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Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
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- Cancer (5)
- Ultrasound (5)
- Tissue engineering (4)
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- Aorta (3)
- Biomechanics (3)
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- Breast cancer (2)
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- Elastase (2)
- Embryo (2)
- Extracellular Matrix (2)
- Extracellular matrix (2)
- Hydrocephalus (2)
- Hydrogels (2)
- Hydrogen peroxide (2)
- Hypoxia (2)
Articles 1 - 30 of 127
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Thin Film Cocaine Sensors, Datta Sheregar, Vick Hung, Jenna Walker, Orlando Hoilett, Jacqueline Linnes, Robert Nawrocki
Thin Film Cocaine Sensors, Datta Sheregar, Vick Hung, Jenna Walker, Orlando Hoilett, Jacqueline Linnes, Robert Nawrocki
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Over 7 million Americans suffer from a drug use disorder and up to 60% of individuals treated for addiction will ultimately relapse. We are developing ultra-thin film electrodes on a wearable substrate for a sensor that can detect minute amounts of cocaine in sweat droplets secreted from the skin. This will enable wearable drug monitoring for personalized rehabilitation treatment plans and improve long-term addiction recovery rates. The current research focuses on developing a thin-film sensor that can be applied directly to the skin. First a layer of PVP (poly4-vinylphenol) was prepared and then spun coated onto a piece of glass. …
High-Throughput Nanoliter Dispensing Device For Biological Applications, Cole Reynolds, Euiwon Bae Dr., J Paul Robinson Dr.
High-Throughput Nanoliter Dispensing Device For Biological Applications, Cole Reynolds, Euiwon Bae Dr., J Paul Robinson Dr.
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Pathogen identification is a field that can contribute largely to the prevention of the spreading of illness and disease. In the past, pathogen identification has been a long and arduous process due to the time-consuming processes and steps that requires technician’s time and effort. With new technologies emerging however, screening of bacteria colonies can be done in a quick and high-throughput way. The problem is that using the current methods, bacteria cannot be transferred to petri dishes fast enough to keep up with the new screening methods. The current study focuses on exploring different methods to create an ergonomic device …
Design Modifications For A Small, Affordable Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Device, Sui Shen, Kelsey C. Bayer, Pedro P. Irazoqui
Design Modifications For A Small, Affordable Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Device, Sui Shen, Kelsey C. Bayer, Pedro P. Irazoqui
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Depression is a prevalent and serious medical illness, and while there are antidepressant drugs to mitigate depressive symptoms, 10 - 30% of patients either do not respond or develop a tolerance to these medications. Literature supports that there is an interrelation between the inflammatory response and treatment-resistant depression. A promising method to tackle depressive symptoms is to block the inflammatory signaling pathway with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. Although electrical VNS devices exist, they are invasive, expensive, and have side effects including voice alteration, dyspnea, and cough. Low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) is a promising method that …
Rapid Sample Processing Of Foodborne Pathogens Using Cross-Flow Microfiltration, Casey Bomrad, Michael R. Ladisch, Linda Liu, Jessica Lynn Zuponcic, Eduardo Ximenes
Rapid Sample Processing Of Foodborne Pathogens Using Cross-Flow Microfiltration, Casey Bomrad, Michael R. Ladisch, Linda Liu, Jessica Lynn Zuponcic, Eduardo Ximenes
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Foodborne illnesses are a prominent issue, causing 48 million illnesses annually. The Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak in romaine lettuce is a recent example. The source of the pathogen was contaminated irrigation water. The most common methods for detecting foodborne pathogens involve cultivation and enrichment of food samples. The enrichment steps are time-consuming, taking 24 to 72 hours to complete. Our study aims to accelerate irrigation water sample preparation for pathogenic microorganism fast detection through cross-flow microfiltration. This is accomplished by a device called a continuous cell concentration and recovery device (C3D). The C3D uses cross-flow microfiltration in a hollow fiber …
Non-Invasive Diagnostic Measures Of Sensorineural Hearing Loss In Chinchillas, Hannah M. Ginsberg, Satyabrata Parida, Michael G. Heinz
Non-Invasive Diagnostic Measures Of Sensorineural Hearing Loss In Chinchillas, Hannah M. Ginsberg, Satyabrata Parida, Michael G. Heinz
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
