In this project, the interest is in understanding how active ingredients (whether a drug or a nutraceutical molecule) can be loaded in a gel-like capsule or in some similar platform (like a bead or a tablet), in a controlled manner. 

The objective is to achieve controlled release of the active molecule from the capsule and from other substrates of interest, so as to maximize their concentration in the body.

Microfluidics provides a facile platform for generation of several biomaterials such as particles, capsules, microfibers, etc. The versatility of microfluidics based methods arises from the ability to control size, morphology, and composition of the generated entities. In this project the student will use microfluidic devices to generate drug and nanoparticle encapsulated microfibers for targeted drug delivery in pancreatic cancer. The encapsulated nanoparticles (iron oxide) will allow magnetic based controlled release of the drug to the targeted site.