Assistant Professor University Of Texas At Austin Austin
Self-assembly plays a critical role in nanoparticle-based applications. However, it remains challenging to monitor the self-assembly of multi-component nanomaterials at a single-particle level, in real-time, with high throughput, and in a model-independent manner. Here, we apply multi-color fluorescence microscopy to track the assembly of both liposomes and mRNA simultaneously in a clinical mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy. Imaging reveals that the assembly occurs in discrete steps: initially, RNA adsorbs onto the liposomes; then, the RNA-coated liposomes cluster into heterogeneous structures ranging from sub-micrometer to tens of micrometers. The clustering process is consistent with a Smoluchowski model with a Brownian diffusion kernel. The transition between the two steps of assembly is determined by the orientation of RNA-mediated interactions. Given the facile application of this approach and the ubiquity of the components studied, the imaging and analysis in this work is readily applied to monitor multi-component assembly of diverse nanomaterials.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participant will be able to identify the cutting-edge formulation strategies, especially in the context of mRNA delivery.
Upon completion, participant will be able to determine whether advanced fluorescence imaging is suitable for their nanoparticle formulation characterization and what materials properties can be measured in their systems.
Upon completion, participant will be able to describe the general underlying process of mRNA-lipid self assembly.