According to the World Health Organization, disabling hearing loss affects nearly 466 million people worldwide. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which is characterized as damage to the inner ear (e.g., cochlear hair cells) and/or to the neural pathways connecting the inner ear and brain, accounts for 90% of all disabling hearing loss. More concerning is that significant perceptual and physiological aspects of SNHL remain “hidden” from standard clinical diagnostics. Hidden hearing loss (HHL) manifests as the inability to understand speech in loud, noisy environments (e.g., listening in a noisy restaurant) despite a normal audiogram (i.e., normal detection of soft sounds). Recently, …
Flow Chamber For Confocal Tracking Of Particles In Bone, Brennan Flannery, Russell Main, Xiaoyu Xu
Flow Chamber For Confocal Tracking Of Particles In Bone, Brennan Flannery, Russell Main, Xiaoyu Xu
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Interstitial fluid flow in the lacunar-canalicular system (LCS) of bone is recognized as a potential regulator of bone remodeling. Movement of fluid across bone cells called osteocytes regulates gene expression that leads to either bone formation or resorption. Interstitial fluid moves in response to bone loading during daily activity, and bone growth occurs to compensate for these loads, affecting bone shape and strength. While interstitial fluid flow is thoroughly studied using computational models, there is a critical need to study flow in real bone samples with imaging techniques. Flow velocities determined from imaging will be more accurate than computational models …
Bacteria Movement Near Surfaces, Shulin Wang, Adib Ahmadzadegan, Arezoo Ardekani
Bacteria Movement Near Surfaces, Shulin Wang, Adib Ahmadzadegan, Arezoo Ardekani
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Understanding the behaviors of bacteria near surfaces is crucial in many biological and ecological applications. This knowledge can be used to hinder undesired biofilm formation on medical instruments and wounds. On top of that, it could also provide further insights in biodegradation of dispersed oil. In this work, the behavior of Escherichia Coli near a surface was experimentally studied. We utilized an inverted microscope in the phase filed illumination mode and processed acquired images to track the motions of bacteria near surfaces with high accuracy and repeatability. Distribution of the cells when they reached a steady state shows that the …
Improving Biomanufacturing Production With Novel Elp-Based Transcriptional Regulators, Juya Jeon, Logan R. Readnour, Kevin V. Solomon
Improving Biomanufacturing Production With Novel Elp-Based Transcriptional Regulators, Juya Jeon, Logan R. Readnour, Kevin V. Solomon
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Microbes can be used to produce valuable drugs, chemicals, and biofuels, but their potential has not been fully realized due to low production yields. To improve biomanufacturing processes and yield, we are developing novel, transcriptional regulators using biosynthesis technology in order to improve cellular health and overall production. Our regulator contains elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), which make ideal sensors since they exhibit a sharp, inverse phase transition to indicators of cell health such as intracellular pH and ionic strength, and external stimuli such as temperature. We hypothesize that ELP can be fused to transcription factors to control expression of target genes. …
Characterization And Quantification Of Fibrin Gel Mechanics With Fibroblast Invasion, Nicklaus Iavagnilio, Sarah Calve, Adrian Buganza-Tepole
Characterization And Quantification Of Fibrin Gel Mechanics With Fibroblast Invasion, Nicklaus Iavagnilio, Sarah Calve, Adrian Buganza-Tepole
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Cutaneous wounds undergo an intricate healing process stimulated by a variety of local mechanical and biological stimuli that lead to patterns of growth and remodeling. Despite significant research in dermal wound healing, pathological scarring is still common particularly in wounds closed under mechanical stress, or large wounds left to heal by secondary intention. The purpose of this study is to utilize previously established wound healing models using fibrin gels and fibroblasts to better understand the functional relationships of the biological processes of normal compared to abnormal wound healing. Increases in uni-axial strain and transforming growth factor beta-1 concentration have been …
Cost-Effective Paper-Based Diagnostic Using Split Proteins To Detect Yeast Infections, Zachary R. Berglund, Kevin V. Solomon, Mohit S. Verma, Moiz Rasheed, Zachary Hartley, Kevin Fitzgerald, Kok Zhi Lee, Janice Chan, Julianne Dejoie, Makayla Schacht, Alex Zavala
Cost-Effective Paper-Based Diagnostic Using Split Proteins To Detect Yeast Infections, Zachary R. Berglund, Kevin V. Solomon, Mohit S. Verma, Moiz Rasheed, Zachary Hartley, Kevin Fitzgerald, Kok Zhi Lee, Janice Chan, Julianne Dejoie, Makayla Schacht, Alex Zavala
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
