Nanotechnology Commons^™

Development Of Liposomes Using Microfluids For Delivery Of Mir-205, Victoria Herrera, Rahul Tiwari, Meghana Kolli, Neeraj Chauhan, Eswara Naga Hanuma Kumar Ghali, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background: The therapeutic application of microRNA(s) in the field of cancer has generated significant attention in research. miR-205 is a tumor suppressor in various cancers. However, the delivery of miR-205 is an unmet clinical need. Thus, the development of liposomal formulation platform to deliver miR-205 is highly sought. The most common applications of liposome formulations are vaccines and anticancer formulations (e.g., mRNA, small molecule drugs). However, large-scale production with precise control of size and size distribution of the lipid-based drug delivery systems (DDSs) is one of the major challenges in the pharmaceutical industry. The objective of this study is to …

Characterization Of Biological Particles Using An Integrated Hyperspectral Imaging And Machine Learning, Kaeul Lim, Arezoo Ardekani

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a promising modality in medicine with many potential applications. This study focuses on developing a label-free lipid nanoparticle characterization method using a convolutional neural network (CNN) analysis of HSI images. The HSI data, hypercube, consists of a series of images acquired at different wavelengths for the same field of view, providing continuous spectra information for each pixel. Three distinct liposome samples were collected for analysis. Advanced image preprocessing and classification methods for HSI data were developed to differentiate liposomes based on their material compositions. Our machine learning-based classification method was able to distinguish different liposome types …

Liposome Synthesis And Evaluation In The Hek-293 Cell Line, Christine Skibinski

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

Liposomes were synthesized using the thin film method. A lyophilized power of egg-derived phosphatidylcholine, stearylamine, and cholesterol were added to ethanol and dried under argon to form a lipid cake. The lipid cake was rehydrated with dPBS and sonicated at 60°C forming a heterogenous batch of liposomes. Our results revealed the average size of the liposomes, determined by Dynamic Light Scattering, was approximately 223.1nm, while demonstrating a weakly positive zeta-potential of 1.9± 8.07mv. Next, we tested the antitumor action of the liposomes in the HEK-293 cell line via an MTT assay. We observed that the liposomes were able to inhibit …

Development Of Targeted Drug Delivery System To Improve Immunotherapy In Pancreatic Cancer, Poornima Devi Shaji, Ana Martinez Bulnes, Nirnoy Dan, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Colloquium

Introduction: About 95% of tumor arises from epithelial cell lining ducts known to be pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, with less than 5-7% survival rate. Unfortunately, little progress has been seen in the outcomes of patients with PDAC as tumor develops high desmoplasia and chemo-resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, such as gemcitabine (Gem). Immunotherapy has shown promising results in other cancers but limited response in pancreatic cancer due to desmoplasia and fibrotic tumor microenvironment. A recently identified mucin, MUC13 is aberrantly expressed in pancreatic tumors but not in normal pancreas. Due to its high membrane expression, MUC13 may serve as an excellent target …

Novel Therapy Targeting Mutant-Krasg12d And Galectin-1 In Pancreatic Cancer, Ana I. Martinez Bulnes, Nirnoy Dan, Poornima Devi Shaji, Swathi Holla, Murali M. Yallapu, Sheema Khan

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Although, surgical resection and chemotherapy are the gold standard for treating Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC), low patient survival rate remains the problem. The activating point mutation of the KRAS on codon-12 is present in 70–95% of PDAC cases and so far, no success has been achieved to inhibit KRAS. KRASG12D regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis. Recent preliminary and published studies show high Galectin-1 (Gal-1) levels in both pancreatic cancer and stromal cells, which modulate tumor microenvironment and metastasis. Additionally, genetic deletion of gal1 inhibits metastasis and improves survival in KRAS mouse model of PDAC (1). Therefore, our objective is …

