The article, featured in Purdue Today, describes a grant that was received to expand RF project ongoing in the LyoHUB demonstration facility. Dr. Alexeenko (Co-Director of LyoHUB), Drew Strongrich and other collaborators are using microwaves to make lyophilization, or freeze-drying, faster and more cost-effective in the transportation and storage of vaccines, injectable drug products and reagents for molecular diagnostics. The innovation could expand the use of the process and increase the availability of vaccines and biopharmaceuticals with a long shelf life not requiring frozen storage. 

The grant came from the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization who awards grants for short-term projects that enhance the commercial value of intellectual property.

“The Trask grant will allow us to design and build a mobile demonstration unit for RF heating for lyophilization that could be transported to potential industry users for on-site testing,” Alexeenko said. “Our goal is working with our commercial partner LyoWave Inc. to get early testing by industry on real products and de-risk the adoption of this new pharmaceutical manufacturing technology.” 

Full article can be viewed at https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2023/Q3/purdue-researchers-receive-118,000-to-develop-freeze-drying-meat-validation-and-thermal-imaging-innovations.html

Ahmad Darwish works on RF set up in the LyoHUB demonstration Facility, Purdue University