The common yeast infection, vulvovaginal candidiasis, affects three out of four women throughout their lifetime and can be spread to their child in the form of oral candidiasis (thrush). This disease is caused by the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, which is also a major cause of systemic candidiasis, a rarer but deadly disease with up to a 49% lethality rate. Current widely-used diagnostic methods include cell cultures, pH tests, and antibody detection, to assist effective treatment. Despite availability of various diagnostic methods, there is no inexpensive, rapid, and accurate way to detect C. albicans infection. This project aims to …
Magnetically Actuated Cell Stretching Platform To Induce Phenotypic Changes In Metastatic Cells, Yong Gyun Cho, Hyunsu Park, Hyowon Lee, Sarah Libring
Magnetically Actuated Cell Stretching Platform To Induce Phenotypic Changes In Metastatic Cells, Yong Gyun Cho, Hyunsu Park, Hyowon Lee, Sarah Libring
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Although metastasis is responsible for about 90% of cancer deaths, only few in vitro models can be used to evaluate dynamic behaviors of metastatic cancer cells. Many studies have shown that mechanical stimuli can trigger various cellular responses such as gene and protein expression, which could lead to changes in cellular phenotype. Similarly, metastasized breast cancer cells in the lung tissue are constantly stretched by cyclic mechanical stress due to breathing, which alters cellular morphology and proliferation state. Such transitions can make the secondary tumors resistant to the chemotherapy used to effectively treat the primary tumors. In this work, we …
Developing Strategies To Toughen Bio-Inspired Adhesives, Narelli P. Narciso, Samuel Lee Huntington, Jonathan J. Wilker
Developing Strategies To Toughen Bio-Inspired Adhesives, Narelli P. Narciso, Samuel Lee Huntington, Jonathan J. Wilker
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Mussels and other marine creatures adhere very well in underwater environments, having the ability to withstand the force of the sea. These animals have inspired synthetic biomimetic adhesives for wet systems, presenting potential for biomedical applications. However, most current commercial adhesives tend to be brittle, not resisting repetitive movements. This study assesses toughening strategies to improve the mussel-inspired adhesives’ ductility while maintaining its strength. The strategies included altering the polymer’s chemical structure by changing the percentage of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the molecule and by adding fillers, such as calcium carbonate, silica and nacre - a calcium carbonate compound found …
Tissue Clearing As A Mechanism To Identify Changes In Fibronectin Structure During Breast Cancer Metastasis, Maryam Nuru, Kelsey Hopkins, Luis Solorio
Tissue Clearing As A Mechanism To Identify Changes In Fibronectin Structure During Breast Cancer Metastasis, Maryam Nuru, Kelsey Hopkins, Luis Solorio
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
With metastasis accounting for approximately 90% of breast cancer deaths and an alarming number of over 300,000 new breast cancer cases to be diagnosed by the end of 2018, there is growing need to understand the process of breast cancer. Changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the tumor microenvironment play an essential role in this deadly tumor progression. Specifically, the glycoprotein fibronectin (FN), has been identified to be up-regulated in patients with worse clinical outcomes. During tumor progression fibronectin undergoes conformational changes that aid in metastatic dissemination. In order to analyze the dynamic changes in FN expression and evaluate …
Creating A Mammary Duct Model To Study The Effects Of Cancer Heterogeneity On Tumor Metastasis, Megan Hofstetter, Mazin Hakim, Luis Solorio
Creating A Mammary Duct Model To Study The Effects Of Cancer Heterogeneity On Tumor Metastasis, Megan Hofstetter, Mazin Hakim, Luis Solorio
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
During tumor progression, the process of clonal evolution gives rise to a variety of cell subpopulations that cause differential sensitivity to drugs and give rise to cell populations with the ability to metastasize, there are many mouse models available that can be used to study tumor progression and metastasis. However, there is a lack of models to study the effect of tumor heterogeneity using human cancers. Xenograft based systems require the use of immunodeficient mice, which limits the use of the model to evaluate microenvironmental factors involved in metastatic dissemination. Humanized mouse models with established human immune systems have been …
Method Validation Of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Electrophysiological Recording To Investigate Mechanisms Of Vagus Nerve, Christina L. Hendren, Jiayue Cao, Zhongming Liu
Method Validation Of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Electrophysiological Recording To Investigate Mechanisms Of Vagus Nerve, Christina L. Hendren, Jiayue Cao, Zhongming Liu
