Characterization And Quantification Of Fibrin Gel Mechanics With Fibroblast Invasion,
2018
Purdue University
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 …
Design Modifications For A Small, Affordable Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Device,
2018
Purdue University
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,
2018
Purdue University
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 …
Developing Strategies To Toughen Bio-Inspired Adhesives,
2018
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
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 …
Cost-Effective Paper-Based Diagnostic Using Split Proteins To Detect Yeast Infections,
2018
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University
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 …
Improving Biomanufacturing Production With Novel Elp-Based Transcriptional Regulators,
2018
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University
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. …
Fluidic Control With Wax Valves For Paper-Based Diagnostics,
2018
Purdue University
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, …
Magnetically Actuated Cell Stretching Platform To Induce Phenotypic Changes In Metastatic Cells,
2018
Purdue University
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 …
Neural Coding Of An Auditory Pitch Illusion,
2018
University of Los Andes, Colombia
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 …
Tissue Clearing As A Mechanism To Identify Changes In Fibronectin Structure During Breast Cancer Metastasis,
2018
Purdue University
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 …
High-Throughput Nanoliter Dispensing Device For Biological Applications,
2018
Purdue University
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 …
Creating A Mammary Duct Model To Study The Effects Of Cancer Heterogeneity On Tumor Metastasis,
2018
Purdue University
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 …
Non-Invasive Diagnostic Measures Of Sensorineural Hearing Loss In Chinchillas,
2018
Purdue University
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, …
Method Validation Of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Electrophysiological Recording To Investigate Mechanisms Of Vagus Nerve,
2018
Purdue University
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 …
Flow Chamber For Confocal Tracking Of Particles In Bone,
2018
Purdue University
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 …
Mechanically Assisted Electrochemical Degradation Of Alumina-Tic Composites,
2018
Clemson University
Mechanically Assisted Electrochemical Degradation Of Alumina-Tic Composites, Hetal Umesh Maharaja, Guigen Zhang
Publications
Alumina-TiC composite material is a tough ceramic composite with excellent hardness, wear resistance and oxidation resistance in dry and high-temperature conditions. In aqueous conditions, however, it is likely to be electrochemically active facilitating charge transfer processes due to the conductive nature of TiC. For application as an orthopedic biomaterial, it is crucial to assess the electrochemical behavior of this composite, especially under a combined mechanical and electrochemical environment. In this study, we examined the mechanically assisted electrochemical performance of alumina-TiC composite in an aqueous environment. The spontaneous electrochemical response to brushing abrasion was measured. Changes in the magnitude of electrochemical …
Detection Of Molecular Biomarkers Involved In The Induction Of Emt, Migration And Invasion, And Drug Resistance In Breast Cancer Cells In 3d Confinement,
2018
University of Texas at Arlington
Detection Of Molecular Biomarkers Involved In The Induction Of Emt, Migration And Invasion, And Drug Resistance In Breast Cancer Cells In 3d Confinement, Tamara Nicole Hill
Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive
Standard-of-care regimes for cancer treatment have become more effective and sophisticated over the last decade due to research developments which facilitate specific targeting of treatments to certain cancers, and the ability to provide specialized care to cancer patients. However, cancer treatments overall still fall short of preventing spread of disease from the primary tumor to secondary sites where they settle and form new more aggressive tumors. It is this stage of disease progression which results in the majority of cancer deaths. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a system for the effective high throughput screening of chemotherapeutic …
Fabrication And In Vitro Characterization Of An Implant For The Detection Of Metastatic Cancer Cells,
2018
University of Texas at Arlington
Fabrication And In Vitro Characterization Of An Implant For The Detection Of Metastatic Cancer Cells, Carlos Martin Cantu
Bioengineering Theses - Archive
Greater than 90% of cancer related deaths are due to metastasis (Hayes & Wicha, 2011). Since current conventional techniques detect the disease by the time that it has become systemic, our lab has developed a hydrogel based cancer trap that can attract metastatic cancer cells via cytokine release. However, for continual monitoring and accessibility to the gel, an implant is needed for delivery, retention, and retrieval of the gel. The research undergone in this thesis seeks to develop such a method. Namely, the objective was to develop a polylactide (PLA) based implant that is capable of delivering and retaining a …
Development Of Mussel Inspired Nanocomposite Adhesives For Biomedical Applications,
2018
University of Texas at Arlington
Development Of Mussel Inspired Nanocomposite Adhesives For Biomedical Applications, Nikhil Pandey
Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive
Popular bioadhesives, such as fibrin, cyanoacrylate and albumin–glutaraldehyde-based materials, have been applied for clinical applications in wound healing, drug delivery, and bone and soft tissue engineering; however, their performances are limited by weak adhesion strength and rapid degradation. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a strong tissue adhering nanocomposite for tissue interfacing and wound healing applications. We begin by developing a mussel-inspired, nanocomposite–based, biodegradable tissue adhesive by blending poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) or N-hydroxysuccinimide modified PLGA nanoparticles (PLGA-NHS) and polydopamine nanoparticles with mussel-inspired polymers. Adhesive strength measurement of the nanocomposites on porcine skin-muscle constructs revealed that the …
Nanoparticles For Gene Therapy And Protein Delivery To Induce Angiogenesis As An Alternative Treatment For Peripheral Arterial Disease,
2018
University of Texas at Arlington
Nanoparticles For Gene Therapy And Protein Delivery To Induce Angiogenesis As An Alternative Treatment For Peripheral Arterial Disease, Linda Christellia Noukeu
Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is defined as a slow, progressive disorder of the lower extremity arterial vessels characterized by chronic narrowing that often results in occlusion and is associated with loss of functional capacity. Although the PAD occurrence rate is increasing in the elderly population, outcomes with current treatment strategies are suboptimal. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop new technologies that overcome limitations of traditional modalities for PAD detection and therapy. In this research, nanoparticles have been developed and used as carriers for various therapeutic agents to treat PAD. In particular, via protein/gene delivery, we developed and formulated …
