Smart Polymers are a new generation of materials which exhibit extraordinary properties. These types of polymers can respond sharply to small changes in physical or chemical conditions with relatively large phase or property changes. Arguable the greatest potential of smart polymers lays in the area of targeted drug delivery. With clinical applications beginning to emerge it is a very exciting time for smart polymer materials research.
Animal Health research in the MRI focuses on the development of polymer based formulations for controlled, modified, sustained and targeted release.
Animal Health is a critical contributor to both international competitiveness and on-farm profitability. The Global Animal Health Market is continually growing and is currently estimated to be worth over €20 billion, thus providing huge export potential for Irish companies.

Funded projects:
Melt processed smart polymer drug delivery systems
Title: Melt processed smart polymer drug delivery systems
Summary: Tomorrow’s challenge is to develop new medicines, devices and procedures that prevent or provide better treatment to existing medical conditions. This research involves the development of targeted drug delivery systems based on melt processed stimuli responsive smart polymers. It explores the early stage potential of these advanced smart polymer materials for targeted drug delivery applications.
Funding agency: President Seed Fund Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Principal Investigator: Dr. Luke Geever
Researcher: Maya Frost
Duration: 2014 to 2016
The Development of Novel Smart Melt Processed Drug Delivery Systems to control the Release Rate of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients
Summary: Delivery of active agents in response to physiological variation and to a targeted site is considered a compelling goal for the next generation of drug therapy research. This research involves the development of novel melt processed smart polymer materials for targeted drug delivery applications. Smart polymers have been heralded by many as the materials with greatest potential in the development of targeted drug delivery systems.
Principal Investigators: Dr. Luke Geever and Dr. Sean Lyons.
Collaborators:
University College Dublin (School of Medicine and Medical Science)
Stanford University (School of Medicine – Department of Surgery).
Researcher: Shane Halligan
Funding agency: President Seed Fund Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Duration: 2014 to 2018
Extended Release Technologies for the animal health market using hot melt extrusion (Easy-DelivERT)
Summary: Administering active ingredients to cattle is an arduous, time consuming as well as dangerous task which must be performed a number of times every year. Modern farmers are looking for easier to use, safer and more reliable methods of supplementing and medicating cattle. This new polymer controlled release technology provides a user friendly, low labour intensive and safer method of administering supplements and active agents to cattle.
Principal Investigator Dr. Luke Geever
Collaboration: Trinity College Dublin (School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences).
Researcher: Dr. Joshua Yoon
Funding agency: Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund
Duration: 2012 to 2016
Development of novel anthelmintic drug delivery devices that control endoparasites such as fluke and worms
Summary: Methods of delivering antiparasitic drugs to cattle are very outdated, and the need for easy-to-use and cost effective methods of delivering such drugs to livestock has never been so critical. This research will develop novel multifunctional polymer delivery devices that will be cost effective and easy to use, and will have the ability to deliver active pharmaceutical ingredients in a controlled manner over a prolonged period of time.
Funding agency: IOTI Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Principal Investigator: Dr. Luke Geever
Collaboration Trinity College Dublin (School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences).
Duration: 2013 to 2016
Melt processing and characterisation of polymer blends to improve the solubility of hydrophobic veterinary API’s
Summary: This research will develop novel multifunctional polymer delivery devices with the ability to deliver API’s in a controlled manner over time.
Funding agency: President Seed Fund Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Principal Investigator: Dr. Luke Geever.
Researcher: Conor Coffey
Duration: 2013 to 2016
Complete projects:
Next generation smart polymer materials for targeted drug delivery applications
Summary: This research addresses a real world problem by developing targeted drug delivery systems based on smart melt processed temperature sensitive polymers with the goal of improving the efficacy of drug delivery while reducing negative side effects.
Funding agency: President Seed Fund Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Principal Investigator/Collaboration: The PI for this study is Dr. Luke Geever and the research is in collaboration with University College Dublin (School of Medicine and Medical Science) and Stanford University (School of Medicine – Department of Surgery).
Researcher: Maurice Dalton
Duration: 2014 to 2016
Development of smart materials for delivery of biologics
Summary: Novel drug delivery systems were developed. Research results were disseminated in numerous high-impact factor peer-reviewed journals.
Principal Investigator: Prof. Clement Higginbotham
Funding agency: HEA-Strand 3
Duration: 2007 to 2012
Publications
Controlled Release of Pharmaceuticals Publications
Peter Boyd, Ian Major, Weiguang Wang, Christopher McConville: Development of Disulfiram-Loaded Vaginal Rings for the Localised Treatment of Cervical Cancer. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics 11/2014; 88(3). DOI:10.1016/j.ejpb.2014.08.002.
Christopher McConville, Ian Major, David R. Friend, Meredith R. Clark, R. Karl Malcolm: Development of a UC781 releasing polyethylene vinyl acetate vaginal ring. Drug Delivery and Translational Research 12/2012; 2(6). DOI:10.1007/s13346-012-0101-3.