Engineering Commons^™

Poly(Ester Amide) And Poly(Ethyl Glyoxylate) Nanoparticles For Controlled Drug Release, Amira Mohamed Moustafa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The objective of this research was to develop polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) having improved drug release properties for drug delivery. Poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) are promising biodegradable polymers. PEA NPs were prepared via emulsification-evaporation and salting-out methods and optimized through by varying different processing parameters. Polymer-model drug conjugates based on PEAs containing L-aspartic acid and rhodamine B were synthesized and used for NP preparation. Release behavior was studied and compared to a control system with physically encapsulated rhodamine B. It was shown that the release of rhodamine B from the covalent system did not show the burst effect and exhibited a slower …

Processing And Mechanical Testing Of Strontium-Substituted Hydroxyapatite/Glass Composites, Chokchai Yatongchai, Mark R. Towler, Anthony W. Wren

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sr-HA/Glass composites were produced. Phase composition of composites was evaluated. Their physical and mechanical properties were determined. Sintered composites mainly consisted of Sr-HA/β-TCP, or β-TCP/Ca₂ZnSi₂O₇. The composites had porosity up to 4 times those of undoped Sr-HA. Compared to undoped Sr-HA, the Sr-HA/Glass composites had lower biaxial flexural strength and hardness. The Weibull modulus for the composites ranged from 2.77 to 18.74.

Photosystem I-Based Applications For The Photo-Catalyzed Production Of Hydrogen And Electricity, Rosemary Khuu Le

Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation was to optimize systems integrating the photosystem I (PSI) redox protein, which is involved in photosynthesis, with noble metals for electron transfer to show its versatility: 1) in solution coupled with platinum to mediate hydrogen evolution and 2) on a planar gold surface for electricity production.

Response surface methodology was utilized to study variables that affect hydrogen (H₂) yield from platinized-PSI. Light intensity, temperature, and platinum concentration were varied during the platinum-photo-reduction process. Analysis of the effects of the variables on H₂ yield allowed for determination of a condition for optimized hydrogen …

The Structure And Function Of Photosystem I And Photosystem I – Hydrogenase Protein Fusions: An Experimental And Computational Study, Bradley Jordan Harris

Doctoral Dissertations

Photosystem I (PSI) is a membrane protein involved in the photosynthetic cycle of plants, algae, and cyanobacteria that is of specific interest due to its ability to harness solar energy to generate reducing power. This work seeks to form an in vitro hybrid protein fusion between the membrane integral PSI protein and the membrane-bound hydrogenase (MBH) enzyme, in an effort to improve electron transport between these two proteins.

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used to characterize the detergent-solubilized solution structure of trimeric PSI from the cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus, which showed that the detergent interacts primarily with the hydrophobic periphery …

Analytical And Computational Modeling Of Membrane Nanotubes, Sina Mirzaeifard

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the interplay between cell membranes and the actin cytoskeleton in cellular structures known as membrane nanotubes. Membrane nanotubes are slender membrane structures that physically connect cells over long distances, and experiments suggest that they play a role in transferring material and information between cells. Disrupting the actin cytoskeleton disrupts membrane nanotubes. Although recent studies have revealed insight into the physical properties and functions of membrane-actin systems, further research is needed to understand their behavior in biological contexts. Membrane nanotubes provide a novel system with which to investigate interactions between the cell membrane and actin.

In this thesis, …

Photobioreactor Design For Improved Energy Efficiency Of Microalgae Production, Alexander Burns

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Photobioreactor Design for Improved Energy Efficiency of Microalgae Production

Alexander Burns

The objective of this research was to investigate a new photobioreactor (PBR) design for microalgae production that retains the typical advantages of existing tubular PBRs while reducing power consumption by providing simultaneous culture circulation and gas exchange with airlift alone and no centrifugal recirculating pump. Traditional tubular PBR designs feature a compressed air supply and a centrifugal pump for culture circulation and gas exchange. Circulation and gas exchange in a closed-system PBR is necessary to keep the algae suspended and to provide sufficient mass transfer (mainly for the …

