For the development and production of effective, affordable and personalized medicines critical information on the active ingredients as well as on their formulation and production methods has to be provided. Many of the analytical methods currently used in pharmacy require elaborate preparations and large sample volumes. This is costly and time consuming and requires highly skilled personnel. The aim of this research focus is therefore to provide methods that allow highly selective, precise, rapid and stable analysis with very small amounts of active ingredients, formulations and biological systems.
On the other side, micro- and minituarized systems can also be applied to intensify the production of APIs and medicines. Especially micro fluidic systems enable the reaction, precipitation, emulsification and dispersing in continuous mode at low and high pressures. Moreover, minituarized devices like mills and mixers offer opportunities for drug development.
For this purpose, different methodological approaches are being pursued: one is the production and application of minituarized devices, the so-called lab-on-chip and organ-on-chip systems in which fluids controlled in submillimeter dimensions can be manipulated and analyzed, and secondly, the development and adaptation of more classical analysis methods and procedures for small quantities. A challenge is also the design of sampling, sample preparation, and measurement with the least possible interference with ongoing processes.
left: Fully assembled Pancreas-on-a-Chip; right: Optical test of HPLC samples before the analysis
Heads of Department:
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Andreas Dietzel | TU Braunschweig
Institute of Microtechnology
Alte Salzdahlumer Str. 203 | 38124 Braunschweig
E-Mail: a.dietzel(at)tu-braunschweig.de | Phone: +49 (0)531 391-9750
Prof. Dr. Stephan Reichl | TU Braunschweig
Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology
Mendelssohnstr. 1 | 38106 Braunschweig
E-Mail s.reichl(at)tu-braunschweig.de | Phone +49(0)531 391-5651