Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Zetasizer Nano contributes to drug carrier research at UK’s newest School of Pharmacy

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Abstract:
Nanoparticle characterization using the Zetasizer Nano from Malvern Instruments is providing essential information for researchers working on drug delivery systems at the UK's newest School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The new school, which opened in September 2007, is part of the University of Central Lancashire.

Zetasizer Nano contributes to drug carrier research at UK’s newest School of Pharmacy

Malvern, UK | Posted on June 25th, 2008

Nanoparticle characterization using the Zetasizer Nano from Malvern Instruments is providing essential information for researchers working on drug delivery systems at the UK's newest School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The new school, which opened in September 2007, is part of the University of Central Lancashire. It is developing a multi-disciplinary approach to research, focusing on important areas of pharmaceutical sciences and practice. One such is pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical analysis where research teams are working with a range of colloidal systems for drug delivery, including microspheres, aerosols and dendrimers.

Prof. Antony D'Emanuele, Chair in Pharmaceutics and Head of the School, leads the Dendrimer Group, whose work centres on the development of nanocarriers for a number of pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Dendrimers are well-defined and effectively monodisperse, highly branched molecules possessing an architecture that allows control over properties such as shape, size, density, polarity, reactivity and solubility. Their surface groups are amenable to modification and can be tailored for specific applications.

"As part of our work we are developing a range of nanocarriers for oral drug delivery," said Prof. D'Emanuele. "It is here that the Zetasizer Nano has proved especially useful in allowing us to characterize surface engineered dendrimers intended for this purpose. We are able to monitor changes in size as we modify the surface of our dendrimers and also determine whether our carriers aggregate."

The Zetasizer Nano simplifies the automated measurement of particle size, stability characterization using zeta potential, and molecular weight, for a wide range of dispersions, emulsions and molecules in solution. Sensitive enough for the measurement of solutions of proteins and polymers, yet able to measure at high concentrations, it is now the method of choice for nano-particle applications from routine colloid size measurement to the investigation of particulates at the leading edge of materials research.

Particle size measurement is in the range 0.6 to 6000 nm, molecular weight measurement from 1 x 103 to 2 x 107 Daltons, and zeta potential of particles from 5 nm to 10 µm.

The new School has a suite of particle sizing equipment which also includes Malvern Spraytec and Mastersizer systems.www.malvern.com

Malvern, Malvern Instruments, Zetasizer and Mastersizer are registered trademarks of Malvern Instruments Ltd Spraytec is a trademark of Malvern Instruments Ltd

High resolution image attached or available from Trish Appleton, Kapler Communications Ref: MAL/JOB/1420

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About Malvern Instruments
Malvern Instruments provides a range of complementary materials characterization tools that deliver inter-related measurements reflecting the complexities of particulates and disperse systems, nanomaterials and macromolecules. Analytical instruments from Malvern are used in the characterization of a wide variety of materials, from industrial bulk powders to the latest nanomaterials and delicate macromolecules. A broad portfolio of innovative technologies is combined with intelligent, user-friendly software. These systems deliver industrially relevant data enabling our customers to make the connection between micro (such as particle size) and macro (bulk) material properties (rheology) and chemical composition (chemical imaging).

Particle size distribution, particle shape information, zeta potential, molecular weight, chemical composition, and bulk materials properties can all be determined with instruments from the Malvern range. The company’s laboratory, at-line, on-line and in-line solutions are proven in sectors as diverse as cement production and pharmaceutical drug discovery.

Headquartered in Malvern, UK, Malvern Instruments has subsidiary organizations in all major European markets, North America, China, Korea and Japan, a joint venture in India, a global distributor network and applications laboratories around the world. www.malvern.com

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