Under the collaboration, Microfluidics and UMass Lowell have jointly funded the initial three research projects at the university's Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence (NCOE).
Microfluidics and the University of Massachusetts Lowell have recently signed an amendment to their previously announced research and collaboration agreement to develop new applications, processes and products in the area of nanomaterials utilizing Microfluidics's leading-edge proprietary Microfluidizer processor, and in some instances, continuous chemical reactor equipment .
The collaboration agreement has been extended through September 21, 2007, and provision has been made for additional extensions thereafter.
Under the collaboration, Microfluidics and UMass Lowell have jointly funded the initial three research projects at the university's Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence (NCOE).
Microfluidics has also made a donation to UMass Lowell of Microfluidizer Processing equipment valued at $100,000, to be used primarily at the NCOE.
The first project, conducted by John Warner, professor and director for the Center for Green Chemistry, investigates the possibility of generating specifically designed co-crystals from two feed streams for pharmaceutical compounds and complexes consistent with 'green' chemistry.
The second project, proposed by Arthur Watterson, investigates increasing the loading capacity of water-soluble polymer nanoparticles to be used for drug delivery.
Watterson is the director of the Institute for NanoScience and Engineering Technology.
The final project, which will be conducted at UMass Lowell's Center for Health and Disease Research by Professor Robert Nicolosi, director of the centre, entails preparing nanoemulsions of an anti-oxidant synergistic formulation for anti-bacterial and wound-healing indications.
"We are pleased to move forward at the NCOE with the initial projects under the Collaboration with MFIC and its operating subsidiary, Microfluidics," said Julie Chen, director of the NCOE.
"Microfluidics equipment will become key manufacturing platforms for high throughput nanomanufacturing.
"The extension of the collaboration should afford the NCOE with a greater and broader opportunity to investigate uses of Microfluidics unique nanoprocessing and nanoparticle creation devices".
This research collaboration extends the ongoing relationship between UMass Lowell and Microfluidics.
UMass Lowell faculty researchers have been using the Microfluidizer processing equipment to develop water soluble plant sterols for use as cholesterol-blocking food additives.
"We are gratified to see progress in the collaboration and the NCOE's desire to utilize our equipment and capabilities in conjunction with the substantial formulation and engineering strengths at UMass Lowell," stated Irwin Gruverman, CEO and chairman of MFIC.
"We believe our innovative systems and continuous chemical reaction technology (CCRT) can enable many UML projects to produce nanomaterials for, among others, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulations."
