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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Classifying Brainwaves For Brain-Computer Interface Technology, Derrick Wang, Brendan Lawler
Classifying Brainwaves For Brain-Computer Interface Technology, Derrick Wang, Brendan Lawler
Bioengineering Senior Theses
The intention of this project is to develop a brainwave classification system that will help restore the independence of those with severe motor function impairments. While current brain computer interface (BCI) technology offers a means of control for those with limited mobility, severely motor disabled individuals represent a population in need of methods to restore independent motor control. Thus, the objective of our project is to utilize neural signals from electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings to develop a machine learning classifier. Since our specific goal is to help those with limited mobility, we are focusing on motion imagery tasks which elicit a …
A Tale Of Two Nucleases: Using Talens To Edit The Genome Of C. Elegans, Clare Bartlett, Kriszten Kocmond, Erin Root
A Tale Of Two Nucleases: Using Talens To Edit The Genome Of C. Elegans, Clare Bartlett, Kriszten Kocmond, Erin Root
Bioengineering Senior Theses
Genetic engineering is an emerging technology that offers the potential to prevent, treat, or cure genetic diseases. The technology can permanently alter the genome, providing an alternative therapy to drugs and surgery. Specifically, gene therapy is a promising treatment option for many incurable genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and muscular cell dystrophy. Our project gives rise to a better understanding of TALENs and its uses in the genetic engineering field. TALENs, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, are a genetic engineering technology that can be used for targeted gene modification. They are engineered proteins that can bind to specific sequences of …
Micro-Motion Controller Ii, Bergren Antell, Michael Mcnaul, Steve Shushnar
Micro-Motion Controller Ii, Bergren Antell, Michael Mcnaul, Steve Shushnar
Bioengineering Senior Theses
The purpose of this project was to improve upon the functionality of a micro-motion controller designed by another senior design group at this university. The original controller design facilitated motion in only two dimensions, and by modifying the platform of the design to accommodate another axis of rotation, we were able to achieve a full range of 3-D motion in our own product. Additionally, we designed a new system in which a motor could be mounted on the base plate of the device which would rotate the upper platform on its own through a simple belt-and-pulley system. And lastly, we …
Assured Bacterial Detection Towards Paper-Based Microfluidic Chip For Resource-Limited Areas, William Leineweber, Mallory Williams
Assured Bacterial Detection Towards Paper-Based Microfluidic Chip For Resource-Limited Areas, William Leineweber, Mallory Williams
Bioengineering Senior Theses
There is a significant and urgent need for affordable, fast, and accurate pathogen detection methods in resource-limited settings. Currently, accurate pathogen detection methods are dependent upon special equipment or reagents, specialized training to operate such equipment, electricity or cold storage, or sterile environments not feasible outside of the laboratory. Here we present a functionalized cellulose paper device towards an autonomous 3- dimensional microfluidics chip to detect bacterial pathogens. The microfluidic device utilizes a nucleic acid sandwich assay that detects the presence of bacterial RNA through complementary strand binding. An oligonucleotide “capture strand” immobilizes the targeted RNA sequence to the device, …
Talens: Genome Surgery, Carson Harms, Serena Lerkantitham
Talens: Genome Surgery, Carson Harms, Serena Lerkantitham
Bioengineering Senior Theses
Genetic engineering has always held great opportunity for the field of gene therapy. If the cause of a genetic disease can be determined, correction of this gene would allow for an efficient and permanent cure. However, current technologies utilizing engineered retroviruses have serious drawbacks that significantly limit their practical applications for gene therapy. In this project we investigate a novel genetic editing technology called TALENs. By utilizing a modular protein isolated from a plant pathogen that can be quickly and efficiently redesigned to recognize and bind to any desired sequence of DNA combined with a nuclease, we can target a …
Reverse Protein Engineering Of Firefly Luciferase, Kahler Bugtong, Skyler Herczeg, Abraham Munoz, Alexandra Obata