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is used clinically to treat epilepsy and depression, but its mechanism of action is unknown. Useful techniques to study this are functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the local field potential (LFP). fMRI relies on oxygen use in the brain to show areas where neurons are active. The LFP is an electrical signal created by neuron action potentials and other current moving across cell membranes. The most information can be gained when the two methods are used simultaneously, however, this is difficult to do. This study seeks to validate the technique of fMRI-LFP as applied to …
Fluidic Control With Wax Valves For Paper-Based Diagnostics, Emilie I. Newsham, Elizabeth A. Phillips, Katherine N. Clayton, Jacqueline C. Linnes
Fluidic Control With Wax Valves For Paper-Based Diagnostics, Emilie I. Newsham, Elizabeth A. Phillips, Katherine N. Clayton, Jacqueline C. Linnes
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Paper-fluidic devices are a common platform for point-of-care disease detection in under-resourced areas because of their low cost and minimal instrumentation requirements. Limited fluidic control in paper-fluidic devices has hindered the incorporation of multistep reactions that are necessary for more sensitive disease detection. One potential fluidic control mechanism is the incorporation of thermally actuated wax valves to separate assay stages. Such valving would expand the detection capabilities of these devices by permitting fluid obstruction for sustained reactions and facilitating controlled volume release within a fully-automated, self-contained device. Despite the potential to exploit wax valves for innovative paper-fluidic diagnostics, a thorough, …
Neural Coding Of An Auditory Pitch Illusion, Maria Alejandra Barrera, Mark Sayles, Ravinderjit Singh
Neural Coding Of An Auditory Pitch Illusion, Maria Alejandra Barrera, Mark Sayles, Ravinderjit Singh
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Pitch is an important perceptual dimension in audition, supporting auditory object segregation, melody recognition and lexical distinction. Huggins’ pitch, for example, is a phenomenon evoked by two sources of broadband noise presented binaurally with an inter-aural phase shift over a narrow frequency band. Huggins’ pitch and other dichotic pitches have been studied extensively using perceptual experiments. Several models have been proposed to explain and predict the perception of pitch; however, no studies have tried to record in vivo neuron responses to Huggins’ pitch (HP) nor have tried to explain how the HP is coded by neurons. The existence of pitches …
A Chronically Implanted, Continuous Ph Monitoring System For Rats, Ryan B. Budde, Pedro P. Irazoqui
A Chronically Implanted, Continuous Ph Monitoring System For Rats, Ryan B. Budde, Pedro P. Irazoqui
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Many body systems operate within a strict pH range, and any deviation can cause harm. pH measurement systems are used in many biomedical research fields. Measurement systems have been able to continuously record pH for a short period of time wirelessly, or over a long period of time with wires, but no system is currently capable of long term, wireless, continuous pH recording. This paper proposes a new pH measurement system that is capable of such measurement. The system is composed of inexpensive, micro-scale, and easy to manufacture pH sensitive and reference electrodes and a data acquisition and transmission module …
A Novel High-Throughput, High-Content Three-Dimensional Assay For Determination Of Tumor Invasion And Dormancy, Mahera M. Husain, Theodore J. Puls, Sherry Voytik-Harbin
A Novel High-Throughput, High-Content Three-Dimensional Assay For Determination Of Tumor Invasion And Dormancy, Mahera M. Husain, Theodore J. Puls, Sherry Voytik-Harbin
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Metastasis accounts for most cancer deaths, while dormancy of tumor cells leads to unexpected cancer recurrence. These two aspects of cancer remain relatively untreatable in part because current two-dimensional (2D) methods of high-throughput drug screening cannot quantify outcomes related to these phenotypes. Three-dimensional (3D) in-vitro tumor models are a promising alternative because they better recreate the tumor microenvironment and relevant phenotypes. However, outcome measures for high-throughput screening of these systems are often limited to single measures such as metabolic activity using assays that are not standardized or optimized for 3D models. To address this gap, the objective of this work …
Localized Immunosuppression Therapy For Islet Cell Encapsulation, Madeline Mclaughlin, Clarissa Stephens, Sherry Voytik-Harbin
Localized Immunosuppression Therapy For Islet Cell Encapsulation, Madeline Mclaughlin, Clarissa Stephens, Sherry Voytik-Harbin
