Scientists have developed a novel method for storing biological materials such as RNA and proteins in a solid-state. The storage in solid-state resembles the form of a pill or a tablet, which dissolves in water for on-demand use. The innovation provides a new way to overcome current limitations in the storage and handling of products derived from living cells used for a variety of health care and scientific research purposes.
Biological materials that are frequently used in developing new medicines and diagnostic testing tools such as mRNA, enzymes, and antibodies are highly sensitive to changing ambient conditions during storage, transportation, and handling. When they are not stored and handled properly, they can degrade or become inactive. The result is a fundamental limitation to access in resource-limited and underserved communities.
For example, the Pfizer COVID vaccine rollout was limited in speed and breadth due the need for deep freezers for storage and transport. More broadly, even when refrigeration infrastructure is present, failures occurred in over 10% of cases, resulting in over $35 billion in losses annually according to IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science.
To overcome some of the key limitations, researchers at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, CA, have developed the new method for storing biological materials with vast potential for use by the scientific and medical communities.
When most of us open our medicine cabinets, we find pharmaceutical drugs stored in forms such as liquids, powders packaged in capsules, pills and tablets. Pharmaceuticals have proven that each form plays an important role in how the medication is stored and used.
2023-07-26 18:48:03
Source from phys.org