TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Bacterial Lipid Nanodiscs Platform
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
AI Contract Overview
The Bacterial Lipid Nanodiscs Platform developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a novel method to study bacterial membranes in their native lipid environment by creating uniform nanoscale discs from total lipid extracts. This technology uses a membrane scaffold protein to encase native bacterial lipids within stable, approximately 10-nanometer-wide particles that replicate the natural membrane context without relying on synthetic lipids or live cells. By preserving the biological organization of lipids, including amphiphilic molecules and lipopolysaccharides, the platform enables safer, more accurate analysis of immune-stimulating components and membrane-associated targets critical to vaccine development, antimicrobial discovery, and diagnostics. The platform has been demonstrated with dangerous pathogens such as Yersinia pestis, illustrating its ability to facilitate membrane characterization while avoiding the hazards of handling live high-risk bacteria. It supports consistent, realistic nanoscale membrane models applicable across various bacterial species, offering advantages over traditional methods like outer membrane vesicle purification. The technology’s applications span life sciences research, vaccine and drug discovery, biodefense, and diagnostics. Currently at Technology Readiness Level 3 and with a U.S. patent pending, this technology is available for licensing through Los Alamos National Laboratory’s program aimed at advancing laboratory innovations into commercial products.
General Info
Agency
NAICS
Place of Performance
Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USASet-Aside
Timeline
Response Deadline
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
The Bacterial Lipid Nanodiscs Platform developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory provides a new way to study entire bacterial membranes in a controlled, nanoscale format derived directly from native lipid extracts. Researchers gain access to membrane components that typically remain difficult to isolate, stabilize or analyze, enabling more accurate evaluation of immunogenic lipids and membrane‑associated targets. The platform offers a safer alternative to handling live high‑risk pathogens while preserving the biological context that drives meaningful insights for vaccine design and antimicrobial discovery such as therapeutic antibodies to conserved lipids on bacterial membranes.
How it Works
The Bacterial Lipid Nanodiscs Platform creates uniform nanoscale discs from total lipid extracts harvested from bacterial membranes. Membrane scaffold protein MSP1D1 encases the lipid mixture and forms a stable disc roughly 10 nanometers wide. The resulting particles retain the full complement of native bacterial lipids, arranged in a membrane‑like environment that supports realistic biological interactions without requiring synthetic lipids or live cells.
Technical Description
The method adapts established nanodisc assembly techniques to incorporate entire bacterial lipid extracts rather than defined synthetic lipid mixtures. Total lipids from a pathogen are solubilized, combined with MSP1D1 and dialyzed under controlled conditions to allow the scaffold protein to form a discoidal structure around the heterogeneous lipid population. The process yields nanoparticles that represent the membrane environment of the source organism, including amphiphilic molecules that typically resist purification or structural study when isolated from their native context.
The approach was demonstrated using Yersinia pestis, chosen to illustrate how membrane characterization can proceed without the hazards associated with live Tier 1 pathogens. The method captures lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and diverse immunogenic lipids in an arrangement that mirrors their natural organization. Researchers can evaluate binding interactions, immune‑stimulating properties and potential antigenic targets in a stable platform that avoids the limitations of outer membrane vesicle purification. Furthermore, using this platform we have identified antibodies specific to E. coli LPS and Y. pestis membrane lipids. These antibodies are independently licensable.
Advantages
• Provides membrane‑like structures using native bacterial lipids
• Avoids the safety challenges of handling live pathogens
• Offers a broader and more realistic lipid environment than synthetic nanodiscs
• Enables improved assessment of membrane antigens and immune responses
• Supports analysis of diverse bacterial species using a unified workflow
• Creates consistent nanoscale particles suitable for research and development settings
Market Applications
• Life Sciences Research (membrane biology, immunology)
• Vaccine Development (bacterial antigen discovery)
• Drug Discovery (membrane‑associated targets)
• Diagnostics (lipid biomarker exploration)
• Biodefense Research (safe pathogen characterization)
Development Status: TRL 3
U.S. Patent pending
LA-UR-26-24920
LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential
Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products.
LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact licensing@lanl.gov.
Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.
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