Developing A Chlorophyll-Based Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe For Cancer Cell Imaging, Benilde E. Adriano, Nycol M. Cotto, Neeraj Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Near-Infrared (NIR) fluorescence-based imaging is a noteworthy and safer strategy for cancer cells/tissues imaging compared to radiological imaging. NIR fluorescence offers deep tissue penetration and have minimal obstruction by autofluorescence and photon scattering [1]. There are several NIR dyes including indocyanine green (ICG) [2] and IR-1061 [3] that allow high-resolution tissue imaging. However, these dyes possess some low-quality characteristics which limit their use, namely photo instability, toxicity, poor water solubility, and short half-lives [4]. Therefore, more efficient and effective alternatives are urgently required to provide the desired clinical outcomes. Chlorophyll (Chl) is a natural dietary NIR fluorescence emitting …

Novel Therapy Targeting Mutant-Krasg12d And Galectin-1 In Pancreatic Cancer, Ana I. Martinez Bulnes, Poornima Devi Shaji, Swathi Holla, Nirnoy Dan, Shabnam Malik, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Stephen W. Behrman, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan

Research Colloquium

Introduction: In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), low patient survival rate remains a problem. The activating point mutation of KRAS on codon-12 is present in 70–95% of PDAC cases and so far, no success has been achieved to inhibit KRAS. KRAS^G12D regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis; recent preliminary and published studies show high Galectin-1 (Gal-1) levels in both PDAC and stromal cells, which modulate tumor microenvironment and metastasis. Therefore, we have developed a novel combination therapy for PDAC by targeting mutated KRAS^G12D and Gal-1 to target both proliferation and metastasis in PDAC. This includes the delivery of KRAS^{G12D …}

Thermal Dose Inactivation Of Escherichia Coli By Magnetic Induced Hyperthermia, Silverio A. Lopez, Carlos Trevino De Leo, Ivan Davila, Karen S. Martirosyan

Research Symposium

Background: Apoptosis of mutated cells via magnetic hyperthermia has gained advocacy as technology capable of being used in lieu of chemotherapy for targeting cancer tumors. Progress of nanotechnology offers effective remote heating of magnetic fluid via hyperthermia. The heating and specific power absorption of these nanoparticles use in the magnetic fluid are dependent on particle properties and treatment locations.

Methods: Nanoparticles were fabricated using microfluidic system by interaction of two solutions containing 2Fe(NO3)3+FeSO4 and NaOH+2%Dextran to create nanostructured media with a biocompatible dextran coating and a Fe3O4 core. The nanoparticles, of a concentration of 5mg/ml, were placed in a vile …

Smoking And Drinking Activates Nf-Κb /Il-6 Axis To Promote Inflammation During Cervical Carcinogenesis, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Prashanth Kb Nagesh, Ajay K. Singh, Andrew Massey, Godwin P. Darkwah, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: High-risk strains of HPV are known to cause cervical cancer. Multiple clinical studies have emphasized that smoking and drinking are critical risk factors for cervical cancer and its high-grade precursors. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the interplay of smoking and/or drinking with HPV infectivity and defined a systematic therapeutic approach for their attenuation in cervical cancer.

Methods: The impact of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and/or ethanol (EtOH) exposure on cervical cancer cells was assessed by measuring changes in cell proliferation, clonogenicity, biophysical properties, cell migration, and invasion. Expression of HPV16 E6/E7, NF-κB, cytokines, cell cycle, and …

Novel Nanoparticle Formulation Of Sabizabulin (Veru-111) For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Vivek K. Kashyap, Godwin P. Darkwah, Neeraj Chauhan, Prashanth Kb Nagesh, Anupam Dhasmana, Swati Dhasmana, Qinghui Wang, Duane D. Miller, Wei Li, Bilal B. B. Hafeez, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in the United States due to very limited therapeutic options. Thus, developing novel therapeutic strategies will help for the management of this disease. We recently identified VERU-111, a novel synthetic molecule which showed potent anti-cancer effect against PanCa via targeting clinically important βIII and βIV tubulin isoforms. In this study, we synthesized and characterized its novel nanoformulation (MNP-VERU) and evaluated its therapeutic effects in vitro and xenograft mouse model.

