Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering Commons^™

Polymeric Biomaterials Approaches For Engineering The In Vitro Cellular Microenvironment For Mscs, Mahsa Letter-Mahsa Haseli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cell therapy is a technology that relies on replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy functioning ones. One of the cells used for such advanced therapies are stem cells, owing to their ability to differentiate into specific cells required for repairing damaged or defective tissues or cells. The majority of cell-based products are intended to transiently persist in the patient, secreting factors which then allow the patient’s body to heal; in these products, the cells are subsequently eliminated from the body. Furthermore, unique manufacturing platforms, in addition to novel commercialization strategies, will be required to create a successful, sustainable cell …

Investigating Myosin Ensemble Force Generation Using Optical Tweezers, Janie Watts

Honors Theses

Myosin is a motor protein that facilitates muscle contraction and movement by stepping along actin filaments using energy from ATP hydrolysis. If myosin or other motors are disrupted throughout the body, it can have many harmful effects. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease caused by gene mutations that affect myosin heavy chains in the heart. The tissue of the heart becomes abnormally thick, which can make it more difficult to pump blood or block blood flow out of the heart. Our goal is to discern the mechanistic difference function of a healthy and diseased heart. To accomplish this, we construct model …

Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production Through Molten Salt Electrolysis (Lisap-Mse), Jacob Ortega, Jeffrey D. Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William P. Schonberg, Daniel S. Stutts, Daoru Frank Han

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

The goal of Artemis is to establish a sustained presence on the Moon. To achieve so, numerous resources are necessary. The Moon contains several essential elements needed to sustain human presence. Most of those elements are trapped in the form of minerals. To refine those minerals into useful materials, reduction methods are needed. Most reduction methods on Earth require large amounts of mass and power which is unrealistic for early stages of building a lunar base. To solve this problem, we are developing a concept of Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production through Molten Salt Electrolysis (LISAP-MSE).

The LISAP-MSE project, if successful, …

Dynamic And Equilibrium Contribution Of Nematic Order In Wetting And Contact Angles, Partho Neogi, Xianjie Qiu, Amer Al-Shareef

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Model for the Dynamic Contact Angles and the Spreading Kinetics of Nematic Liquid Crystals on a Solid Surface is Presented for the First Time using the Continuum Theory of Liquid Crystals. the Equations of Motion for This System Are Integrated for a Wedge or a Drop that is Thin and Moves Slowly. the Dynamic Contact Angle is Found to Depend on the Capillary Number that Represents the Importance of Viscocapillarity and on the Elasticity Number that is the Ratio between the Elastic and Surface Forces. the Model Provides an Explanation for the Extra Volume Dependence that is Reported in …

Mitochondrial Complex Iii Bypass Complex I To Induce Ros In Gpr17 Signaling Activation In Gbm, Sana Kari, Jeyalakshmi Kandhavelu, Akshaya Murugesan, Ramesh Thiyagarajan, Srivatsan Kidambi, Meenakshisundaram Kandhavelu

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein) coupled receptor 17 (GPR17) plays crucial role in Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cell signaling and is primarily associated with reactive oxidative species (ROS) production and cell death. However, the underlying mechanisms by which GPR17 regulates ROS level and mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complexes are still unknown. Here, we investigate the novel link between the GPR17 receptor and ETC complex I and III in regulating level of intracellular ROS (ROSi) in GBM using pharmacological inhibitors and gene expression profiling. Incubation of 1321N1 GBM cells with ETC I inhibitor and GPR17 agonist decreased the ROS level, …

Protocol To Engineer Nanofilms Embedded Lipid Nanoparticles For Controlled And Targeted Drug Delivery (Nectar), Rashi Porwal, Stephen L. Hayward, Srivatsan Kidambi