Reverse Protein Engineering Of Firefly Luciferase, Kahler Bugtong, Skyler Herczeg, Abraham Munoz, Alexandra Obata
Bioengineering Senior Theses
Firefly luciferase is a bioluminescent protein commonly used as a bioluminescent tag in biological studies and applications. However, because the protein is fairly large in size, it is sometimes larger than the molecules it is intended to measure and is therefore not a sufficient tag in smaller applications. The active site of firely luciferase is also not well understood, making it difficult to engineer the protein without affecting its bioluminescent activity. In this paper, we discuss the experimental methods of Reverse Protein Engineering: a bioengineering technology that reduces the size of a protein while retaining its original function. This involves …
Genome Editing Of Human Ipscs Using The Cas9 System, Cade Ellis Ito, Nick Wolfe
Genome Editing Of Human Ipscs Using The Cas9 System, Cade Ellis Ito, Nick Wolfe
Bioengineering Senior Theses
Recent research advancements in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have broadened their capacity for research in specific disease models3 need for effective and robust techniques to detect cell differentiation. Two techniques currently exist to determine cell type; morphology and immunostaining. Although they have been used by researchers for many years, these methods can be unreliable, time-consuming, and very uneconomical. We seek to create a technology that will be more accurate and efficient in detecting differentiation of iPSCs. This will allow researchers greater speed in screening for specific differentiation products, further increasing the utility of iPSCs in medical research. We will …
Molecular And Device Engineering Towards The Study Of Potential Anti-Mrsa Agents, Powell Fansler, Karla Geisse, Ryan Marshall
Molecular And Device Engineering Towards The Study Of Potential Anti-Mrsa Agents, Powell Fansler, Karla Geisse, Ryan Marshall
Bioengineering Senior Theses
At the intersection of bio-device engineering and bio-pharmaceutical studies, our project involved the design of a hydraulic manifold to be used in isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), with the ultimate goal of using ITC to study the thermodynamic binding parameters of potential anti-Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) agents to our drug target, Sortase A. The hydraulic manifold redesign included the analysis of materials such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE, ‘Teflon’), and polycarbonate as well as the implementation of a new construct of the manifold itself. Sortase A is a transpeptidase found in Gram-positive bacteria and catalyses the attachment of …
Design Of A Methane-To-Methanol Conversion Device, Pankti Doshi, Jessica Garcia
Design Of A Methane-To-Methanol Conversion Device, Pankti Doshi, Jessica Garcia
Bioengineering Senior Theses
The purpose of this project was to develop a device that will make natural gas, primarily methane, an efficient and economical fuel alternative as the world’s petroleum supply is diminished. Presently, methane gas is too costly and dangerous to convert to methanol. The direct oxidation of methane can reduce the processing and transportation costs creating a competitive alternative to petroleum. This device will be marketable to companies interested in alternative fuel sources competitive with petroleum. Entrepreneurs are then expected step in and develop a global market. With the development of our prototypes and running methane and oxygen (or atmospheric oxygen) …
Protein Engineering Of Luciferase To Enhance Bioluminescent Properties, Charles Schwab, Peter Wittig
Protein Engineering Of Luciferase To Enhance Bioluminescent Properties, Charles Schwab, Peter Wittig
Bioengineering Senior Theses
Bioluminescence is the ability of naturally occurring organisms to emit light. Many instances of bioluminescence have been identified ranging from fireflies to bacteria. The protein responsible for bioluminescence in all of these organisms is luciferase. The exact function and structure of this protein are still unknown to this day. This project aims at better understanding luciferase as well as enhancing its bioluminescent properties. In order to work with luciferase, we had to isolate all of the genes necessary for bioluminescence. The six genes necessary for bioluminescence are Lux A,B,C,D,E,G. We isolated each of these genes from original bacterial DNA. We …
Designing A Biomimetic Primary Cell-Based 3d Culture System For Neurotoxicity Screening, Teresa Cauvel, Jessca Kosit, Nicolo Mendoza
Designing A Biomimetic Primary Cell-Based 3d Culture System For Neurotoxicity Screening, Teresa Cauvel, Jessca Kosit, Nicolo Mendoza
