Nanomedicines Characterization Core Facility is part of the UNC Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery (CNDD).
Nanoparticles fabrication:
- Custom designed microfluidic assembly.
- UnChained Labs Sunshine (providing capacities from in vitro to in vivo)
Exosomes isolation and characterization:
- Exosomes isolation from cells media/tissues (precipitation, ultracentrifugation, size exclusion).
- Exosomal markers analysis (western blot, Exo-Check™ Exosome Antibody Array), Proteomics.
- Size, size distribution, concentration, surface charge, purity assessment: Zetaview (ParticleMetrix), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS).
Analytical analysis:
- Size, size distribution, concentration, surface charge: Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Zetaview (ParticleMetrix).
- Materials analysis (GPC): weight average molar mass (Mw), number average molar mass (Mn), polydispersity, structure: Infra-red (IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).
- Analytical capabilities: High Performance Liquid Chromatography, UV-Vis spectroscopy, UV-temperature correlation
- Protein, peptides, RNA analysis: Capillary electrophoresis (protein purity, isoelectric focusing, Glycan analysis, Plasmid/Nucleic Acid purity, heterogeneity and sizing analysis), Automated Western Blot Analysis (Protein Simple), Gel Imager.
- Elemental analysis: metals analysis in soils, water, food, plants, cells, tissues by ICP-MS.
- Lyophilization: Benchtop freeze-drying system (Labcono, FreeZone 2.5 Liter).
In Vitro Assays:
- Protein concentration (BCA assay).
- Endotoxin contamination (LAL assay).
- In vitro stability analysis.
- In vitro drug release analysis.
- In vitro cellular uptake, transfection and toxicity analysis.
Data analysis and presentation:
- We offer expert opinion related to study design, sample selection/collection and storage, proposal review and development, manuscript development and review.
NCore collaborates with other Cores on UNC’s campus (TEM, Proteomics, Flow Cytometry, NMR, etc.) to facilitate comprehensive analysis of the samples.