Lipid Membrane Self-Assembly and Synthesis in the Lab by Rapid, Low-Cost Microfluidics Approaches
Lipid membranes, which self-assemble in nature and under laboratory conditions, can form vesicles called liposomes. The main uses for liposomes are in drug delivery systems and as animal cell models. From the initial research into lipid membrane science, to the systematic literature review using Web...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Technological University Dublin
2023-12-01
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| Series: | SURE Journal: (Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal) |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arrow.tudublin.ie/sure_j/vol5/iss1/7 |
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| Summary: | Lipid membranes, which self-assemble in nature and under laboratory conditions, can form vesicles called liposomes. The main uses for liposomes are in drug delivery systems and as animal cell models. From the initial research into lipid membrane science, to the systematic literature review using Web of Science, to refining the project scope, to the description of the method, this project follows the process of developing a method for lipid membrane self-assembly and synthesis in the lab. The result was a rapid prototyping method for fabricating microfluidic devices to test different designs for channels, for use with a liposome synthesis protocol. During development, a simple liposome synthesis protocol was followed, using 1,2 Disteraroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC) to 10 mg/mL in methanol as the lipid solution and 0.9% saline buffer as the aqueous solution. Shrink-plastic (polystyrene) was used as the build material for the microfluidic chip—to construct the design on a larger scale before shrinking to its final size. This method has the advantage of using low cost and easily accessible materials and equipment. Although the development process for this project was at first limited by resource accessibility, this limitation was ultimately embraced. The materials used to fabricate the microfluidic device can be found in craft stores (shrink-plastic sheets), hardware stores (silicone sealant), and aquarium supply stores (thin tubing). During initial prototyping, it is beneficial to quickly fabricate microfluidic devices of different designs. The method developed in this paper lowers the barrier for entry into these preliminary research activities and encourages experimentation. |
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| ISSN: | 2990-8167 |