enLIGHT · Label-free fluorescence lifetime analysis for the screening of nanoencapsulated drugs

Nanomedicine has the potential to revolutionize healthcare by enabling targeted drug delivery, reducing side effects, and improving treatment efficacy. However, the field faces a critical bottleneck: the lack of efficient, non-invasive analytical tools to assess drug encapsulation, stability, and release dynamics in nanoformulations. Current techniques rely on destructive, time-consuming methods, limiting their applicability in formulation development and quality control.enLIGHT introduces a breakthrough approach—a patented, label-free fluorescence lifetime-based screening technology that provides real-time, quantitative insights into the physical state of encapsulated drugs. By leveraging exploitation of the intrinsic luminescence of drugs and a phasor-based, fit-free and purely graphical analysis, enLIGHT eliminates the need for fluorescent labeling or complex sample preparation, offering a rapid, cost-effective, and non-destructive alternative to traditional characterization techniques.Validated in laboratory settings, enLIGHT has already revealed unexpected drug behaviors in FDA-approved nanomedicines, demonstrating its ability to uncover hidden formulation instabilities. This Proof of Concept project aims to move enLIGHT from a complex lab setup to a compact, user-friendly device for pharmaceutical and research laboratories. By refining the prototype and validating its performance across diverse nanoformulations, the project will establish enLIGHT as an indispensable tool in nanomedicine analytics.With its potential to enhance drug development pipelines, reduce formulation failures, and streamline regulatory approval processes, enLIGHT represents a transformative innovation for the pharmaceutical industry—ensuring more stable, effective, and safer nanomedicines for the future.