Flow Imaging Microscopy Blog

The positive impacts of therapeutic proteins on the lives of people suffering from cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ALS, lupus, arthritis and other diseases and conditions have attracted significant investment in drug research and development.

As a result, hundreds of therapeutic protein-based drugs have earned FDA approval, with enormous benefits to human health. With the rapid growth and acceptance of these biologics, more and more information about impacts of product quality on patient outcomes has become available. Based on this growing body of evidence, one of the most important product quality attributes is the concentration and sizes of subvisible particles.

"Lives are on the line when it comes to correct understanding of how therapeutic proteins can form particulate" says Professor John Carpenter, PhD, Professor of  Pharmaceutical Sciences and Co-Director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Read the entire article in Laboratory News

Click the infographic on the right to view larger

Currently the compendial method for quantifying subvisible particles equal to or greater than 10 µm and 25 µm uses light obscuration (LO), which is internationally harmonized in the U.S., European, and  Japanese Pharmacopoeia. However, numerous reports have indicated that subvisible particles smaller than 10 µm could elicit immune responses.

Flow Imaging Microscopy has revolutionized particle analysis by offering qualitative, morphological analysis in addition to quantitative analysis (count and size). 

A class of engineered proteins called elastin-like polymers (ELP) have shown promise for advanced drug delivery applications. In order to fully realize their potential however, they need to be rigorously characterized  to determine how they behave in different environments. The FlowCam is ideally suited to help with the characterization process.

Fluid Imaging Technologies offers hands on training after the purchase of a FlowCam particle analyzer, or as refresher training for existing customers.  We partner with international distributors to assist in local language, shipping and training logistics, as well as to provide a local presence in the country and enhance the sales process.  Throughout January and March, Stephen Barton and Kay Johnson traveled extensively throughout Asia.

Plant sporoderm are among the most robust biomaterials in nature. The spore/pollen cell material can be easily extracted leaving an excellent natural microcapsule that can serve as a potential drug delivery mechanism for different biopharmaceutical applications.  See related post on dandelion pollen in a similar application. 

In 2016, 23 million salmon died from a harmful algal bloom (HAB) at a farm in Chile.  The economic cost of  that die-off is estimated to have been $800 million.  The impact of such mortality events is serious.  Grieg Seafood is employing cutting-edge technology to expand monitoring, stay ahead of HABs, and keep their fish stocks healthy.

It is no secret that plastic has found its way into more and more everyday products. However, it may be surprising to learn about the sheer volume of plastic particulates shedding from these products and being released into the environment on a daily basis.

The University of New England and the University of Maine School of Law announced that they are offering a combined fast-track Marine Sciences Law Degree to be completed in only 6 years. 

A client in the biopharmaceutical market recently learned how the FlowCam is perfectly suited to visualize translucent plastic particles that may enter into their production process. They were frustrated with traditional microscopy that was not effective at visualizing microparticles. They turned to the FlowCam to troubleshoot their manufacturing process and were able to compare old and new data sets allowing for continuous improvement.