The EQUIP research facility at THWS is an automated laboratory for laboratory processes in the field of life science engineering. The research project is being conducted in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Dagmar Fischer of Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) and the Fraunhofer ISC in Würzburg as part of the IDEAL cooperation program.

The goal is the data-driven optimization of lipid-based nanoparticles as a delivery system for active ingredients into the human body, using the skin and the blood-brain barrier as examples. For optimal therapy, the particles require high tissue specificity and barrier permeability to transport the active ingredient to the site of action. Automated production enhances the standardization and reproducibility of the particles’ properties.

The particles are then subjected to physicochemical analysis and tested for biological specificity in human tissue models—artificial skin and the blood-brain barrier. The data obtained from particle production, analysis, and specificity testing are analyzed for correlations using active learning methods to enable predictions for particle optimization. The research project thus presents a concept for a preclinical development platform aimed at the targeted optimization of lipid-based nanoparticles. The use of tissue models reduces the need for animal studies.