LNAs offer a unique opportunity to combine the therapeutic properties of liposomes and nanoparticles. Liposomes act to concentrate small nanoparticles and shield nanoparticles from the immune system, while the nanoparticle can be used to initiate and control drug release when exposed to external stimuli. These properties provide a platform to achieve nanoparticle-controlled liposomal release. LNA design and application are still in infancy. Research concentrating on the relationships among LNA structure, function and performance is essential for the future clinical use of LNAs.
Understanding the effect of embedded nanoparticles on the characteristics and behavior of lipid bilayers is critical to the development of lipid-nanoparticle assemblies (LNAs) for biomedical applications. In this work we investigate the effect of hydrophobic nanoparticle size and concentration on liposomal thermal release behavior. Decorated LNAs (D-LNAs) were formed by embedding 2 nm (GNP2) and 4 nm (GNP4) dodecanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles into DPPC liposomes at lipid to nanoparticle ratios (L:N) of 25,000:1, 10,000:1, and 5,000:1. D-LNA structure was investigated by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, and lipid bilayer permeability and phase behavior were investigated based on the leakage of a model drug, carboxyfluorescein, and by differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The presence of bilayer nanoparticles caused changes in the lipid bilayer release and phase behavior compared to pure lipid controls at very low nanoparticle to bilayer volume fractions (0.3%-4.6%). Arrhenius plots of the thermal leakage show that GNP2 led to greater increases in the leakage energy barrier compared to GNP4, consistent with GNP4 causing greater bilayer disruption due to their size relative to the bilayer thickness. Embedding hydrophobic nanoparticles as permeability modifiers is a unique approach to controlling liposomal leakage based on nanoparticle size and concentration.
In the twenty-fi rst century, predominant dependence on fossil fuels as energy resources will not be sustainable. Developing and commercializing green energy innovations will be an essential component of the transition to a more diversifi ed energy economy. Algal biodiesel is one of the most promising green fuels because of its potential as a renewable and sustainable fuel source without displacing food crops. Algal biodiesel research and development are necessary early steps towards a transition to a green energy economy. The strategic use of strong patent portfolios will drive this by attracting investment, incentivizing innovation and accelerating commercialization. Whereas algal biodiesel research and development is largely still early stage, this will rapidly change as aggressive investments and government subsidies facilitate economically competitive algal biodiesel to enter the energy market. Algal domestication, improvement and industrial utilization for biodiesel production will therefore inevitably create value, leading to increased assertion of property rights, of which intellectual property rights in the form of patents are fundamental. This article provides a summary of representative patents and patent applications in the algal biodiesel technology space and their commercial applications.
We present an approach to tuning the multifunctionality of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) using mixed self-assembled monolayers of cationic lipid and anionic polyethylene glycol (PEG) lipid. By forming stable, monodispersed lipid-coated IONs (L-IONs) through a solvent-exchange technique, we were able to demonstrate the relationship between surface charge, the magnetic transverse relaxivity (r from T-weighted images), and the binding capacity of small interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs) as a function of the cationic-to-anionic (PEG) lipid ratio. These properties were controlled by the cationic charge and the PEG conformation; relaxivity and siRNA binding could be varied in the mushroom and brush regimes but not at high brush densities. In vitro results combining cell viability, uptake, and transfection efficiency using HeLa cells suggest that the functional physicochemical and biological properties of L-IONs may be best achieved using catanionic lipid coatings near equimolar ratios of cationic to anionic PEG-lipids.
In the twenty-first century, predominant dependence on fossil fuels as energy resources will not be sustainable. Developing and commercializing green energy innovations will be an essential component of the transition to a more diversified energy economy. Algal biodiesel is one of the most promising green fuels because of its potential as a renewable and sustainable fuel source without displacing food crops. Algal biodiesel research and development are necessary early steps towards a transition to a green energy economy. The strategic use of strong patent portfolios will drive this by attracting investment, incentivizing innovation and accelerating commercialization. Whereas algal biodiesel research and development is largely still early stage, this will rapidly change as aggressive investments and government subsidies facilitate economically competitive algal biodiesel to enter the energy market. Algal domestication, improvement and industrial utilization for biodiesel production will therefore inevitably create value, leading to increased assertion of property rights, of which intellectual property rights in the form of patents are fundamental. This article provides a summary of representative patents and patent applications in the algal biodiesel technology space and their commercial applications.
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