Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Effects Of Uv Radiation On Algae Biofilms Of Rotating Algae Biofilm Reactors, Rebecca Sweeten

Student Research Symposium

Goal: Discover effects of UV-A and UV-B radiation on the biofilm production of algae using a Rotating Algae Biofilm Reactor (RABR)

Method: Expose 3 RABRs in triplicate to UV-A, UV-B, and PAR to identify differences in biomass, nutrient uptake and pH levels.

Results: RABR’s under UV-B light have the highest productivity

Average Biomechanical Responses Of The Human Brain Grouped By Age And Sex, Ahmed A. Alshareef, Aaron Carass, Yaun-Chiao Lu, Joy Mojumder, Alexa M. Diano, Olivia M. Bailey, Ruth J. Okamoto, Dzung L. Pham, Jerry L. Prince, Philip V. Bayly, Curtis L. Johnson

Faculty Publications

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur from rapid head motion that results in brain deformation. Computational models are typically used to estimate brain deformation to predict risk of injury and evaluate the effectiveness of safety countermeasures. The accuracy of these models relies on validation to experimental brain deformation data. In this study, we create the first group-average biomechanical responses of the brain, including structure, material properties, and deformation response, by age and sex from 157 subjects. Subjects were sorted intro three age groups—young, mid-age, and older—and by sex to create group-average neuroanatomy, material properties, and brain deformation response to non-injurious loading …

Induction Of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy In A Three-Dimensional Myocardial Model, Maelyn Andreasen

Student Research Symposium

Diabetic cardiomyopathy: Impairs and damages heart tissue through chronic exposure to hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, in diabetic individuals

The Effects Of The Action Rate And Binding Density On Sensitivity In Lateral Flow, Mona Soroush

Student Research Symposium

Lateral Flow Assays (LFAs) offer rapid diagnostics, yet sensitivity remains a critical limitation. This study used a mathematical framework—the Convection-Diffusion-Reaction (CDR) equation—to optimize sensitivity by adjusting parameters such as flow velocity (U), association and dissociation rates (k_on and k_off), and nanoparticle valency. Our simulation results closely matched literature data (Berli & Kler, 2016), demonstrating significant enhancements in sensitivity with optimized parameters.

Development Of Bone Cutter, Jocelynn Burton, Austin Taylor, Will Pendleton, Erica Shulsen, Jessica Tobler

Student Research Symposium

Osteoarthritis affects 3.4% of the general population and is associated with age, obesity, genetics, and female sex. Different techniques exist to treat osteoarthritis, such as autographing, total joint replacement, and joint fusion.

Bioremediation Of Toxic Water Using Algal Biofilms, Aaron Burt, Tyanna Doran, Darren Fillmore, Isaac Trejo

Student Research Symposium

Rotary Algae Biofilm Reactors (RABRs):

• Emerging technology in wastewater treatment.
• Rotating cylinder in wastewater enables algae to form a biofilm
• Yields more biomass than traditional planktonic algal growth

Preparing A Bioreactor For Avian Cell Culture, Joshua Bell, Taylor Davis, Payton Larsen, Abbie Smith, Joshua Thompson

Student Research Symposium

This project, in collaboration with Upside Foods and Thermo Fisher, focuses on optimizing a 50L bioreactor for avian cell growth. Thermo Fisher has assembled the bioreactor while Upside Foods has provided design specifications and avian specific growth media.

Effects Of Inhibitor Diffusion And Threshold Limits On Edge Detection With Reaction-Diffusion Equations, Zachary Hastings

Student Research Symposium

The purpose of this project is to model edge detection using the Nomura et al's¹ reaction-diffusion equation. Edge detection is an important visual processing tool for human sight, allowing for object detection and visual enhancement. This project explored the effects of inhibitor diffusion, D_i, and threshold limits, a, on edge detection in this model. This project also discovered the limit of Nomura et al's¹ model on the simultaneous detection of multiple edges in a step-wise intensity gradient and attempted to overcome that limitation.

Laparoscopic Articulating Arm: In Collaboration With The Xenocor Saberscope, Zac Hastings, Lizbeth Pugliese, Rebecca Sweeten, Dallin Thomas, Dallin Treasure-Areno

Student Research Symposium

• Laparoscopy a minimally invasive procedure performed through small incisions using a laparoscope, a camera-equipped instrument, along with specialized tools.

• Laparotomy or "open" surgery, requires a large incision to perform an abdominal operation.

Utilizing Enzymatic Microalgae Hydrolysates For Cellular Agriculture, Maelyn Andreasen, Sophia Hessami, Eli Sheley, Elise Barton

Student Research Symposium

UPSIDE Foods is working to produce chicken products to address the growing global food insecurity crisis.¹ Industrial scalability is limited due to the requirements of cell culture. Through collaboration with the company, we are working to supplement their existing media to drive costs down and improve cell viability.

