Lecturer Alfredo LANZARO

Contact

Alfredo.Lanzaro@gmail.com

Professional Experience

2016-2018: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

2011-2016: Post-Doctoral Research Associate, the University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

Education

2007-2011: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, the University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

1999-2005: Master of Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, the University of Naples, Italy

Research interests

Elastic Turbulence

The flow of complex fluids such as polymer solutions and colloidal dispersions through micro-fabricated devices gives rise to a variety of non-Newtonian fluid effects, such as purely elastic instabilities or even turbulence, which cannot be visualised if the same fluids move through macroscale flow geometries. In microfluidic flows, complex fluids experience rates of deformation on the order of 105 s-1 or above, hence the Weissenberg number Wi, which characterises the strength of deformation rate, becomes large, while the Reynolds number Re, characterising flow inertia, is still negligible. The high Wi, low Re flow regime observed in microscopic flows is relevant for a variety of applications, including inkjet printing, spraying and enhanced oil recovery in porous media, and constitutes a robust benchmark for the validation of advanced constitutive models. We address this fundamental research topic by means of a fully quantitative approach, including molecular characterisation, shear and extensional rheometry by means of a prototypical “Rheo-chip” technology, and particle-image velocimetry (PIV).

Protein Solutions Interactions and Rheology

Dense suspensions of monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) are becoming increasingly popular in threating a large amount of diseases, including respiratory deficiency, arthritis and various forms of cancer. In order for a Mab-based drug to be effective, active protein concentrations on the order of 100 g/L or above must be achieved, which leads to notable viscosity enhancement. Moreover, many industrial and healthcare operations involving Mab dispersions (i.e. sub-cutaneous injection, tangential flow filtration, vial filling) feature inherently high shear rates (104 s-1 or above), where non-Newtonian flow effects, such as viscoelasticity and shear thinning, are typically observed.  Understanding the link between the type and strength of the protein-protein interactions and the rheological behaviour of dense biopharmaceutical solutions is of paramount importance for industry. We address such fundamental question by means of a combination of molecular (static and dynamic light scattering, neutron scattering) and rheometric techniques (Rheo-chip in steady and oscillatory mode).

Colloidal Molecules in Microfluidics

“Colloidal molecules” are a class of building blocks characterised by specific and highly directional interactions, which mimic phenomena typically occurring at the molecular level. The assembly of colloidal molecules in more complex structures resembling natural formations (i.e. viral shells) is highly dependent on a variety of parameters, including temperature, pH, ionic strength and presence of electric fields. In order to map out the rich phase behaviour of this novel class of materials, we employ a microfluidic “phase chip” technology which allows for fast quantitative screening of the behaviour of colloidal particles under different field conditions.

Research Collaborations

European Horizon 2020: Protein-excipient Interactions and Protein-Protein Interactions in formulation (PIPPI) - Concentrated Solution Rheology (hosted at Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, the University of Manchester, UK)

The European Research Council (ERC): Colloids with Complex Interactions (COMPASS) - from model atoms to colloidal recognition and bioinspired self assembly (hosted at Lund University, Lund, Sweden)

Publications

[1] A. Lanzaro, “Microscopic flows of aqueous polyacrylamide solutions: a quantitative study”, Ph.D. Thesis, the University of Manchester, 2011

[2] A. Lanzaro and X.-F. Yuan, “Effects of Contraction Ratio on Non-linear Dynamics of Semi Dilute, Highly Polydisperse PAAm Solutions in Microfluidics”, Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, 2011

[3] A. Lanzaro and X.-F. Yuan, “A quantitative analysis of spatial extensional rate distribution in nonlinear viscoelastic flows”, Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, 2014.

[4] A. Lanzaro and X.-F. Yuan, “Quantitative characterization of high molecular weight polymer solutions in microfluidic hyperbolic contraction flow”, Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 2014.

[5] A. Lanzaro, D. Corbett and X.-F. Yuan, “Quantitative characterization of high molecular weight polymer solutions in microfluidic hyperbolic contraction flow”, Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, 2017.