Photonic Crystal-Based Flow Cytometry, Justin William Stewart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Photonic crystals serve as powerful building blocks for the development of lab-on-chip devices. Currently they are used for a wide range of miniaturized optical components such as extremely compact waveguides to refractive-index based optical sensors. Here we propose a new technique for analyzing and characterizing cells through the design of a micro-flow cytometer using photonic crystals. While lab scale flow cytometers have been critical to many developments in cellular biology they are not portable, difficult to use and relatively expensive. By making a miniature sensor capable of replicating the same functionality as the large scale units with photonic crystals, we …

Method And Apparatus For Surface Chemical Functionalization Of Powders And Nanoparticles, Mary Gilliam, Susan Farhat, Graham Garner, Michael Magyar

Chemical Engineering Patents

A method and apparatus is provided for the modification of the surface chemistry of solid nano- and micro-particles in order to tailor the properties and functions of these particles. The method generally involves the generation of an atmospheric plasma glow discharge and energetic species that undergo chemical reaction with the surface of the primary particles. The process includes the generation of energetic species to initiate reaction, optional delivery of a precursor fluid, optional delivery of chemical species for grafting, and delivery of separated and de-agglomerated particles into the plasma discharge exiting the plasma generation chamber.

Design Of A Targeted Bacterial Drug Delivery Vector For The Treatment Of Cancer And Metastases, Charles Alexander Swofford

Doctoral Dissertations

Engineered Salmonella possess unique capabilities that make them ideal drug delivery vectors for tumors. Targeted bacterial delivery of anticancer proteins has the ability to overcome therapeutic resistance in tumors that limits the efficacy of chemotherapeutics. In my doctoral research, I identified a protein-drug that can be expressed by bacteria and rapidly kills cancer cells. I also created a density dependent switch that initiates gene expression in tumors and prevents expression in healthy tissue. Combining these two systems has created a potent anti-cancer system that targets tumors with minimal toxicity. I cloned genes for five potential anti-cancer proteins into Salmonella. …

Metabolic Modeling Of Secondary Metabolism In Plant Systems, Lisa M. Leone

Masters Theses

In the first part of this research, we constructed a Genome scale Metabolic Model (GEM) of Taxus cuspidata, a medicinal plant used to produce paclitaxel (Taxol®). The construction of the T. cuspidata GEM was predicated on recent acquisition of a transcriptome of T. cuspidata metabolism under methyl jasmonate (MJ) elicited conditions (when paclitaxel is produced) and unelicited conditions (when paclitaxel is not produced). Construction of the draft model, in which transcriptomic data from elicited and unelicited conditions were included, utilized tools including the ModelSEED developed by Argonne National Laboratory. Although a model was successfully created and gapfilled by ModelSEED …

Reductive Depolymerization Of Kraft Lignin For Chemicals And Fuels Using Formic Acid As A In-Situ Hydrogen Source, Shanhua Huang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis work, formic acid (FA) proved to be an effective in-situ hydrogen donor for the reductive de-polymerization of kraft lignin (KL). At the optimum conditions without catalysts, i.e., 300 ^oC, 1 h, 18.6 wt.% substrate concentration, 50/50 (v/v) water-ethanol medium at a FA-to-lignin mass ratio of 0.7, KL (M_w ~10,000 g/mol) was effectively de-polymerized, producing de-polymerized lignin (DL, M_w 1, 270 g/mol) at a yield of ~90 wt.% and wt.% yield of solid residue (SR). The effects of heterogeneous catalysts on KL reductive de-polymerization in 50/50 (v/v) water-ethanol medium were also investigated. At all conditions, …

An Economic Analysis Of Small-Scale Biodiesel Production: Implementation Of Ethyl Ester Production In A Job Shop Setting, Scott Haase, Benjamin Craig

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Biodiesel is becoming a demanded consumer automotive alternative fuel used in diesel vehicles today. An emerging trend is toward small-scale biodiesel production performed by the final consumer. A limited source of commercially available production systems exists and has resulted in many systems being designed and built by the user. Preliminary research conducted by the authors has shown biodiesel to be the least-cost alternative to petroleum diesel after as few as 8 months of system use. This study examines the economic viability of building and producing biodiesel using a small-scale production system versus buying consumer petroleum diesel. During production, measurements were …