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

We present a protocol to engineer a substrate-mediated delivery platform comprising hyaluronic acid-coated lipid nanoparticles (HALNPs) embedded into polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films. This platform allows controlled spatiotemporal release of lipid nanoparticles (LNP) by embedding them within the polyelectrolyte multilayer films matrix. HALNP conjugate with antibodies also adds the ability for targeted delivery. The use of LNP enables this platform to encapsulate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. This platform can easily be reproduced and utilized for various biomedical drug delivery applications. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Hayward et al. (2015, 2016a, 2016b), …

Computational Discovery Of Active And Selective Metal- Nitrogen-Graphene Catalysts For Electrooxidation Of Water To H2O2, Payal Chaudhary, Iman Evazzade, Rodion Belosludov,, Vitaly Alexandrov

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

A direct electrosynthesis of H₂O₂ from either O₂ or H₂O is an attractive strategy to replace the energy-intensive industrial anthraquinone process. Two-electron water oxidation reaction (2e-WOR) offers several advantages over the oxygen reduction reaction such as better mass transfer due to the absence of gasphase reactants. However, 2e-WOR is a more challenging and less studied process with only a handful of metal oxides exhibiting reasonable activity/selectivity properties. Herein, we employ density-functional-theory calculations to screen a variety of metal-nitrogen-graphene structures for 2e-WOR. As a consequence of scaling between the adsorption energies of reaction intermediates, we …

Engineering Oxygen Vacancy-Rich Ceox Overcoating Onto Ni/Al2o3 By Atomic Layer Deposition For Bi-Reforming Of Methane, Baitang Jin, Kaiying Wang, Han Yu, Xiaoqing He, Xinhua Liang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Was Applied to Develop CeO_x-Overcoated Ni/Al₂O₃ Catalyst for Bi-Reforming of Methane (BRM), as the Combination of Dry Reforming of Methane (DRM) and Steam Reforming of Methane (SRM). Non-Stoichiometric CeO_x Thin Films Were Successfully Deposited on Ni/Al₂O₃ Particles by ALD, Which Constructed a Beneficial Ni-CeO_x Interface and Modified the Catalyst Property. Ascribed to the Unique ALD Growth Mode, a High Amount of Ce(III) and Oxygen Vacancies Existed in the ALD-Deposited CeO_x overcoating. a Reduction Process Before the BRM Reaction Contributed to the Further Reduction of Ce(IV) …

Influence Of Adhesive Application Method And Thermocycling On The Bonding Performance Of Different Adhesive Systems To Dentin, Lamiaa Mahmoud Moharam, Rasha Hassan Afifi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Aim: To assess the effect of multiple layers application of different adhesive systems on the microshear bond strength (μSBS) of dentin with and without thermocycling. Materials and Methods: Two hundred forty sound human premolars had their enamel surfaces removed to expose even surfaces of dentin. The teeth were mounted in acrylic resin blocks and then assigned arbitrarily into four main groups (n = 60) representing the investigated adhesives (a self-etch [SE] adhesive, a total-etch [TE] adhesive, and a multimode [MM] adhesive used in TE and SE modes). Individually, the main groups were equally alienated into three subgroups (n = 20), …

Extraction And Characterization Of Collagen From Cattle Horns For Potential Wound Healing, Yeriko Halson

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The need for bandages and gauze for wound dressing and healing is inevitable due to the high increase in accidents. Most of the material used for the production of bandages and gauzes for wound healing are from non-renewable synthetic material. The sustainability of non renewable resources is at jeopardy due to the health and associated environmental impact. Consequently, the use of naturally occurring and biodegradable material is a promising solution to the sustainability challenges of synthetic material. In this paper, the extraction of collagen films from cattle horns for potential wound healing is reported. Collagen was extracted from cattle horns …

3d Printed Composite Structures For Bone Repair And Drug Delivery Application, Innocent J. Macha

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Due to the increase in traffic accidents, industrial contingencies, and natural disasters, there is a high demand for bone regeneration biomaterials. Although bone can regenerate and self-repair, it is difficult to do so when the defect area exceeds the critical repair area due to trauma, tumour resection, or congenital diseases. The traditional methods for bone repair are autograft, allograft, and xenograft. However, these methods have flaws and limitations, such as complications in the donor bone area, a limited number of donors, rejection, and infectious diseases. However, in recent years, the use of additive manufacturing technologies in bone tissue engineering has …

