Structural Biology Core
Advanced Biophysical Characterization of mRNA LNPs at the Johnson Foundation Biophysics and Structural Biology Core Facility, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
mRNA LNP formulations are complex in composition, size, shape, and physical and chemical polydispersity. The mission of the JFBSB within the Institute for RNA Innovation is to accelerate the characterization and development of mRNA LNP formulations with biophysical techniques. We are advancing cutting-edge technologies specifically tailored to rigorous and quantitative solution biophysics for mRNA LNP research, including the need to characterize the composition, size, shape, RNA loading, and polydispersity of mRNA lipid nanoparticles in a rigorously quantitative, high-throughput, and solution-based fashion.
Our core provides an advanced state-of-the-art comprehensive biophysical workflow to determine the solution structure and compositional properties of LNP formulations, using available orthogonal technologies in a core setting, including dynamic light scattering (DLS), multiwavelength analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), and size-exclusion chromatography in-line with multiangle light scattering (SEC-MALS). These technologies are complemented with synchrotron size-exclusion chromatography in-line with small-angle X-ray scattering (SEC-SAXS) in a collaborative fashion. Together, these approaches enhance the physical understanding of LNP structure-function relationships and allow users to optimize their designs, which can improve LNP quality and potentially accelerate pharmaceutical development. To the best of our knowledge, the JFBSB is a one-of-a-kind user resource in the US for the advanced quantitative biophysical analysis of mRNA LNPs, serving a rapidly growing need among the Penn research community and nationwide. We are ideally located to serve the user communities at the University of Pennsylvania, the Children’s Hospital, and the Wistar Institute.
Contact Dr. Gupta for information on using the Core.
Group Lead
Kushol Gupta, Ph.D.
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Director, Johnson Foundation Structural Biology and Biophysics Core
Perelman School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania