LNP formulation Process

The problem

LNP formulation screening is just plain hard. To make LNPs that do what they’re supposed to, researchers need them to have optimal performance, spot-on targeting and controlled API release. Solubility, pH stability, surface interactions, payload release, LNP encapsulation, and transport capabilities all hinge on particle size, shape, and structure. To get these three spot-on, scientists need to explore a huge number of formulation and process parameters. What makes the LNP formulation process even trickier? Current methods are typically one experiment at a time which is seriously time-consuming and labor-intensive. Add the expense of reagents and other single-use consumables, and that’s a whole lot of cost to factor in too.

The right tool for the job

Sunscreen is the only automated and high-throughput screening platform designed to streamline the LNP formulation process. Power through up to 96 experiments in under 6 hours and accelerate your lipid nanoparticle formulation discovery phase into hyper-speed. Sunscreen uses a covered 96-well plate format with flexible control over collection volumes from 200 µL to 2 mL. Fill one plate with your payload and put your lipids in another, choose your Sunny and Sunscreen is locked, loaded and ready to go. Choose your total flow rates and flow rate ratios in the Sunny Suite Software, start your experiments and walk away. The system will do an automatic wash cycle between experiments so there’s no carryover from the last sample. When you’re ready, move your samples over to a Stunner to check out size and PDI and pick your lead candidates to move on for optimization.

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The proof

Reproducibility rocks

Sunscreen nails the LNP formulation process with crazy reproducibility. Even when you hit on a bad sample, Sunscreen’s automatic wash cycle guarantees that the integrity of your next sample is not affected.

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Cruise through the LNP formulation process

The beauty of Sunscreen is its unique ability to test vast combos of individual lipids, payloads, flow rates, ratios and sample sizes ‘til to your heart’s content - Sunscreen helps you find those front-runners in record time.

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Nail your LNP size and get high encapsulation

No matter what flow rates, ratios (TFR/FRR), and chemistry is used - from lipids (cationic; ionizable), buffers, to the type of nucleic acid payload (PolyA, ssDNA, or mRNA), Sunscreen delivers consistency time after time with monodispersed, size-tunable LNPs with >90% encapsulation efficacy and PDIs <0.2, with results as low as 0.05.

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Sunscreen

Finding the perfect LNP formulation can feel like it drags on forever. You need to figure out the best lipid mixture, the right lipid to payload ratio and the optimal flow rates to mix it all together. Worst of all, it’s usually done one experiment at a time. Sunscreen totally flips the script by creating 96 unique, small volume LNP formulations in less than 6 hours – so you can explore more formulations in a single day than you ever thought was possible.

Want more info?

Want to learn more about how Sunscreen helps you screen more LNP formulations than ever before?