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells necessary for managing a person’s blood glucose levels, affects 1.25 million Americans. A potential treatment for this disease is islet cell transplantation where Islets of Langerhans, containing the beta cells, are transplanted from a normal donor to a diabetic recipient to regulate blood glucose levels and provide insulin independence. Similar to whole organ transplantation, immune modulation through immunosuppression therapy is necessary for successful transplantation of islets without rejection. However, long-term systemic immunosuppression therapy can be toxic to the patient and the islets. Because …
Development Of Portable Hyperspectral Imaging Device, Chenxi Li, Youngkee Jung, Iyll-Joon Doh, Euiwon Bae
Development Of Portable Hyperspectral Imaging Device, Chenxi Li, Youngkee Jung, Iyll-Joon Doh, Euiwon Bae
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Most of the conventional hyperspectral imaging devices require sophisticated optical components, occupy a large footprint, and requires an initial capital investment for laboratories which mostly suits for laboratories benchtop system. The requirement of shipping the sample and waiting an extended period of time to get the results are the main downsides of this traditional approach. Capitalize in many specific field applications and diagnosis, portable devices provide both convenience and on-site results which are desirable for government agencies and food safety inspectors. This project was aimed to develop a low-cost, portable hyperspectral device for food safety applications. A smartphone was used …
Comparative Analysis Of Nanoscale Ultrasound Contrast Agents, Elly Y. Lambert, Luis Solorio
Comparative Analysis Of Nanoscale Ultrasound Contrast Agents, Elly Y. Lambert, Luis Solorio
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Current ultrasound contrast agents utilize microbubbles as a blood pooling agent, but the size inhibits access to small capillaries. The development of nanoscale ultrasound contrast agents can enter small capillaries of tissues and aid in the detection of diseased states. However, current nano-formulations are flushed from the body over a short period of time. We developed a nanoscale ultrasound contrast agent with increased circulation time to allow for better detection of diseased states in the microvasculature of the body. Characterization (zeta potential, size, echogenicity and stability) and pharmacokinetic analysis were conducted on three nanoscale formulations: 1) Liquid based Bovine Serum …
Temporal Resolution Of Cell Death Signaling Events Induced By Cold Atmospheric Plasma And Electroporation In Human Cancer Cells, Danielle M. Krug, Prasoon K. Diwakar, Ahmed Hassanein
Temporal Resolution Of Cell Death Signaling Events Induced By Cold Atmospheric Plasma And Electroporation In Human Cancer Cells, Danielle M. Krug, Prasoon K. Diwakar, Ahmed Hassanein
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Cancer treatment resistance and their invasive and expensive nature is propelling research towards developing alternate approaches to eradicate cancer in patients. Non-thermal, i.e., cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) and electroporation (EP) applied to the surface of cancerous tissue are new methods that are minimally invasive, safe, and selective. These approaches, both independently and synergistically, have been shown to deplete cancer cell populations, but the signaling mechanisms of death and their timelines of action are still widely unknown. To better understand the timeframe of signaling events occurring upon treatment, human cancer cell lines were treated with CAP, EP, and combined CAP with …
The Response Of Schwann Cells To Weak Dc Electric Fields, Alexander T. Lai, Jianming Li
The Response Of Schwann Cells To Weak Dc Electric Fields, Alexander T. Lai, Jianming Li
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Schwann cells are glial cells that serve the vital role of supporting neurons in the peripheral nervous system. While their primary function is to provide insulation (myelin) for axons, they also help regenerate injured axons by digesting severed axons and providing scaffolding to guide the regeneration process. This specific role of Schwann cells makes them highly important cellular targets following nerve injury. Although some efforts have been made to encourage Schwann cell migration after nerve damage, the use of electric fields to control cell responses remain unexplored; therefore, this experiment serves to characterize the behavior of Schwann cells to weak …
Fundamental Characterization Of Oxygen Nanobubbles, John Hamlin, Yi Wen, Joseph Irudayaraj
Fundamental Characterization Of Oxygen Nanobubbles, John Hamlin, Yi Wen, Joseph Irudayaraj
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
A hypoxic environment is created by tumors’ incredible growth rate. Hypoxia provides radioresistance to the tumors, thus making radiation treatment less effective. The issue is that increasing the radiation leads to increased side effects in patients. Our goal for the oxygen-filled nanobubble is to deliver oxygen to the tumor to lessen radioresistance and make radiation treatment more efficient. However, we need preliminary research to understand and improve the nanobubbles before further research and implementation. To do this, we synthesized different batches of nanobubbles to optimize the production method and find the best container and temperature to store nanobubbles. We measured …
