Helix Biotech's Expertise Recognized in Recent JoVE Publication
Figure 1 - JoVE article.
At Helix Biotech, we are proud to announce our contribution to a significant new article published in JoVE by Dr. Robert (Bob) Prud'homme and coworkers at Princeton University. Our involvement, acknowledged in the Supporting Information of the paper titled "Synthesizing Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) by Turbulent Flow in Confined Impinging Jet Mixers," highlights our team's expertise in formulating LNPs using turbulent flow mixing.
The article features the production of LNPs using turbulence-based mixers, such as confined impinging jet mixers (CIJM) and multi-inlet vortex mixers (MIVM). It also defines step-by-step protocols and ideal parameters to produce LNPs for greater control on size, polydispersity (PDI), stability, and other notable critical quality attributes. In the discussion, a comparison between microfluidics devices and turbulent mixers is made.
Figure 2 - Excerpt from the article highlighting Helix Biotech's Nova™ Benchtop and Nova-generated data.
What is Turbulent Mixing?
Turbulent mixing is characterized by chaotic fluid motion, which enhances the interaction between different fluid streams. This method typically involves high flow velocities that create turbulence, allowing for rapid and efficient mixing of components. Devices such as impinging jet (IJ) mixers and multi-inlet vortex mixers (MIVM) are commonly used to achieve turbulent flow conditions.
Some Key Highlights of the Article and of Our Contribution
Efficient LNP Synthesis: The article presents a method for synthesizing and post-processing of LNPs using CIJMs and MIVMs, demonstrating rapid and scalable production of homogeneous nanoparticles.
High Encapsulation Efficiency: The CIJ and MIVM techniques achieve high encapsulation efficiencies, crucial for effective delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics.
Impact of Reynolds Number: The study emphasizes the importance of achieving a critical Reynolds number for turbulent flow, which significantly enhances mixing efficiency and results in uniform LNPs. Above the critical Re, uniform particle size and PDI is produced, as seen in Figure 2.
Scalability for GMP Production: The findings support the use of turbulent mixer technologies for large-scale, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliant production of LNPs, as evidenced by their application in FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines.
The Nova™ Benchtop and Nova™ Pilot High Throughput systems come in R&D- and GMP-grade (21 CFR Part 11).
Advantages of Turbulent Mixing vs. Microfluidics
Greater Process Parameter Flexibility: Microfluidic devices are limited in the sample volume and flow rates they can achieve, whereas turbulent mixers possess greater flexibility, allowing for better optimization of process and manufacturing parameters.
Less Fouling and Clogging: Unlike microfluidic devices, nanoparticle formation occurs away from the walls of impinged jet mixers, "eliminating the problem of deposition on surfaces and fouling."
Scale Up and Not Scale Out: Turbulent mixers can achieve much higher flow rates for more rapid clinical and commercial scale production of LNPs.
Microfluidics attempt to scale via parallelization but this is still susceptible to fouling due to small channel diameters and laminar flow conditions. Parallelization can also greatly increase capital costs due to the need for multiple microfluidic devices and more complex setups.
To learn more about the study, you can access the full paper here: https://app.jove.com/t/67047/synthesizing-lipid-nanoparticles-by-turbulent-flow-in-confined-impinging-jet-mixers
Our dedication to lipid nanoparticle manufacturing using our Nova™ platform continues to drive impactful collaborations and innovations within the scientific community.
Figure 3 - Nova™ Benchtop - ideal for R&D and academic laboratory settings. View our Nova webpage here!