Methods: MNPs were prepared by chemical precipitation method and loaded with VERU-111 using diffusion method. This formulation was …

Development And Evaluation Of A Nanofiber Membrane In Vitro As A Therapeutic Alternative For The Post Treatment In Breast Cancer Cell In A Murine Model, Bruno A. Valades-Aguilar, Diana Ginette Zarate-Triviño, José Raúl Rángel-López, Moises Armides Franco-Molina, Jorge Luis Menchaca-Arredondo, María Cristina Rodríguez-Padilla

Research Symposium

Worldwide female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases in 2020, reason for the need of targeted therapies that can maximize treatment success and minimize toxicity. Nanoparticles of gold (AuNps) exhibit cytotoxic properties against certain types of cancer cell lines. Nanofibers have been use in the drug delivery systems due to its degradability and high surface area. We proposed a membrane with nanometric fibers using polivinilic alcohol (PVA) and chitosan (Qts) loaded with AuNps and Doxorubicin (Doxo) with the purpose of diminish tumor regression.

PVA-Qts membrane was develop with electrospinning, the injection, …

A Natural Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe For Cancer Cell Imaging, Benilde E. Adriano, Nycol M. Cotto, Neeraj Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background: Rio Grande Valley (RGV) suffers from a high prevalence of certain cancers and lack the resources for accurate early diagnosis. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence-based imaging is a noteworthy and safer strategy for cancer detection compared to radiological imaging. There are several NIR dyes including indocyanine green (ICG) and its analogues that allow high-resolution and deep tissue imaging. However, these dyes possess some drawbacks, namely photo instability, toxicity, poor water solubility, and short half-lives. Chlorophyll (Chl) is a natural dietary and biocompatible NIR fluorescent substance which has the potential to serve as a cancer NIR imaging candidate. Hence, we aim to …

An Ngqd Based Diagnostic Tool For Pancreatic Cancer, Ryan Ketan Ajgaonkar, Bong Lee, Alina Valimukhametova, Anton Naumov, Giridhar Akkaraju

Research Symposium

Background: Pancreatic cancer remains difficult to detect at early stages which contributes to a poor five-yearsurvival rate. Therefore, early detection approaches based on novel technologies should be explored to address this critical health issue. Nanomaterials have recently emerged as frontrunners for diagnostic applications due to their small size in the 1-100 nm range, which facilitates one-on-one interactions with a variety of biomolecules like oligonucleotides and makes them suitable for a plethora of detection and delivery applications. In this work, the presence of specific pancreatic cancer miRNA (pre-miR-132) is detected utilizing the fluorescence properties of highly biocompatible nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots …

Producing And Measuring Oscillatory Shear In A Novel Microfluidic Chip, Sanaz Lordfard, Daniel Lorusso, Tamie L. Poepping, Hristo N Nikolov, Kayla Soon, Stephen Sims, Jeffrey Dixon, David Holdsworth

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Purpose: To demonstrate the effectiveness of a novel microfluidic device mimicking oscillatory blood flow, allowing cell biologists to examine how endothelial cells respond to a range of oscillatory shear stress levels.

Methods: The microfluidic chip consists of a circular-shaped reservoir, leading to a rectangular channel that is examined under a microscope. The plunger is connected to a speaker system and oscilloscope, allowing the plunger to apply a range of frequencies (5-60Hz) and voltages (5-10 V, leading to a variety in oscillation amplitudes) to the reservoir region. 1.1 um fluorescent particles diluted in distilled water were used for tracking. Processing was …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Cr-Znga2o4 And Eu-Ca3(Po4)2 Composite, Benjamin Hulme

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

No abstract provided.

Therapeautic Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles, Angel E. Vasquez

Symposium of Student Scholars

The overall goal of the research project is to create a glass that produces cerium oxide nanoparticles and as an efficient delivery mechanism. Cerium is able to exist as Ce3+ and Ce4+ because it has two partially filled subshells. This coexistence allows cerium oxide to have antioxidant properties that reduce the number of free radicals in that body that are associated with cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our laboratory, using a soluble borate glass, cerium oxide nanoparticles are created to coexist in Ce3+ and Ce4+ valences This borate glass composition is doped with different amounts of Cerium(IV) Oxide and …

Remotely Controlled Enzyme Behavior Using Localized Thermal Gradients, Sarah Brown

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

No existing model describes an identified special case of enzyme behavior when directly stimulated with thermal energy via an RF field.

