Structure - response in liposomal design

About the Project

Provide a brief description of the project

Lipid-based drug delivery systems offer tremendous potential for addressing unmet medical needs, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and infectious diseases. These nanocarriers encapsulate a wide array of active pharmaceutical ingredients, from small-molecule drugs to proteins and nucleic acids, improving therapeutic efficacy while minimising off-target toxicity. Despite this promise, the widespread clinical translation of these technologies is hindered by key challenges, such as the absence of digital design frameworks, scalability limitations, and inconsistencies in manufacturing reproducibility.

This PhD project seeks to elucidate the interplay between liposomal nanocarrier performance and its underlying lipid compositions. To this end, we have developed advanced analytical methodologies to probe the structural dynamics of drug-phospholipid interactions, as well as the kinetics of drug release and nanocarrier diffusion within physiologically relevant microenvironments. By establishing these fundamental structure-function relationships, this work will pave the way for more rational, efficient, and scalable development of lipid-based therapeutics.

Training that will be provided through the research project

microfabrication, microfluidics, Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM), microrheology, USP-IV drug release

Expected impact activities

Novel systematic design approach that will accelerate the development of new liposomal antimicrobials

Funding Notes

This project is not funded; applications are welcome from self-funding candidates.

References

liposomes, microfluidic device, diffusion coefficient, aspergillus fumigatus, fungal infections