{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T06:04:35Z","timestamp":1780985075462,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780963200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100005562","name":"North Carolina Biotechnology Center","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100005562","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100010942","name":"University of North Carolina at Charlotte","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100010942","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."],"abstract":"\n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n Light-Assisted Drying (LAD) is a new technique for stabilizing biologics such as vaccines and protein-based therapeutics by using near-infrared laser radiation to drive selective water removal and encapsulate materials within a protective sugar matrix. This process enables room-temperature storage of biological products and reduces dependence on costly cold-chain logistics. While previous studies utilized single-sample LAD, this work introduces a multi-sample platform for the first time. By integrating optical and thermal modeling, we demonstrate that 1,064\u00a0nm radiation allows for energy reuse across vertically stacked samples to enable scalable, high-throughput processing.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n LightTools optical simulations were used to model laser energy deposition across vertically stacked samples. A lumped-parameter thermal model was developed to predict temperature evolution and drying behavior during laser irradiation. Together, these models guided the design of a processing system. A prototype system was subsequently constructed and tested.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n LightTools simulations revealed that each sample absorbed\n \n \n \n <<\/mml:mo>\n 10<\/mml:mn>\n %<\/mml:mi>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n of incident laser power, enabling a vertical stacking configuration. A lumped-parameter thermal model was developed which predicted that a 5\u00a0W near-infrared laser could process a three-sample stack within 100\u00a0min while maintaining peak temperatures below 33 \u00b0C. To validate these models, a prototype system was constructed and tested using Human Immunoglobulin G (Human IgG) as a model biologic. Experimental results demonstrated that all samples dried within 100\u00a0min without exceeding the thermal denaturation threshold. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) confirmed that processed Human IgG retained full binding affinity (\n \n \n \n p<\/mml:mi>\n ><\/mml:mo>\n 0.05<\/mml:mn>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n compared to unprocessed controls), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed no significant changes in the protein\u2019s melting temperature\n \n \n \n (<\/mml:mo>\n \n \n \n T<\/mml:mi>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n \n m<\/mml:mi>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n <\/mml:msub>\n \u2248<\/mml:mo>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n 73 \u00b0C) or unfolding enthalpy\n \n \n \n (<\/mml:mo>\n \n \u0394<\/mml:mi>\n H<\/mml:mi>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n )<\/mml:mo>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n .\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Discussion<\/jats:title>\n These findings demonstrate the feasibility of a high-throughput LAD system and represent an important step toward its industrial-scale implementation for biologic preservation.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2026.1844186","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T05:45:17Z","timestamp":1780983917000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Integrated optical and thermal modeling for the development of a scalable multi-sample light-assisted drying platform for biologic stabilization"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Anteneh A.","family":"Tsegaye","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physics and Optical Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte","place":["Charlotte, NC, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexander J.","family":"Suptela","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physics and Optical Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte","place":["Charlotte, NC, United States"]},{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte","place":["Charlotte, NC, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Russell G.","family":"Keanini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte","place":["Charlotte, NC, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Susan R.","family":"Trammell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physics and Optical Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte","place":["Charlotte, NC, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"715","DOI":"10.1007\/s11095-006-9191-2","article-title":"Drying-induced variations in physico-chemical properties of amorphous pharmaceuticals and their impact on stability ii: stability of a vaccine","volume":"24","author":"Abdul-Fattah","year":"2007","journal-title":"Pharm. 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