Microfluidic Manufacturing of Liposomes

Modern technology has implemented microfluidic systems in myriad systems. The first successful large commercial application of these systems was the development of so-called ink jet printers, where a microfluidic system controls where ink is placed on paper, a 38.4B USD global market in 2022. Now, microfluidics are being used in pharmaceutical industries to control how individual molecules assemble into macromolecular assemblies of clinical and therapeutical impact. This chapter will detail how microfluidics has facilitated and revolutionized the production of lipid-based therapeutics. The chapter begins with an introduction to microfluidic-facilitated liposome assembly, the mechanism of lipid self-assembly into liposomes, and how microfluidic parameters impact liposome characteristics. The chapter ends with an example of how microfluidics can create bespoke therapeutics in unprecedently short time frames with incredible global impact. Specifically, a recent real-world case shows how microfluidic-produced lipid-based therapeutics impacted the COVID-19 response—the first wide deployment of mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccines.