Method for producing unilamellar vesicles

We offer an innovative technique for the production of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) through droplet microfluidics. The produced GUVs are potentially applicable in many different fields such as complex drug delivery devices, synthetic cells and biological sensors.

Background

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are of use for a wide set of biomedical applications, especially as drug delivery platform encapsulating a vast amount of drugs circulating for long periods of time. Different techniques for GUV production exist but are limited by a variety of factors like:

• lack of size control;
• leftover oil in the lipid bilayer;
• and the use of potentially harmful surfactants.

The Biomimetics Group at KU Leuven led by Prof. dr. Xavier Casadevall i Solvas developed a new GUV production technology that can circumvent these disadvantages. The technology produces GUVs by stabilising aqueous droplets in a fluorinated oil with partially fluorinated nanoparticles.

Market applications

The technology can be used for the formation of GUVs with a controlled size and content. The produced GUVs are potentially applicable in many different fields such as complex drug delivery devices, synthetic cells and biological sensors.

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