Preparation And Characterization Of Microporous Cellulose Membranes As Potential Pathogen Filters, Peresi M. Bulemo

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Growth and development in the textile and fashion industry have resulted in the generation of large amounts of industrial pre consumer textile wastes. It is estimated that 10 to 20% of textile fabrics are wasted during garment manufacturing, with most of the wastes being burned or landfilled. Reusing pre-consumer fabric wastes is therefore considered a viable approach to alleviate environmental impacts associated with their disposal. To achieve a higher porosity membrane, pre-consumer cotton fabrics were partially dissolved in a solution of dimethyl acetamide (DMAc) and lithium chloride (LiCl), and the resulting fibre suspension was utilized to prepare a microporous cellulose …

Cellulose-Keratin Supramolecular Composite: Conformation By Combined Fourier Transform Spectroscopy And Partial Least Square Regression Coefficient, Ngesa Ezekiel Mushi Dr

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Keratin and cellulose are important nano components with excellent mechanical and biological properties. However, the preparation route through dissolution in organic solvents to make manmade materials is challenging because of their intensive bonding interaction characteristics. Structural modification of the natural attributes is difficult to maintain after polymer regeneration. A new technique by a green route was devised to dissolve keratin from wool, hair, and feather with cellulose in situ using 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [BMIm] + Cl- ionic liquid as a solvent. The mixture of keratin and cellulose homogeneously and synergistically resulted in a supramolecular composite film through non-derivatized mechanochemical interactions. The …

A P53-Tlr3 Axis Ameliorates Pulmonary Hypertension By Inducing Bmpr2 Via Irf3, Aneel R. Bhagwani, Mehboob Ali, Bryce Piper, Mingjun Liu, Jaylen Hudson, Neil Kelly, Srimathi Bogamuwa, Hu Yang, James D. Londino, Joseph S. Bednash, Daniela Farkas, Rama K. Mallampalli, Mark R. Nicolls, John J. Ryan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) features pathogenic and abnormal endothelial cells (ECs), and one potential origin is clonal selection. We studied the role of p53 and toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in clonal expansion and pulmonary hypertension (PH) via regulation of bone morphogenetic protein (BMPR2) signaling. ECs of PAH patients had reduced p53 expression. EC-specific p53 knockout exaggerated PH, and clonal expansion reduced p53 and TLR3 expression in rat lung CD117+ ECs. Reduced p53 degradation (Nutlin 3a) abolished clonal EC expansion, induced TLR3 and BMPR2, and ameliorated PH. Polyinosinic/polycytidylic acid [Poly(I:C)] increased BMPR2 signaling in ECs via enhanced binding of interferon regulatory …

An Older Diabetes-Induced Mice Model For Studying Skin Wound Healing, Carlos Poblete Jara, Guilherme Nogueira, Joseane Morari, Thaís Paulino Do Prado, Renan De Medeiros Bezerra, Lício A. Velloso, William Velander, Eliana Pereira De Araújo

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Advances in wound treatment depend on the availability of animal models that reflect key aspects of human wound healing physiology. To this date, the accepted mouse models do not reflect defects in the healing process for chronic wounds that are associated with type two diabetic skin ulcers. The long term, systemic physiologic stress that occurs in middle aged or older Type 2 diabetes patients is difficult to simulate in preclinical animal model. We have strived to incorporate the essential elements of this stress in a manageable mouse model: long term metabolic stress from obesity to include the effects of middle …

Advancing Ionomer Design To Boost Interfacial And Thin-Film Proton Conductivity Via Styrene-Calix[4]Arene-Based Ionomers, Shyambo Chatterjee, Oghenetega Allen Obewhere, Ehsan Zamani, Rajesh Keloth, Seefat Farzin, Martha D. Morton, Anandakumar Sarella, Shudipto Konika Dishari

