University of Graz

The Particle Lab (PaLab) was established in 2018 and is a decentralized laboratory for the production and characterization of nanostructured as well as particulate (bio)materials. These substances have gained increasing importance worldwide in the technical and materials science fields, but also in the medical, pharmaceutical fields. For example, nanoparticles of metals such as silver and gold are now used for many applications in technology but also for consumer products in the home, as well as in medicine and pharmacy as drug carriers. Very topical are vaccines that protect mRNA from degradation in the form of nanoparticles and thus make it possible to ensure very specific immune reactions after application in our body.

The PaLab is financed as a joint project between the Karl Franzens University Graz (KFU), the Medical University Graz (MUG) and Anton Paar GmbH Graz. In the first phase, the lab was financed by Hochschulraumstrukturmittel (HRSM) and subsequently by infrastructure funds of KFU. KFU (Prof. Zimmer) was in charge of the application for funding via HRSM.

The fabrication and characterization capabilities offered by PaLab include microfluidic systems (e.g. Nanoassemblr) and imaging techniques combining classical light microscopy techniques with high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM), scattered light techniques such as laser diffraction, dynamic light scattering and particle tracking, particle counting techniques using microscopy and laserobscuration, and multi-angle light scattering techniques in combination with size exclusion chromatography for substance separation and molecular weight determination (MALLS). Further descriptions of the infrastructure can be found here.

The PaLab is located as a decentralized laboratory facility in rooms of the KFU and the MUG and is also available to all external researchers as well as companies for contract analysis. Please direct inquiries to us by e-mail.

The MUG, Institute of Biophysics (Prof. Prassl), has been working for many years on large biomolecules and particles of lipid metabolism, such as lipoproteins, HDL/LDL, etc. Liposomes are developed as drug carriers or for imaging diagnostics. MUG participates in the PaLab with a NanoAssemblr (Microfluidics). The products made with it can then be further investigated with other instruments of the PaLab Graz. In addition, MUG has a nanoparticle tracking system based on light scattering that can be used to measure the diffusion velocity of nanoparticles or self-assembled products. In development is a new technology, also based on light absorption, which can be used to separate and sort particles.

Anton Paar is one of the leading international manufacturers of scientific instruments used for the physical characterization of substances, substance mixtures and substances for the food and pharmaceutical industry e.g. density, flow behavior etc. Anton Paar as an industrial company supports PaLab Graz with a novel light scattering system (Litesizer). This instrument allows the characterization of particle size and size distribution over a wide measuring range from approx. 1 nm to approx. 10 µm. At the same time, the zeta potential of the material can be determined.