Researchers in the Department of Pharmacy at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich are using chips from Dolomite Microfluidics to reliably and consistently produce monodisperse particles for targeted delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics.

This microfluidic encapsulation technology is ideal for gene silencing applications in cancer immunology and inflammatory diseases, where siRNA can potentially be used to down-regulate genes associated with these pathologies. Prof. Dr. Olivia Merkel, Professor of Drug Delivery, explained: “Nanoencapsulation is a highly efficient way to deliver siRNA to targets across the cellular membrane, protecting it from degradation prior to endocytosis. It is important to deliver the therapy in a controlled and reproducible manner; the particle size has a huge impact on in vivo work, affecting the rate of uptake and clearance.”

“Previously, we produced our nanoparticles manually, which was both time consuming and uncontrolled, and resulted in a range of particle diameters. We needed a solution to overcome this challenge and, in 2017, discovered Dolomite Microfluidics. We’ve been using Dolomite chips ever since, consistently downsizing our particles from around 200 to 100 nanometers and below. Our batch-to-batch reproducibility has improved immensely, and we are confident that the nanoparticles we prepare will have low polydispersity and be the optimal size for our work, which is important. We are very pleased with what we have achieved so far using the Dolomite chips, and are excited about what we still have to come.”

Learn more - Dolomite Microfluidics

Learn more about the research study

About Dolomite Microfluidics

Established in 2005, Dolomite Microfluidics has grown to be the world leader in the design and manufacture of high quality innovative microfluidic products. The company offers a range of microfluidic systems, components and specialist chemicals – including pumps, chips, connectors, temperature controllers, sensors, accessories and custom-made components – as well as software for analysis or automation. Modularity, ease of use, innovation and scalability are common to all Dolomite Microfluidics products, which are used across a broad range of applications in biology, drug discovery, chemistry, food, cosmetics and academia.

Dolomite is a part of the Blacktrace group of companies, a world leader in Productizing Science®, and has offices in the USA, Japan, India, Brazil and Hanoi as well as a worldwide network of distributors.

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