to the University of Strathclyde, through the above mentioned academic staff as well as Professor Bernard Conway and Professor Helen Grant, for outstanding kindness when it came to maternity leave arrangements and subsequent flexibility requirements. Whole-hearted thanks to my family, especially my parents, for supporting me in this crazy idea of moving countries to do research, and for always being there for me. A special mention to my Mum for her enthusiasm in proof-reading this work! Most of all I thank my husband Luís, for changing his own life to join me in this adventure, and for making this journey possible by supporting me every micrometre of the way. To him and Maria do Carmo, my heartfelt thanks for making all the normal days very happy days.