Degradation And Biological Assessment Of Aqueous Micropollutant Mixtures, Sura M.H. Ali

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Presence of micropollutants in water is a global concern because of their ability to potentially cause adverse effects in organisms at concentrations as low as a few ng/L, particularly when present as a component of complex mixture. Most of the endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCP) are not removed well in traditional wastewater treatment processes and enter the environment and spread throughout the water ecosystem. Depending on the properties of the micropollutants and the biology of the receiving species, they may bioaccumulate, metabolize or cause adverse effects. These effects may translate into alterations on a …

Solid-Phase Extraction As Sample Preparation For Bioassay-Based Micropollutant Quantification, Chen Feng

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Solid phase extraction (SPE) using chemically bonded silica particles or small particles of an organic polymer resin, is being studied extensively for extraction of polar or non-polar compounds from various water matrices. This study focused on the evaluation of the performance of three commercial cartridges belonging to three different groups: reversed-phase, mixed-mode anion exchanger and mixed-mode cation exchanger. In the first stage of research, the performance of three cartridges was compared by extracting four antibiotics with different physic-chemical properties from water samples. The results obtained from column sorption experiments were plotted into breakthrough curves and batch equilibrium experiments results were …

Tissue Engineering Scaffolds With Enhanced Oxygen Delivery Using A Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex, Tierney Gb Deluzio

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The development of a strategy to improve oxygen delivery to cells seeded on scaffolds is essential for the success of tissue engineering applications. The focus of this work was to explore the application of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes (CD:ICs) with perfluorocarbons as oxygen carriers. CD:ICs were prepared from alpha-cyclodextrin and perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene via co-precipitation, paste mixing, and dry mixing complexation techniques. Characterization indicated that paste mixing at a 2:1 host:guest ratio was the most effective method for complexation between the parent molecules. The CD:ICs were then successfully incorporated in 3D fibrous mats via electrospinning with poly(carbonate urethane) and polycaprolactone as biostable and …

Engineering Biosensors For Short-Chain Alcohols, Yu Xia

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Biofuel is a promising substitute for fossil fuel and the research of biofuel production has been extensively conducted during the recent years. Great efforts have been made to create many types of the fuel production hosts. However, effective approaches for high specificity and high throughput screening of the fuel production strains are still lacking. The cellular stress response is one universal defense mechanism when a microbial cell is exposed to an unfavorable substance or environment. It triggers a series of downstream responses when a cell senses certain chemicals. Transcriptional factors are widely used in living organisms to regulate gene expression. …

Characterization Of Swelling Ratio And Water Content Of Hydrogels For Cartilage Engineering Applications, Emily E. Gill, Renay S.-C. Su, Julie C. Liu

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Due to the high prevalence of arthritis and cartilage-related injuries, tissue engineers are studying ways to grow cartilage tissue replacements. Resilin, an elastomeric protein found in insect cuticles, is known for its extraordinary resilience and elasticity. In previous studies, recombinant resilin-based hydrogels, or cross-linked protein networks, exhibited potential for use in cartilage tissue scaffolds. Our lab successfully developed resilin-based proteins with a sequence based on the mosquito gene and showed that resilin-based hydrogels possess mechanical properties of the same order of magnitude as native articular cartilage. In addition, these mechanical properties can be controlled by changing the protein concentration. To …

Population Balance Modeling Of Conjugation In Enterococcus Faecalis, Jeremy Binagia, Vu Tran, Che-Chi Shu, Doraiswami Ramkrishna

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In the bacteria species Enterococcus faecalis, transfer of plasmid pCF10 by conjugation between donor cells that possess sets of genes conferring drug resistance and recipient cells leads to the spread of this resistance in a population. A complex signaling molecule network is responsible for communication between recipient and donor cells. Up to this point, the nature of these signaling molecules has been modeled deterministically from the point of view of an “average” cell. While this view has been cured slightly by stochastic treatments, a model is needed that better accounts for the individual nature of each cell, each cell’s interactions …