The ability to remotely influence cellular functions and outcomes is a new approach to targeted medicine. Nano-medicine and biotechnology are the future of medical diagnostics and treatment. The ability to remotely influence cellular functions and outcomes is a new approach to targeted medicine. Direct heating of an enzyme vs bulk heating changes the enzyme activity.

I tested how direct transfer of thermal energy changes rates of enzyme reactions. We created samples of enzymes, attached to ferrous (magnetic) nano-particles, and …

A Note From The Editor, Daphne Fauber

Ideas: Exhibit Catalog for the Honors College Visiting Scholars Series

This piece is a letter from Daphne Fauber, the editor of this issue of Ideas. In the letter, the editor introduces the work of Dr. Paschalis Gkoupidenis as well as the moment in time in which his Visiting Scholars talk occurs.

Development And Testing Of Novel Antimicrobial Materials For Additive Manufacturing With Application In Space, Michael Thompson, Jorge Zuniga, Christopher Copeland, Roberto Saavedra, Claudia Cortes Reyes, Andres Acuña Velásquez, Daniel Martínez Pereira, Claudio Soto

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was twofold: (i) develop and test the antimicrobial properties of a polylactic acid- and a polyurethane-based filament, and (ii) use these filaments to manufacture a socket-based prosthesis to verify printability and longevity of the antimicrobial properties. It was hypothesized that the formulation of a novel biocidal copper-based nanocomposite with a biocompatible 3D printing polymer/copolymer can be used for the development of antimicrobial medical devices to mitigate microbial risks during long space flight missions [1, 2, 3].

METHODS: Polylactic Acid-based Filament Development-The development of a polylactic acid-based filament involved several processes, such as fermentation …

Peptide Functionalized Surfactant Msns, Sonia Barrett

Kansas State University Undergraduate Research Conference

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria has become a rising problem since the first antibiotic was created, further aggravated by the improper overuse to treat common infections, because of this pharmaceutical companies must keep making new and stronger antibiotics. Surfactants are plentiful and effective killers of many surface bacteria and are also varied in their structure, all have a hydrophilic head and long hydrophobic carbon chain. These long hydrophobic carbon chains can pierce through the lipid bilayers that make up bacteria cell membranes and cause cytoplasmic leakage and lysis of the cell wall, leading to cell death. One proposed surfactant is synthesized …

Peptide Conjugation Of Branched Amphiphilic Peptide Capsules, Baltazar Claro-Martinez

Kansas State University Undergraduate Research Conference

In recent years, nanocarrier cellular therapy has been a rapidly growing area for research in the treatment of malignant and infectious diseases – most notably cancer. Conventional cancer treatment has consisted of highly toxic, highly insoluble, untargeted delivery of drugs that kill both cancerous and healthy cells. Research in the Tomich lab consists of the synthesis of Branched Amphiphilic Peptide Capsules (BAPCs), which are self-assembling peptide nanospheres composed of one or both of these branched peptide sequences: h5 and h9. These peptides possess similar molecular characteristics of phosphoglycerides but are synthesized chemically within the lab. Previous publications by the Tomich …

Therapeutic Peptide Sequences And Gatekeepers Loaded With Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles, Dursitu Hassen

Kansas State University Undergraduate Research Conference

The research community is developing and looking into new ways of effectively delivering anti-cancer treatment. According to National Cancer Institute over 1.5 million new cases of cancer are predicted in the United States, just alone in 2018. The major hurdles that have been identified by scientists are finding mechanisms that assist in decreasing the side effects of cancer treatment and to increase the effectiveness of the drug. In our lab, a highly toxic peptide sequence, SA-K₆L₉-AS is encapsulated in MSNs (mesoporous silica nanoparticles) and capped with a gatekeeper. The function of a gatekeeper is preventing the …

Design Of Sensors For In-Vivo Detection Of Cancer Related Enzymes, Laura Soto

Kansas State University Undergraduate Research Conference

Cancer continues to be among the leading causes of death worldwide. In 2018, there were approximately 9.6 million cancer deaths, just in the United States alone, there were 1.7 million new cancer cases and 600,000 deaths. That is why, there is an urgent need for better ways to battle cancer. Therefore, the goal of this project is to create a nanobiosensor which would have T₁ and T₂ based imaging capabilities to measure cancer enzymatic activity. The diagnostic tool would be useful to differentiate between benign and malignant tumors in-vivo and to quantify the effect of cancer treatments, such …

