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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Biomimetic Actuators: Where Technology And Cell Biology Merge [Review Article], Michael Knoblauch, Winfried Peters Nov 2004

Biomimetic Actuators: Where Technology And Cell Biology Merge [Review Article], Michael Knoblauch, Winfried Peters

Winfried S. Peters

The structural and functional analysis of biological macromolecules has reached a level of resolution that allows mechanistic interpretations of molecular action, giving rise to the view of enzymes as molecular machines. This machine analogy is not merely metaphorical, as bio-analogous molecular machines actually are being used as motors in the fields of nanotechnology and robotics. As the borderline between molecular cell biology and technology blurs, developments in the engineering and material sciences become increasingly instructive sources of models and concepts for biologists. In this review, we provide a – necessarily selective – summary of recent progress in the usage of …


Immunogold Labeling To Enhance Contrast In Optical Coherence Microscopy Of Tissue Engineered Corneal Constructs, Chris B. Raub, Elizabeth J. Orwin, Richard C. Haskell Sep 2004

Immunogold Labeling To Enhance Contrast In Optical Coherence Microscopy Of Tissue Engineered Corneal Constructs, Chris B. Raub, Elizabeth J. Orwin, Richard C. Haskell

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Our lab has used an optical coherence microscope (OCM) to assess both the structure of tissue-engineered corneal constructs and their transparency. Currently, we are not able to resolve cells versus collagen matrix material in the images produced. We would like to distinguish cells in order to determine if they are viable while growing in culture and also if they are significantly contributing to the light scattering in the tissue. In order to do this, we are currently investigating the use of immunogold labeling. Gold nanoparticles are high scatterers and can create contrast in images. We have conjugated gold nanoparticles to …


Aaas Lecture Series On Women In Science And Engineering, Maribel Vazquez Jun 2004

Aaas Lecture Series On Women In Science And Engineering, Maribel Vazquez

Publications and Research

The winning essay for a Travel Award from the American Association for the Advancement in Science Women Lecture Series.

http://ehrweb.aaas.org/womeninscience/essays/vazquez.htm


Food Based Approaches For A Healthy Nutrition In Africa, Mamoudou Hama Dicko May 2004

Food Based Approaches For A Healthy Nutrition In Africa, Mamoudou Hama Dicko

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

The latest estimates of the FAO demonstrate the problems of the fight against hunger. These problems are manifested by the ever-increasing number of chronically undernourished people worldwide. Their numbers during the 1999-2001 period were estimated at about 840 million of which 798 million live in developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa alone represented 198 million of those. In this part of Africa the prevalence of undernourishment ranges from 5-34%, causing growth retardation and insufficient weight gain among one third of the children under five years of age and resulting in a mortality of 5-15% among these children. Malnutrition resulting from undernourishment is …


Forisomes, A Novel Type Of Ca2+-Dependent Contractile Protein Motor [Review Article], Michael Knoblauch, Winfried Peters Apr 2004

Forisomes, A Novel Type Of Ca2+-Dependent Contractile Protein Motor [Review Article], Michael Knoblauch, Winfried Peters

Winfried S. Peters

This paper has no abstract; this is the first paragraph. Motility of cell components in both animal and plant cells is mostly based on the movement of motor proteins along actin filaments or microtubules [Boal, 2002]. The dominance of ATP hydrolysis as the energy source for such movements is so complete, that modern textbooks define “motor proteins” as nucleoside triphosphate-dependent actuators [e.g., Alberts et al., 2002]. In only one known case, a reversible mechanism of cell motility is driven by the interaction of Ca2+ and the responsive protein(s). Some sessile ciliates control the effective length of their stalk by means …


The Effect Of Loading On Disturbance Sounds Of The Atlantic Croaker Micropogonius Undulatus: Air Versus Water, Michael L. Fine, Justin Schrinel, Timothy M. Cameron Jan 2004

The Effect Of Loading On Disturbance Sounds Of The Atlantic Croaker Micropogonius Undulatus: Air Versus Water, Michael L. Fine, Justin Schrinel, Timothy M. Cameron

Biology Publications

Physiological work on fish sound production may require exposure of the swimbladder to air, which will change its loading (radiation mass and resistance) and could affect parameters of emitted sounds. This issue was examined in Atlantic croaker Micropogonius chromis by recording sounds from the same individuals in air and water. Although sonograms appear relatively similar in both cases, pulse duration is longer because of decreased damping, and sharpness of tuning (Q factor) is higher in water. However, pulse repetition rate and dominant frequency are unaffected. With appropriate caution it is suggested that sounds recorded in air can provide a useful …


A Method For Enhancing The Snapshot Performance In San Volume Manager, Chang-Soo Kim, Dong-Jae Kang, Young-Ho Kim, Hag-Young Kim, Myoung-Jun Kim, Yu-Hyeon Bak Jan 2004

A Method For Enhancing The Snapshot Performance In San Volume Manager, Chang-Soo Kim, Dong-Jae Kang, Young-Ho Kim, Hag-Young Kim, Myoung-Jun Kim, Yu-Hyeon Bak

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.


Manipulation Of Microenvironment With A Built-In Electrochemical Actuator In Proximity Of A Dissolved Oxygen Microsensor, Chang-Soo Kim, J. O. Fiering, C. W. Scarantino, H. Troy Nagle, Chae-Hyang Lee, Stefan Ufer Jan 2004

Manipulation Of Microenvironment With A Built-In Electrochemical Actuator In Proximity Of A Dissolved Oxygen Microsensor, Chang-Soo Kim, J. O. Fiering, C. W. Scarantino, H. Troy Nagle, Chae-Hyang Lee, Stefan Ufer

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Biochemical sensors for continuous monitoring require dependable periodic self diagnosis with acceptable simplicity to check its functionality during operation. An in-situ self-diagnostic technique for a dissolved oxygen microsensor is proposed in an effort to devise an intelligent microsensor system with an integrated electrochemical actuation electrode. With a built-in platinum microelectrode that surrounds the microsensor, two kinds of microenvironments, called the oxygen-saturated or oxygen-depleted phases, can be created by water electrolysis, depending on the polarity. The functionality of the microsensor can be checked during these microenvironment phases. The polarographic oxygen microsensor is fabricated on a flexible polyimide substrate (Kapton) and the …


An Intelligent Dissolved Oxygen Microsensor System With Electrochemically Actuated Fluidics, Chang-Soo Kim, Jongwon Park, Xinbo He Jan 2004

An Intelligent Dissolved Oxygen Microsensor System With Electrochemically Actuated Fluidics, Chang-Soo Kim, Jongwon Park, Xinbo He

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new dissolved oxygen monitoring microsystem is proposed to achieve in situ intelligent self-calibration by using an electrochemically actuated fluidic system. The electrochemical actuation, based on water electrolysis, plays two critical roles in the proposed microsystem. First, the electrochemically generated gases serve as the calibrants for the in situ 2-point calibration/diagnosis procedure of the microsensor in a chip. Secondly, the electrochemical generation and collapse of gas bubbles provide the driving force of the bidirectional fluidic manipulation for sampling and dispensing of the sample solution. A microsystem including a dissolved oxygen microprobe, electrochemical actuators, and a fluidic structure are prepared by …