Enhancement Of Biohydrogen Production From Co-Fermentation Of Glucose, Starch, And Cellulose, Medhavi Gupta

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The aim of this study was to assess the synergistic effects of co-fermentation of glucose, starch, and cellulose using anaerobic digester sludge (ADS) on the biohydrogen (H₂) production and the associated microbial communities. At initial pH of 5.5 and mesophilic temperature of 37 ºC, the H₂ yields were greater by an average of 27 ± 4% in all the different co-substrate conditions compared to the mono-substrate conditions, which affirmed that co-fermentation of different substrates improved the hydrogen potential. The sensitivity of mesophilic ADS to a temperature shock was also investigated. Unacclimatized mesophilic ADS responded well to a …

Application Of Membrane Processes For Concentration And Separation Of Sugar Streams In Biofuel Production, Mohammadmahdi Malmali

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of this study was identification and development of a sugar concentration/separation membrane filtration unit to improve the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass into chemicals and fuels. This thesis is divided into three main parts. The first part is about our studies on the use of nanofiltration membranes for concentration of sugars in a lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysate. In addition, the feasibility of simultaneous removal of acetic acid, 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural and furfural from the hydrolysate has also been investigated. The results obtained indicate that both concentration of sugars and removal of hydrolysis degradation products is feasible. However, careful selection of the …

Production Of Recombinant Human Coagulation Factor Ix By Transgenic Pig, Weijie Xu

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Hemophilia B is the congenital bleeding disorder caused by deficiency in functional coagulation factor IX (FIX) and about 28,000 patients worldwide in 2012. And current treatment is restricted to protein-replacement therapy, which required FIX concentrates for patients’ life-time. Approximately 1 billion units FIX were consumed in 2012. However, still about 70-80% patients, mostly in developing countries, received inadequate or no treatment because of the unavailable and/or unaffordable FIX concentrates. Considering safety reasons, e.g. transmission of blood-borne diseases, the recombinant human FIX (rFIX) is recommended other than the plasma-derived FIX. However, only one rFIX is currently available on the market. The …

Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics In Engineering And Science, Y. Demirel

YASAR DEMIREL

The field of nonequilibrium thermodynamics has been a popular one outside the United States, especially in Europe, and scientists there from various disciplines have published extensively on the use of nonequilibrium thermodynamics in a large variety of biological, chemical, and mechanical engineering applications. In contrast, the number of publications from North America has been relatively modest. Here, we review the field of nonequilibrium thermodynamics to assess its utility and impact in engineering and science. We find that developments in the fields thermodynamic optimality of processes, dissipative structures, coupled transport and rate processes, and biological systems suggest that in some circumstances …

Study Of High Pressure Steaming On Lipid Recovery From Microalgae, Ana-Maria Aguirre

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sustainable and clean fuels are in demand due to the perceived negative effects on health and environment with current use of fossil fuels. Lipids from microalgae offer a potential approach to obtain sustainable biofuels. In this study a two step process was adopted: investigation of culture conditions to find optimal points for lipid productivity and cellulose content, followed by an investigation of microalgae disruption for lipid recovery.

In the first phase of the research the effect of culture conditions on Chlorella vulgaris biomass concentration and the ratio of lipid productivity/cellulose content were studied. Response surface methodology was applied to optimize …

Pharmacokinetic Characterization Of Procoagulation Proteins, Nicholas C. Vanderslice

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Theses and Student Research

The cessation of bleeding in mammals occurs due to a well-conserved sequence of protein activation known as the coagulation cascade. However, people who have a deficiency in one or more proteins in this cascade, whether due to genetics or blood loss, struggle to maintain hemostasis. In order to aid patients in the restoration of hemostasis, exogenous proteins are often administered in response to bleeding events. However, these proteins are limited and costly due to limited supply of donor blood available for the production of plasma-derived proteins and the high cost of mammalian cell bio-reactors required for the production of recombinant …