Bioengineering Senior Theses
Culturing neurons in vitro is a challenging task because they are a highly specialized cell type that reside in a complex and unique environment in the body. The aim of the research presented in the following thesis was to design a biomimetic, three-dimensional scaffold capable of (1) promoting primary neuron maturation and axonal outgrowth and (2) serving as a system for toxicology screening. In the system presented here, neurons were cultured in three-dimensional hydrogels, simulating the physiological environment that these cells experience within the body. In doing so, a biologically relevant response was elicited upon their exposure to acrylamide, a …
The Trm2h : Detecting Protein-Protein Interactions By Engineering The Cell As A Biosensor, Elyse Shimomura, Paulina Perezalonso
The Trm2h : Detecting Protein-Protein Interactions By Engineering The Cell As A Biosensor, Elyse Shimomura, Paulina Perezalonso
Bioengineering Senior Theses
Protein-protein interactions regulate key cellular functions and cell signaling pathways in the body; biological systems can be disrupted by protein interactions or lack of interactions that cause cell dysfunction and can lead to disease or illness. However, studying these interactions is complex and difficult to quantify. In this project, we examine the interaction of two putative cancer biomarkers, Bax and PDCDS, using the tetracycline repressor-based mammalian two-hybrid system (trM2H). This in vivo system engineers the cell as a biosensor using methods of DNA cloning and mammalian cell transfections that easily detects and quantities the interaction of two proteins by the …
Analyzing Surface Protein Expression And Internalization, William Truong, Josergio Zaragoza
Analyzing Surface Protein Expression And Internalization, William Truong, Josergio Zaragoza
Bioengineering Senior Theses
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are currently the largest class of membrane receptors and are targeted by a majority of the modern drug therapeutics. In addition, they partake in many physiological and pathological processes such as inflammation, growth, and hormone responses. Most importantly, GPCRs are targets of many disease-specific pathways such as Alzheimers, hypertension, leukemia, and depression. As a result, there is an immense interest in studying GPCRs as this area provides further knowledge into the specific disease pathways and allows the discovery of novel therapeutics. In order to have a better understanding of pathways, scientists have studied GPCR activation. The …
Amperometric Detection Of Bioamines In Cancer Borealis Using Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis Integrated With Micellar Chromatography, Ajay Fernandez, Jason Howard, Christina Shuh
Amperometric Detection Of Bioamines In Cancer Borealis Using Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis Integrated With Micellar Chromatography, Ajay Fernandez, Jason Howard, Christina Shuh
Bioengineering Senior Theses
In order to study neuromodulation in Cancer borealis, commonly known as the Jonah crab, we designed a microchip capillary electrophoretic (CE) device with micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) to separate bioamines and detect their concentrations using amperometric detection (AD). The analysis will be used to characterize the bioamines: dopamine, octopamine, tyramine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA). The device measures the concentration of bioamines in microdialysate samples taken directly from the pericardial cavity of the crab. The research on Jonah crabs will be applied to enhance our understanding of the crab neurology. Since the structure and in some instances, the function …
Microfluidic Detection Of Arsenic Contamination In Groundwater, Mary Reynolds, Kyle Perricone
Microfluidic Detection Of Arsenic Contamination In Groundwater, Mary Reynolds, Kyle Perricone
Bioengineering Senior Theses
The difficulty of detecting small quantities of arsenic in water currently threatens the health of millions of people worldwide, as long-term exposure to arsenic has been associated with both cancerous and noncancerous health risks. Existing technologies make it possible to very accurately quantify arsenic levels in water; however the expense, extensive training, and off-site analysis required by these methods impede wide scale use. Here, we report on research to develop an affordable and point-of-use microfluidic platform capable of detecting trace amounts of arsenic in groundwater samples. We intend this device to meet the World Health Organization's (WHO's) ASSURED criteria for …