Label-Free Characterization and Separation of Liposomes using Dielectrophoresis

/ Label-Free Characterization and Separation of Liposomes using Dielectrophoresis (DEP)

Label-Free Characterization and Separation of Liposomes using Dielectrophoresis (DEP)

Master internship, Bachelor internship - Leuven | More than two weeks ago

Explore the power of electric fields to sort the perfect nanomedicine carrier on a chip

Liposomes are currently the goldstandard in drug delivery systems, widely used to transport chemotherapeuticsand mRNA vaccines [1]. However, a critical bottleneck in their manufacturing isheterogeneity: synthesized batches often contain a mixture of empty vesicles,varying sizes, and inconsistent drug encapsulation efficiencies. Traditionalpurification methods (like centrifugation or chromatography) are often slow,require large sample volumes, or lack the sensitivity to distinguish between aliposome that is "full" and one that is "empty." To advancenanomedicine, we need a high-precision, non-invasive method to characterize andsort these carriers based on their internal payload. This project addressesthat gap by leveraging Dielectrophoresis (DEP), a microfluidic technique thatmanipulates particles using non-uniform electric fields [2], to develop alabel-free quality control and separation platform.

In this project, you will work at the intersection ofmicrofluidics, physics, and physical chemistry. The core hypothesis is that theinternal chemical loading of a liposome fundamentally alters its dielectricpermittivity and conductivity, thereby changing its response to DEP forces [3,4]. Your goal is experimentally determine the "dielectricfingerprint" of liposomes with varying cargo loads. Specific tasksinclude:

• DEP Investigation:Systematically testing the behaviour of Liposomes against electric field toidentify the threshold required to separate loaded vs. unloaded vesicles [5].
• Optimization: Determiningthe interplay between the applied voltage, sample condition, and the liposome'sproperties to maximize separation efficiency.
• Data analysis: Analysingthe output of the experiment and checking with the hypothesis.
• Synthesis &Characterization: Preparing liposome samples with controlled variations inchemical loading (e.g., different drug mimics or salt concentrations).

This position is ideal for a student looking to gain amultidisciplinary skillset highly valued in both academia and the biotechindustry. You will move beyond simple observation to rigorous quantitativeanalysis. Skills you will learn:

• Lab Skills: Liposomeextrusion, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and fluorescence microscopy.
• Data Analysis: Imageprocessing (e.g., ImageJ/Python) to investigate and analyzing the region ofinterest (ROI) and making sense of the experimental data.
• Academic Output: This is aresearch-intensive project designed to generate novel results. High-qualitydata produced during this thesis will contribute directly to ongoing PhDresearch, with a strong possibility of co-authorship in a peer-reviewed journalarticle.

Type of internship: Master internship, Bachelor internship

Duration: 6 months

Required educational background: Bioscience Engineering, Electrotechnics/Electrical Engineering, Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Physics, Chemistry/Chemical Engineering

University promotor: Liesbet Lagae (KU Leuven)

Imec allowance will be provided for students studying at a non-Belgian university.

Liposomes are currently the goldstandard in drug delivery systems, widely used to transport chemotherapeuticsand mRNA vaccines [1]. However, a critical bottleneck in their manufacturing isheterogeneity: synthesized batches often contain a mixture of empty vesicles,varying sizes, and inconsistent drug encapsulation efficiencies. Traditionalpurification methods (like centrifugation or chromatography) are often slow,require large sample volumes, or lack the sensitivity to distinguish between aliposome that is "full" and one that is "empty." To advancenanomedicine, we need a high-precision, non-invasive method to characterize andsort these carriers based on their internal payload. This project addressesthat gap by leveraging Dielectrophoresis (DEP), a microfluidic technique thatmanipulates particles using non-uniform electric fields [2], to develop alabel-free quality control and separation platform.

In this project, you will work at the intersection ofmicrofluidics, physics, and physical chemistry. The core hypothesis is that theinternal chemical loading of a liposome fundamentally alters its dielectricpermittivity and conductivity, thereby changing its response to DEP forces [3,4]. Your goal is experimentally determine the "dielectricfingerprint" of liposomes with varying cargo loads. Specific tasksinclude:

• DEP Investigation:Systematically testing the behaviour of Liposomes against electric field toidentify the threshold required to s