Development Of Self-Assembling Nanoparticles For Drug Delivery Applications, Young Chan Kim, Craig Sweet, Helen Margaret Flynn, David H. Thompson

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the world, and occurs in nearly four percent of all men. Although many cases are diagnosed as early stage cancer and the tumor can be removed by surgery, reoccurrence rates are high making treatment difficult and thus one of the most expensive cancers. To address this problem, drugs are injected intravesically after tumor removal to kill any residual cancer that may cause reoccurrence. While this was a significant improvement over surgery alone, high toxicity along with short residence times in the bladder limited its effectiveness. To combat these shortcomings, we will …

Three-Dimensional Microfluidic Tumor Vascular Model For Investigating Breast Cancer Metastasis, Anastasiia Vasiukhina, Brian H. Jun, Luis Solorio, Pavlos P. Vlachos

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Metastasis is one of the primary reasons for the high mortality rates in female patients diagnosed with breast cancer. It involves the migration of cancer cells into the circulatory system allowing for the dissemination of cancer cells in distal tissues. Understanding the major processes that occur in cells and tissues during metastasis can help improve currently existing therapeutic methods. In order to understand such mechanisms, developing physiologically relevant tissue models is crucial. Advancements in microfluidics have led to the fabrication of 3D culture models with shear stress gradients and flow control that can recapitulate aspects of the tumor microenvironment in …

Inhibiting Infectivity Of The Spindle Shaped Virus Using Silver Nanoparticles, Diana S. Demchenko

Student Research Symposium

Exploring the inhibiting factors of silver nanoparticles could change the way we approach drug-resistant viruses. In previous research, silver nanoparticles have shown to physically block viruses, such as HIV-1, from infecting its host by theoretically binding to surface receptors on the virus. Since there is little research done in this area, we have decided to combine silver nanoparticles with a virus that thrives within an extreme environment: the Spindle Shaped virus. By combining these two factors, we could reveal the biological and chemical properties that block the virus from infecting its host, Sulfolobus. Currently, we have collected data that shows …

Poster Session, Zarah Rahman, Jose E. Garcia Carbajal, Megan Farrell, Martha Brown, Minh Luong, Madaline Ngo, Teresa Dao, Sanchit Jain, Angela Atkins

Collin College Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference

Posters Presented:

Zarah Rahman & Jose E. Garcia, "The Future that Flows Through Your Veins"

Meagan Farrell & Martha Brown, "Reproductive System: Know the Risks Not the Myths"

Abstract: This project will be focused on the male and female reproductive system. There are many myths on this subject that, without being informed, can lead to false misconceptions on the subject. Through an informative video, important facts will be discussed and covered while myths are corrected. This includes problems that occur when trying to achieve pregnancy and health risks that may affect fertility in both males and females. Tips and information …

Structural Mrsa Resistance Through Carbon-Infiltrated Carbon Nanotube Coating Of External Fixator Pins, Jaclyn Larsen, Stephanie Morco, Brian Jensen, Anton Bowden

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

No abstract provided.

Engineering Fret Biosensors For Microrna Presence/Absence Analysis, Nicholas E. Larkey, Sean M. Burrows

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

No abstract provided.

Nanobubbles Provide Theranostic Relief To Cancer Hypoxia, Christopher M. Long, Pushpak N. Bhandari, Joseph Irudayaraj

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Hypoxia is a common motif among tumors, contributing to metastasis, angiogenesis, cellular epigenetic abnormality, and resistance to cancer therapy. Hypoxia also plays a pivotal role in oncological studies, where it can be used as a principal target for new anti-cancer therapeutic methods. Oxygen nanobubbles were designed in an effort to target the hypoxic tumor regions, thus interrupting the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) regulatory pathway and inhibiting tumor progression. At less than 100nm, oxygen nanobubbles act as a vehicle for site-specific oxygen delivery, while also serving as an ultrasound contrast agent for advanced imaging purposes. Through in vitro and in vivo studies, …