[TALK 9] NGBS2025: Single-particle and single-cell microscopy advances to medicines - Sabrina Leslie

[TALK 9] NGBS2025: Single-particle and single-cell microscopy advances to medicines - Sabrina Leslie

🎙 Sabrina Leslie 👥 10K 📅 November 5, 2025 ⏱ 30 min 👁 159 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-08-16
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

lipid nanoparticlessingle-particle trackingCLiCiSCATmRNA

Summary

Sabrina Leslie presents her lab’s work on developing a biophysics platform to characterize lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) containing mRNA, which are crucial for next-generation genomic medicines. The platform, called CLiC (convex lens-induced confinement), traps individual particles in microwells for quantitative analysis without tethering or tweezing. The talk covers three main areas: single-particle size and payload characterization, fusion dynamics, and intracellular tracking. Using multi-color fluorescence and interferometric scattering (iSCAT), they can measure size, mass, and water content of LNPs. They also use FRET to study fusion events and pH changes. Recent unpublished work focuses on the heterogeneity of LNP formulations, including the presence of ‘blebs’ (RNA protruding from the particle), and they quantify mRNA copy numbers per particle. The talk highlights the importance of understanding LNP structure and dynamics for optimizing drug delivery.

131 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The talk provides valuable insights into the biophysical characterization of lipid nanoparticles, a topic of high relevance for drug delivery. The speaker presents a compelling argument for the need for single-particle techniques to complement ensemble methods, as they reveal heterogeneity and dynamics that are otherwise averaged out. The argumentation is solid, supported by detailed methodology and examples. The speaker effectively demonstrates the capabilities of the CLiC platform through various experiments, from size measurement to fusion kinetics and intracellular tracking. The inclusion of unpublished data adds novelty but also introduces some uncertainty, as these results have not yet undergone peer review.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The talk demonstrates high scientific rigor, with careful experimental design and controls. The speaker references several published papers from her group and collaborators, and the description provides links to relevant resources. The title accurately reflects the content, focusing on single-particle and single-cell microscopy for medicines. The talk is well-structured and the technical details are presented clearly. The sources cited are credible, including publications in ACS Nano and collaborations with leading groups in the field. The adéquation between title and content is strong, with no significant discrepancies.

201 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on single-particle and single-cell microscopy techniques applied to lipid nanoparticles for medicine.

Quality & Reliability

8/10

The talk presents original research from a leading biophysics lab, with detailed methodology and references to published work. The speaker is an expert in the field, and the content is technically rigorous. However, some results are unpublished and presented as preliminary, which slightly reduces the overall reliability score.

Key Moments

Cited Sources

Concurring Sources

External References

Contribution & Novelties

The talk presents novel advancements in single-particle microscopy for characterizing lipid nanoparticles, including the integration of iSCAT for label-free imaging and the use of FRET to study fusion and structure. The unpublished data on LNP heterogeneity and mRNA copy numbers provides new insights into formulation differences. The CLiC platform offers a unique approach to trap and analyze individual particles in solution-like conditions, enabling detailed biophysical characterization.

Pour aller plus loin :

94 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows high scores in quality of information, technical level, and reliability, with slightly lower scores in quantity of information and overall note. This indicates a technically dense and reliable presentation, but with a moderate amount of content and a high barrier for non-specialists.

Reliability 8/10

💬 No comments were provided for analysis.