Liposomes are tiny bubbles made of the same material as a cell membrane, that can be filled with drugs to allow them to enter the body. Used to deliver drugs for cancer and other diseases, they have been on the market since the 1960s but recent nano-technological developments have widened their potential for use in areas such as food supplements.
ARU researchers will embed the development, analysis and knowledge of liposomal formulation to allow Lipolife to adopt new product designs and scale up productivity.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme has been co-funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, and Lipolife. It is being co-ordinated by ARU’s Research and Development Office.
Dr Mohammad Najlah, Deputy Head of Allied Health at ARU, said: “This partnership with a sector-leading industry will enable us to build up cost-efficient research to develop high quality, competitive products.
“It is a great opportunity to apply our academic knowledge and innovation to a business world environment. With such shared passion for innovation, ARU and Lipolife will continue to develop this partnership not only to share knowledge, but also allow real life business experiences for our researchers and students.”
Charley Nicholls, of Lipolife, said: “From the outset Lipolife has sought to innovate in the nutraceutical sector; to be selected for such a prestigious grant is a hugely proud moment for the company and is a great example of our ongoing mission to continually innovate and pioneer liposomal delivery for food supplements and other applications.
“Through partnering with ARU, the grant funding will enable the joint team to develop the most cutting-edge, technologically advanced improvements to liposomal encapsulation.”