Localized Blood Occlusion Generation In An In-Vitro Circulatory Catheter System, Ryan D. Harris, Qi Yang, Hyowon Lee
Localized Blood Occlusion Generation In An In-Vitro Circulatory Catheter System, Ryan D. Harris, Qi Yang, Hyowon Lee
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Hydrocephalus is a debilitating neurological disorder that involves the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in a ventricle of the brain. The implantation of a catheter commonly treats hydrocephalus with drainage. These catheters have a short lifespan due to obstruction from biological materials. Shunt systems have an extremely high failure rate of more than 40% failed within 1 year and up to 85% failed within 10 years. Previously, polymer-based flexible implantable magnetic micro-actuators were developed to clean up the catheter by mechanical vibration. We have demonstrated clearing of bacteria attachment and are proceeding to examine clearing effects on larger clotting materials, such …
Fret Biosensors: Engineering Fluorescent Proteins As Biological Tools For Studying Parkinson’S Disease, Nathan J. Leroy, Jacob R. Norley, Saranya Radhakrishnan, Mathew Tantama
Fret Biosensors: Engineering Fluorescent Proteins As Biological Tools For Studying Parkinson’S Disease, Nathan J. Leroy, Jacob R. Norley, Saranya Radhakrishnan, Mathew Tantama
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease with over 200,000 new cases each year. In general, the cause of the disease is unknown, but oxidative stress inside of neurons has been associated with the disease’s pathology for some time. Currently, techniques to study the onset of PD inside of neurons are limited. This makes treatments and causes difficult to discover. One solution to this has been fluorescent protein biosensors. In short, these proteins can be engineered to glow when a certain state is achieved inside a cell. The present research discusses the engineering of a genetically-encoded fluorescent protein (FP) …
Dual-Tuned Removable Common-Mode Current Trap For Mri, Angel G. Enriquez, Joseph V. Rispoli
Dual-Tuned Removable Common-Mode Current Trap For Mri, Angel G. Enriquez, Joseph V. Rispoli
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) are preferred methods of gathering information from the body due to their non-invasive approach of obtaining a diagnosis. MRI can obtain spatial mappings from a region of interest, while MRS can obtain metabolic information from different elements. Dual-tuned radiofrequency (RF) coils are able to capture signals produced by both hydrogen atoms and a second atom of interest. Unwanted shield currents occur in these scans, which can cause image distortion, while the high energy dissipated can create harmful heat, which can injure the patient. These shield currents, also known as common-mode currents, …
Acoustic Analysis Of Vocalizations For Detecting Separation Anxiety In Dogs, Karina Sequera, Nan Kong, Niwako Ogata
Acoustic Analysis Of Vocalizations For Detecting Separation Anxiety In Dogs, Karina Sequera, Nan Kong, Niwako Ogata
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Separation anxiety in dogs is a clinical condition in which a dog develops an intense dependence on their caretaker. It manifests itself in maladaptive physical and psychological behaviors that are similar to that of panic attacks in humans when the dog is isolated from its owner. These include excessive vocalizations, destructive behaviors, and in more extreme cases, self-mutilation. Currently, there are no direct ways to diagnose separation anxiety without the aid an owner’s report. To ease this diagnostic process, it would be useful to utilize a tool that can distinguish between certain vocalization patterns in dogs. Literature suggests that some …
Low Power, Low Noise Circuit For Biological Signal Recording, Rachael A. Swenson, Daniel J. Pederson, Pedro Irazoqui
Low Power, Low Noise Circuit For Biological Signal Recording, Rachael A. Swenson, Daniel J. Pederson, Pedro Irazoqui
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Implantable devices are ideal for recording biological signals in animal models as they have minimal effect on the animal’s normal behavior during observation. The creation of the circuitry for an implantable device has several restrictions including size, power consumption, and noise reduction. These factors compete against each other, making it necessary to carefully optimize circuit components for a given application. This study evaluates the design of a four-channel analog front end circuit board to record cardiac, neural, and respiratory biological signals. Through a critical analysis of component specifications for the circuit’s components and an evaluation of the circuits’ power and …