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Nanomedicine and Nanoscale Delivery (Focus Group – NND)

Advances in Light Scattering Detection for the Characterization of Drug Delivery Systems

Subin Damodaran – Commercial Product Manager, Tosoh Bioscience GmbH
Introduction:

Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS) coupled with separation techniques has proven indispensable for characterizing drug delivery systems (DDS). Molecular weight determination, size distribution, aggregation profiling, and structural conformation are necessary for ensuring safety, efficacy, and reproducibility.1 Current MALS methodologies face limitations in detecting particles smaller than 12/15 nm due to their weak scattering signals and small angular dependence. Therefore, there is a need for more sensitive MALS detectors capable of detecting and analyzing these sub-15 nm components and detect small difference in size that can impact overall behavior and efficacy.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand advantage of MALS detector over column calibration in polymer characterization
  • Understand limits of conventional MALS for sub‑15 nm DDS and how improved sensitivity boosts Mw and size accuracy.
  • Explain how advanced MALS and viscometry reveal structure–property relationships in polymer-based DDS.