Mathematical Modeling Of Color Perception Using Differential Equation, Siavash Pooretemad

Student Research Symposium

Color perception begins in the retina, where three cone types (L, M, S) detect light and initiate neural signals. These signals are processed by horizontal and bipolar cells to form opponent color channels: red-green (RG), yellow-blue (YB), and light-dark (LD). Perception is not solely based on physical input but also shaped by neural adaptation and context.

This project models color perception using a differential equation approach, simulating how color contrast and adaptation emerge from interactions between photoreceptors and lateral inhibition.

We hypothesize that a system of differential equations can model how retinal cone cells respond to and process light intensity, …

Metabolite Analysis To Understand Factors Limiting Microbial Fermentation At High Substrate Concentrations, Bishal D. Sharma

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Clostridium thermocellum, a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium, holds promise as a biocatalyst for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels. This microbe has been subjected to various metabolic engineering strategies, including the deletion of genes encoding secondary fermentation products such as H₂, formate, acetate, and lactate, as well as the expression of heterologous genes to redirect carbon flux toward ethanol production. Despite these efforts, achieving economically viable ethanol titers remains a challenge. We hypothesized that studying how intracellular metabolite concentrations change as fermentation stops could reveal metabolic bottlenecks or regulatory mechanisms limiting ethanol production at high titers. However, metabolomics studies at …

Determining The Wound Closure Capabilities Of A Biological Engineered Blood Vessel For Hd Access, Brianna Regan, Alex Dumitru, Mai Lam

Medical Student Research Symposium

End stage renal disease (ESRD) is a prominent chronic condition with dialysis as a primary treatment option. Dialysis necessitates implementation of an access point, with the gold standard being an AV fistula which possesses multiple shortcomings. Alternative access points, namely synthetic grafts, do not allow wound healing characteristics. This work aims to explore how a tissue engineered vascular graft (TEVG) may be able to address these issues by allowing a long-term access point for HD that can close puncture wounds.

The effects of growth factors on our cells were tested preliminarily by means of a scratch assay on plates of …

Dataset: Compositional Analysis And Hydrothermal Liquefaction Of A High-Ash Microalgae Biofilm, Jacob Watkins, Hamza Abdellaoui, Elise Barton, Clayton Lords, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Student Research

This dataset contains biochemical composition data and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) yield results for a high-ash microalgae biofilm which was cultivated in effluent from a mesophilic anaerobic digester using polyethylene rotating algae biofilm reactors (RABRs). These data were originally collected for use in a techno-economic analysis of biocrude, biodiesel, and bioplastic production from algae that was cultivated using RABRs for municipal wastewater reclamation.

Biochemical data for the microalgae biomass includes bulk protein, measured both using the Bradford protein assay and by multiplying total N; carbohydrate content, measured using a 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone / dithiothreitol (MBTH/DTT) assay; total lipid content, measured using a …

Limbgod(Pat. Pending): Wearable Garment For Amputation Prevention, Naomi Choi Dpm, Mba, Phuc An Dinh Bs, Ms, Eric Lee Bs, Francois M. Lokenye Dpm

Posters

Approximately 1.6 million people in the U.S. have lower limb amputations, which is expected to double by 2050 (Wong et al.). Socio-economic factors: income, education, rural residency & race, impact amputation risk (Okesina et al.), with Black Americans 70% are more likely to undergo major lower limb amputations than white Americans, even after adjusting for care access & comorbidities (Feinglass et al., Holman et al., Regenbogen et al.). Within 5 years, up to 50% of first-time amputees require another amputation (Dilingham et al., Glaser et al.) & those with comorbidities face a 77% five-year mortality rate (Fortington et al.).

Ai Diagnostic Tool For Covid-19 Severity, Hunter Lau, Ryan Lang, Aidan Furuhashi

Bioengineering Senior Theses

With the advent of COVID-19 pandemic global, healthcare systems were challenged with resource constraints plaguing hospital environments around the world with consequences that presented weaknesses in our healthcare system. This demonstrated the importance of triage in unprecedented scenarios. This project presents an integrated AI-driven diagnostic tool to predict the severity of COVID-19 cases using length of stay as an analog. By using clinical data and radiographic chest images, this project integrates a XGBoost clinical data model with a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model utilizing chest CT images to create a comprehensive assessment of patient case severity through predicted length of …

Endothelial Dysfunction Promotes Age-Related Reorganization Of Collagen Fibers And Alters Aortic Biomechanics In Mice, Liya Du, Jeffrey Rodgers, Nazli Gharraee, Olivia Gary, Tarek Shazly, John F. Eberth, Susan M. Lessner

