Virus Concentration – A Clearer View of Viral Particles
Whether you’re working on cutting-edge gene therapy or exploring new vaccine platforms, understanding your viral particles is crucial. Knowing particle size, concentration, and behavior helps researchers ensure consistency, detect unwanted aggregates, and better understand how a formulation performs over time. Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) is a technique that makes this possible by following individual particles in real time rather than relying on bulk averages. This approach provides a clearer picture of sample composition, making it easier to monitor quality and adjust processes as needed.
Insights NTA Brings to Viral Applications
- By tracking individual particles, NTA reveals the true size distribution and concentration of viruses and virus-like particles within a sample. This level of detail is particularly valuable when working with gene therapy vectors such as AAV or lentivirus, where understanding the proportion of full to empty capsids can directly influence therapeutic performance. NTA also makes it possible to detect and monitor aggregates or debris that may develop during production or storage, factors that can compromise product consistency and safety if left unchecked.
- Beyond development, these measurements play a role in routine quality assessment. In vaccine research, for example, NTA data helps confirm that VLP assembly processes are producing particles within the intended size range, while also highlighting any changes caused by formulation adjustments or transport conditions. Because NTA measures physical particles rather than just genetic material, it offers an additional layer of clarity that complements established assays.