NanoSTAR Concierge Service

The concierge service is designed to enhance collaborations between various academic units of The University by enabling a forum for allowing investigators to utilize nanotechnology toward drug delivery, targeted imaging, and diagnostic modalities.

Basic science and clinical investigators are often challenged with an inability to engage faculty expertise across Grounds in materials design for “nano-solutions” to address the pressing issues in medical fields. We welcome external users as well and seek to enable users in industry and academia to have similar access as our internal constituents. Please note that both internal and external users will be charged fees for service and will receive a contract prior to the start of the selected project.

The solution is nanoSTAR’s Concierge Service, which facilitates the following:  

  • Nano formulation and device platform fabrication

  • Nano characterization

  • Nano scale up

  • Nano targeting

Steps for nanosizing using the nanoSTAR Concierge Service:

Step 1: The investigator fills out a form (below) for a nanomaterial and/or device application idea.

Nanosize Request Form (Encapsulation)

Nanosize Request Form (Device)
 

Step 2:  NanoSTAR will review this information and, if approved, will assign an engineering contact,a senior scientist who will provide technical support to formulate the nano-solution, and other resources as the project requires. The investigator will just have to supply the “active” material for device, delivery, imaging or targeting. Upon selection we will begin to formulate a contract for approval by both parties.

Step 3: Once the contract is complete, the assigned group will begin the process to engineer and characterize the nano-solution.

Step 4 The nanotechnology, as well as all the physical chemistry data, will be returned to the investigator to facilitate in vitro testing. If positive results are obtained, the concierge will begin discussions to enable in vivo testing.

Step 5: The key element underlying the concierge service is that the investigators just have to provide the material for encapsulating within the nanotechnology.  As stated above, all users will receive a contract for services provided.