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Sub-micrometer-thick ion-conducting polymer (ionomer) layers often suffer from poor ionic conductivity at the substrate/catalyst interface. The weak proton conductivity makes the electrochemical reaction at the cathode of proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells sluggish. To address this, here we report on a class of polystyrene-based ionomers having sub-nanometer-sized, sulfonated macrocyclic calix[4]arene-based pendants (PS-calix). In films with thickness comparable to that of ionomer-based binder layers, the conductivity of PS-calix film (∼41 mS/cm) is ∼13 times higher than that of the current state-of-the-art ionomer, Nafion. We observe a similar improvement in proton conductivity when PS-calix interfaces with Pt nanoparticles, demonstrating the potential of PS-calix in …

Biofilm Formation Influences The Wettability And Settling Of Microplastics, Amber J. Pete, Philip J. Brahana, Mustapha Bello, Michael G. Benton, Bhuvnesh Bharti

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The fate of 99% of the plastics present in oceans is unknown. It is presumed that biofilm formation on plastics leads to their sinking to the ocean floor, thus making them undetectable at the surface. While it is established that biofilms lead to sinking of plastics, it is the mechanism by which biofilms enhance the vertical transport of plastics that remains unknown. It is commonly assumed that biofilms increase the effective mass density of the plastics, which drives their sinking. Here, we show that such an assumption is not always true, and formation of biofilms alone is an insufficient criterion …

Effect Of Class C And Class F Fly Ash On Early-Age And Mature-Age Properties Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Paste, Sukanta K. Mondal, Carrie Clinton, Hongyan Ma, Aditya Kumar, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To Promote the Sustainable Development of Eco-Efficient Calcium Sulfoaluminate (CSA) Cements through the Partial Replacement of the CSA Clinker with Supplementary Cementitious Waste Products, the Effects of Coal Fly Ashes on the Early-Age and Mature-Age Properties of a Calcium Sulfoaluminate (CSA)-Based Cement Paste Were Investigated. the Impacts of Both Class C and Class F Fly Ashes on the Rheological Properties, Hydration Kinetics, and Compressive Strength Development of CSA Cement Paste Were Studied. Rheology-Based Workability Parameters, Representing the Rate of Loss of Flowability, the Rate of Hardening, and the Placement Limit, Were Characterized for the Pastes Prepared with Fixed Water-To-Cement (W/c) …

A Systematic Design Approach For Bulk Gel Treatments Based On Gel Volume-Concentration Ratio In Field Projects, Munqith Aldhaheri, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Controlling excessive water production in mature oil fields has always been a desired objective of the oil and gas industry. This objective calls for planning of more effective water-control gel treatments with optimized designs to obtain more attractive outcomes. Unfortunately, planning such effective treatments remains a dilemma for reservoir engineers due to the lack of methodical design tools in the industry. This paper presents a novel systematic design approach for polyacrylamide-Based bulk gel treatments by classifying their field projects according to the gel volume-concentration ratio (VCR) into three design types. in terms of one another, the approach estimates either the …

Mathematical Modeling Of Microscale Biology: Ion Pairing, Spatially Varying Permittivity, And Born Energy In Glycosaminoglycan Brushes, William J. Ceely, Marina Chugunova, Ali Nadim, James D. Sterling

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

Biological macromolecules including nucleic acids, proteins, and glycosaminoglycans are typically anionic and can span domains of up to hundreds of nanometers and even micron length scales. The structures exist in crowded environments that are dominated by multivalent electrostatic interactions that can be modeled using mean-field continuum approaches that represent underlying molecular nanoscale biophysics. We develop such models for glycosaminoglycan brushes using steady state modified Poisson-Boltzmann models that incorporate important ion-specific (Hofmeister) effects. The results quantify how electroneutrality is attained through ion electrophoresis, spatially varying permittivity hydration forces, and ion-specific pairing. Brush-salt interfacial profiles of the electrostatic potential as well as …