Faculty Publications

Endothelial dysfunction, defined as a reduction in the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), is a risk factor for the occurrence and progression of various vascular diseases. This study investigates the effect of endothelial dysfunction on age-related changes in aortic extracellular matrix (ECM) microstructure and the relationship between microstructural adaptation and the mechanical response. Here, we used groups of NOS3 knockout (KO), NOS3 heterozygotes (Het), and wild-type (WT) B6 mice (controls) to study changes in hemodynamic parameters, collagen fiber organization, and both active and passive aortic mechanics using biaxial pressure myography over a time course from 1.5 to 12 mo. Our …

Endothelial Dysfunction Promotes Age-Related Reorganization Of Collagen Fibers And Alters Aortic Biomechanics In Mice, Liya Du, Jeffrey Rodgers, Nazli Gharraee, Olivia Gary, Tarek Shazly, John F. Eberth, Susan M. Lessner

Faculty Publications

Endothelial dysfunction, defined as a reduction in the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), is a risk factor for the occurrence and progression of various vascular diseases. This study investigates the effect of endothelial dysfunction on age-related changes in aortic extracellular matrix (ECM) microstructure and the relationship between microstructural adaptation and the mechanical response. Here, we used groups of NOS3 knockout (KO), NOS3 heterozygotes (Het), and wild-type (WT) B6 mice (controls) to study changes in hemodynamic parameters, collagen fiber organization, and both active and passive aortic mechanics using biaxial pressure myography over a time course from 1.5 to 12 mo. Our …

Shear-Thinning Hydrogel For Delayed Delivery Of A Small Molecule Metalloproteinase Inhibitor Attenuates Myocardial Infarction Remodeling, Joshua E. Mealy, William M. Torres, Lisa A. Freeburg, Shayne C. Barlow, Alison A. Whalen, Chima V. Maduka, Tarek Shazly, Jason A. Burdick, Francis G. Spinale

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Clinical Use Of Sit2stand Ai Application For Kinematic Analysis In Prosthesis Users., Samerial Brown

Posters - 2025

Biomechanical analysis is a tool to evaluate prosthetic and orthotic patient's. These tools offer the clinician capability of understanding the mechanism of injury, gait deviation or prosthesis problem. Video based analysis require expensive hardware, software, and training which sometimes costs $40-100,000.

The recent advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has opened up the possibility of acquiring high speed human motion video analysis using low-cost hardware and open-source machine learning algorithms. Still, free assessments like the Sit2Stand test is a current clinical outcome measure which assesses ability of a patient to stand and sit as fast as possible 5x. The faster the …

Development Of Highly Sensitive & Selective Sensor, Megha Shinde

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This work presents the development of innovative electrochemical sensors for selective and sensitive dopamine (DA) detection using flexible laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes modified with advanced nanocomposites. An LIG electrode synthesized from pyralux film was functionalized with Nb₄C₃Tx MXene and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), significantly enhancing its electrochemical performance. The modified electrode exhibited a peak anodic current increase from 150 μA to 330.4 μA and demonstrated a wide linear detection range (100 nM to 10 μM) with a low detection limit of 1 nM and high sensitivity (160.96 μA/nM cm ^-2). It also displayed excellent selectivity against …

Development Of Laser-Induced Graphene-Based Bioanode Incorporating Thylakoid For Harvesting Energy, Amit Sarode

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Thylakoid-Based Biofuel Cells (TBFCs) present significant potential as renewable power sources; however, their development is impeded by challenges including delicate thylakoid membranes, limited electron transport efficiency, stability and dependence on expensive mediators. This study aimed to address these challenges by fabricating a novel photo-driven bioanode through the integration of Laser-Induced Graphene (LIG), Nb₄C₃T_x MXene, and thylakoid membranes. The fabrication process involved laser engraving to generate porous LIG electrodes, followed by MXene drop casting and thylakoid immobilization to enhance electrochemical performance and surface area. Morphological characterization supported that MXene incorporation increased active sites and surface roughness, …

Development Of Flexible Lactate-Specific Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Based On Laser-Induced Graphene Electrochemical Biosensors For Disease Diagnosis, Christopher Animashaun

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Lactate is a critical biomarker linked to conditions such as sepsis, ischemia, cancer, and heart failure. Current lactate detection methods remain invasive, costly, and unsuitable for real-time, continuous monitoring. This study presents the development of a flexible, non-enzymatic electrochemical biosensor based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for highly selective and sensitive lactate measurement. The integration of AuNPs enhanced surface conductivity and provided nanoscale heterogeneity, facilitating superior signal amplification. The optimized LIG/AuNP/MIP sensor achieved an extensive dynamic detection range from 0.1 μM to 1000 μM, with an outstanding detection limit of …

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field And Plasma Jets For Cancer Therapy, Edwin Ayobami Oshin