Developent Of A Phospholipid Encapsulation Process For Quantum Dots To Be Used In Biologic Applications, Logan Grimes

Master's Theses

The American Cancer Society predicts that 1,665,540 people will be diagnosed with cancer, and 585,720 people will die from cancer in 2014. One of the most common types of cancer in the United States is skin cancer. Melanoma alone is predicted to account for 10,000 of the cancer related deaths in 2014. As a highly mobile and aggressive form of cancer, melanoma is difficult to fight once it has metastasized through the body. Early detection in such varieties of cancer is critical in improving survival rates in afflicted patients. Present methods of detection rely on visual examination of suspicious regions …

Hydrodynamic Cfd Modeling Of A Pharmaceutical Reactor Vessel Provided With A Retreat-Blade Impeller Under Different Baffling Conditions, Christopher G. Foehner

Theses

In the pharmaceutical industry, glass-lined reactors and vessels are often utilized to carry out a variety of different unit operations. Within these systems, both the vessel and impellers are typically glass-lined in order to provide superior corrosion resistance, prevent product contamination, and enhance cleanability. This approach, in turn, often requires the use of different, and sometimes sub-optimal, baffling conditions, which affect the hydrodynamics of the vessels and the reactor performance.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a computational tool that employs numerical methods and algorithms to discretize and numerically solve partial differential equations (PDEs) representing mass, energy, and momentum conservation equations …

Mechanism Of Insulin Aggregation: Applied To Alzheimer's Disease, Milos Atz

Honors Scholar Theses

Alzheimer’s disease, a debilitating neurodegenerative illness, is caused by the irreversible aggregation of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain. In Alzheimer’s brains, the protein can become disfigured, causing it to aggregate into long, insoluble fibers that deposit on brain tissue. Studying the aggregation mechanisms of amyloid proteins can lead to a deeper understanding of the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and possibly point towards a potential cure or treatment for the disease. Heat induced aggregation of insulin provides a model system to study the aggregation of amyloidogenic proteins. This study investigates the early stages of heat induced insulin aggregation using dynamic light …

A Peptoid-Based Targeted Drug Delivery System For The Treatment Of Metastatic Cancer, Hugh M. Purdy

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Development of a targeted drug delivery system is a critical step in the effort to improve cancer treatments. Such a system would greatly reduce the harmful side effects of chemotherapy by delivering toxic drugs directly to cancerous cells. Peptoids—synthetic compounds that can be easily produced from readily available amine monomers—have great potential for use in targeted drug delivery. This project aimed to develop peptoids that would bind to specific proteins expressed on the surface of cancer cells. These peptoids could be combined into a complex that would bind to the proteins with an even greater affinity than the individual compounds. …

Comparing Virus Ultrafiltration Of Bacteriophages With Filtration Of Minute Virus Of Mice, Kent Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Industrial production of protein therapeutics demand rigorous testing and clearance of viruses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration dictate the purity of pharmaceuticals with regards to viral contamination. As this testing is time consuming and expensive using mammalian cells and viruses, bacteriophages may provide a faster and cheaper alternative for membrane filtration processes. We used ultrafiltration membranes to filter protein solutions with viruses. Two bacteriophages were tested against membranes with two different pore sizes. These membranes were then tested by inverting the membrane's orientation. Flux measurements and log virus removal data were taken. Flux and log virus removal were seen …

Drug Delivery To The Respiratory Tract Using Dry Powder Inhalers, Doaa M.R. Mossaad

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Aerosols are an effective method to deliver therapeutic agents to the respiratory tract. Among aerosol generation systems, dry powder inhales have been attractive area of research for both local and systemic delivery of drugs. The challenge of any inhalation delivery system is to generate particles with an adequate range of particle sizes. In order to advance powder aerosol technologies, researchers have recognized the importance of investigating determinants affecting powder dispersion. The effect of particles’ surface characteristics, inhalation airflow rate, inhalation device, and development of an effective drug-carrier system are some of the fundamental areas that have been under investigation.

The …