Higher-Throughput LNP Screening on the FLO i8® PD
About
LNP screening depends on experimental coverage. Teams need to test multiple formulation conditions consistently enough to identify how lipid composition and process settings influence particle attributes such as size and polydispersity. When formulation throughput becomes a bottleneck in the broader screening workflow, teams are forced to narrow their design space, split studies across multiple runs, or prioritize only a subset of variables. Each tradeoff reduces the amount of comparative data available to guide the next formulation decision.
Material availability can be another constraint. Lipids, RNA, and other cargo are often costly or available only in limited quantities, and high dead volume per formulation path limits the number of conditions a fixed supply can support. An effective LNP screening workflow needs enough throughput to cover the design space, efficient use of scarce inputs, and controlled, repeatable formulation conditions all at once.
Formulatrix FLO i8 PD and Parallel Fluidics LNP Screening Array
Formulatrix and Parallel Fluidics have integrated the LNP Screening Array, a microfluidic consumable in a standard SLAS microplate footprint, with the FLO i8 PD. The FLO i8 PD's positive displacement pipetting meters and delivers the aqueous and lipid phases while the array's independent micromixers provide the microfluidic formulation path and collect each formulated sample in a dedicated reservoir.
The FLO i8 PD's eight pipetting channels can process four formulations at once, with each formulation utilizing two channels to synchronously dispense the aqueous and lipid phases. The full array is completed in two passes, generating eight formulations in just a few minutes. The workflow scales LNP formulation directly on the FLO i8 PD while keeping dead volume low, helping teams screen more conditions from limited lipid, RNA, or cargo inputs.
Under a tested blank LNP condition, the workflow produced a well-defined particle size with low polydispersity and consistent results across replicate samples, establishing a defined reference condition for teams evaluating the workflow on their own FLO i8 PD. The full characterization dataset, including exact test conditions and results, is available in the whitepaper.
FAQs
No. The LNP Screening Array is a consumable that runs directly on the FLO i8 PD. The FLO i8 PD controls total flow rate and flow rate ratio through its positive displacement pipetting, while the array provides the microfluidic mixing path and dedicated sample collection with low dead volume.