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) employs nanosecond-duration, high voltage pulses to induce oxidative stress, leading to temporary or permanent damage to cells or tissue (also known as reversible and irreversible electroporation), and has been considered a promising approach for cancer therapy. In parallel to this, nanosecond pulsed atmospheric pressure plasma jets (ns-APPJs) have also shown to be effective in inactivating cancer cells or increasing sensitivity of cells to electric fields. ns-APPJs are known to generate reactive chemical agents, including reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) which induces oxidative stress resulting in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and necrosis. In this dissertation, a …

Updated Document On Standard Terminology For Foot And Ankle, Jason T. Bariteau, Constantine A. Demetracopoulos, Ahmed Khalil Attia, Nacime Salomão Barbachan Mansur, Daniel J. Scott, Karen M. Kruger, Amy L. Lenz

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The Standardized Terminology and Measurement Subcommittee was established as an ad hoc academic entity at the behest of Dr Ian Alexander in 1990. Members who have served on the committee include Ian Alexander, David Katcherian, Harold Kitaoka, Bright McConnell, Chris Reynolds, Charles Saltzman, and Saul Trevino. This subcommittee met twice yearly at the annual winter and summer meetings. This initial work was coordinated with members of the POSNA’s Committee on Terminology and Measurement.   These definitions were published in Foot & Ankle International and were expected to be included in the Guidelines for Manuscript Preparation, which was never done.

Activity And Function Of The Endothelial Sodium Channel Is Regulated By The Effector Domain Of Marcks-Like Protein 1 In Mouse Aortic Endothelial Cells, Ling Yu, Niharika Bala, Van-Anh L. Nguyen, Leah Kessler, John F. Ladisa Jr., Abdel A. Alli

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Enhanced endothelial sodium channel (EnNaC) functioning causes an increase in vessel stiffness. Here, we investigated the regulation of EnNaC in mouse aortic endothelial cells (mAoECs) by the actin cytoskeleton and lipid raft association protein myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate-like protein 1 (MLP1). We hypothesized that mutation of specific amino acid residues within the effector domain of MLP1 or loss of association between MLP1 and the anionic phospholipid phosphate PIP2 would significantly alter membrane association and EnNaC activity in mAoECs. mAoECs transiently transfected with a mutant MLP1 construct (three serine residues in the effector domain replaced with aspartate residues) showed a significant …

Bilateral Gait Trainer For Transtibial Amputees, Desmond Greer, Odinachi Anene, Andrew Wallace, Noah Hill

Bioengineering Senior Theses

Lower limb amputation affects over 2.3 million individuals in the U.S., with peripheral vascular disease and diabetes as leading causes. Prosthetic rehabilitation is critical for restoring mobility, yet barriers like therapist shortages, cost, and inconsistent at-home training limit patient outcomes. This thesis presents the design, development, and testing of a bilateral gait training device that addresses these challenges by providing real-time haptic feedback and quantitative gait metrics for at-home rehabilitation. The device integrates force-sensitive resistors embedded in insoles to monitor plantar pressure distribution, haptic actuators (eccentric rotating mass motors) mounted on thigh straps to deliver corrective feedback, and an Arduino-based …

Next-Generation Biomedical Implants And Stimuli Responsive Soft Optical Arrays Via Surface Functionalized Elastomeric Materials, John M. Kapitan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The demands of emerging technologies, such as soft robotics, stretchable electronics, and next generation biomedical implants, has led to the development of diverse polymeric and hybrid organic/inorganic materials specifically tuned to meet these challenges. These materials typically have low Young’s moduli and are inert with high chemical stability. However, this has led to materials that are static in nature, lacking any meaningful way of responding to changes in their environment and adapting to these changes. This has driven a shift towards the design, manufacturing, and characterization of various stimuli responsive surfaces, relying on precise control of surface chemical coatings and …

Painting Rich Six-Dimensional Pictures Using Polarized Fluorescence Microscopy, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Development And Analysis Of The Kinematic-Dynamic Model Of The Rehabilitation Exoskeleton System, Umidjon Abdumutalipovich Takabaev, Zafar Botirovich Juraev

Technical science and innovation

Designing modern rehabilitation exoskeleton systems requires a comprehensive study of human-machine interactions. In this process, creating kinematic and dynamic mathematical models of the system is extremely important. In this paper, we develop mathematical models that describe rehabilitation exoskeleton systems' kinematic and dynamic properties. Based on the Denavit-Hartenberg method we construct kinematic model of the exoskeleton system. The method gave us to determine the coordinate system for each joint. Furthermore, we also study the motion range of joints of the exoskeleton. Modeling the dynamic properties of the system performed with the second-order Lagrange equation. The exoskeleton construction consisting of knee, thigh, …