Multifunctional lab-on-a-chip microfluidic platform for the fabrication of nanoparticles

Project objective

Considered the technology of the 21st century, nanotechnology has witnessed tremendous advancements in the recent years, with multidimensional impacts to society. The application of nanotechnology in the health care system brings new prospect for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and follow-up of various diseases. However, there are only 50 types of nanoparticles (NPs) approved for clinical use, as there are still some issues that need to be overcome: limited control of the properties, lack of uniformity, unpredictable effects inside the body, and need of specialized personnel for the synthesis processes. Through this project, we propose a potential solution that could revolutionize nanotechnology: the development of lab-on-chip (LoC) devices for the synthesis of NPs and drug delivery systems. Based on our previous experience, we will focus on the design and fabrication of an all-in-one LoC device for the synthesis of ready-to-use magnetite NPs. Further, we will develop a LoC device for the one-step fabrication of polymeric microparticles encapsulating magnetite NPs. The starting point is our previously manufactured LoC device which has been proved useful for developing polymer-polymer microparticles for the controlled release of bioactive molecules.

The objectives of our project are:

1) Fabrication of suitable LoC devices;

2) Synthesis of magnetite NPs using the LoC device;

3) Optimization of the LoC device to eliminate the variability and enhance reproducibility;

4) Development of a hybrid drug delivery system based on polymeric microparticles encapsulating magnetite NPs. All the synthesized materials will be characterized in order to assess their precise physico-chemical properties and ensure the reproducibility of our devices. Thus, we are confident that this project represents the initial step in revolutionizing nanotechnology by providing the means to synthesize standardized nanomaterials and advancing from the concept of variability towards reproducibility.