Title : Microfluidics for nanoparticle production: Advances, challenges, and opportunities

Microfluidics has emerged as a powerful technology for nanoparticle production, offering precise control over fluid mixing and process conditions, improved reproducibility, and opportunities for continuous and scalable manufacturing. The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles produced by microfluidics are strongly influenced by the interplay between formulation composition, device design, and processing parameters. However, moving from controlled nanoparticle formation to robust drug delivery systems still involves important challenges, including process optimization, scale-up, and downstream processing.

This presentation will discuss key advances and remaining challenges in microfluidic nanoparticle production, using nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) as a case study to illustrate the relationship between formulation composition, processing conditions, and nanoparticle properties. NLCs composed of solid and liquid lipids were produced using a herringbone microfluidic device, and critical parameters, including lipid concentration, flow rate ratio (FRR), and total flow rate (TFR), were investigated. The resulting NLCs showed particle sizes below 150 nm and low polydispersity, demonstrating the ability of microfluidic processing to generate nanoparticles with controlled physicochemical properties.

Beyond nanoparticle formation, downstream processing was investigated as a critical step toward obtaining stable formulations. Different strategies for residual solvent removal and freeze-drying were evaluated, demonstrating that post-production conditions can substantially influence nanoparticle recovery and redispersion. Optimization of these steps enabled preservation of the colloidal properties of the NLCs after reconstitution.

Overall, these findings illustrate both the potential and the challenges of microfluidics for nanoparticle production. Integrating formulation design, microfluidic process parameters, scale-up strategies, and downstream processing is essential for translating the advantages of microfluidics into robust and scalable nanocarrier production. Together with examples from ongoing research, this case study will provide a broader perspective on the opportunities of microfluidic technologies for the development of advanced drug delivery systems.

Lívia Vieira Depieri, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the NanoGeneSkin Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FCFRP-USP), Brazil. Her research focuses on advanced drug delivery and nanotechnology for skin diseases, including lipid-based nanocarriers, topical delivery, siRNA-based therapies, microneedles, and microfluidics for controlled and scalable nanocarrier production. During her PhD, she conducted part of her research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under the supervision of Prof. Robert Langer. Her current research integrates nanocarrier development, process optimization, and advanced strategies for drug and nucleic acid delivery.