Biological Engineering Commons^™

Adjuvant Pluronic F68 Is Compatible With A Plant Root-Colonizing Probiotic, Pseudomonas Chlororaphis O6, Amanda R. Streeter, Anthony Cartwright, Mohammad Zargaran, Anagha Wankhade, Anne J. Anderson, David W. Britt

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Plant probiotic bacteria are being increasingly used to maximize both the productivity and quality of field crops. Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 (PcO6) is a plant root colonizer with probiotic activities. This bacterium produces an array of metabolites, including a group of phenazines that are functional in plant protection. The paper reports responses of PcO6 to a nonionic triblock copolymer surfactant, Pluronic F68. This Pluronic exhibits membrane "healing" activity and improves cryopreservation recovery in eukaryotic cells. The product is FDA-approved and is applied as an adjuvant in formulations used in agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology. Growth of PcO6 on …

Air-Jet Bioprinting Of Stem Cell-Encapsulated Alginate Micro-Droplets For Organoid Biomanufacturing, Mirabella B. Stump

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomanufactured 3D-organoids show promise for modeling and treating various conditions, particularly insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type-1 diabetes). Pancreatic islet organoids serve as sustainable sources of insulin-producing β-cells, potentially restoring insulin regulation in patients and providing a long-term solution for diabetes. Hydrogel droplet printing is an emerging technique in regenerative medicine due to its advantageous tunability and biocompatibility; however, challenges of consistency, quality control, and scalability persist. To address these issues, we developed a novel air-jetting based droplet bioprinting system for the generation of monodispersed alginate micro-droplets. The objective of this project was to incorporate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into …

Study Of Surface And Groundwater Quality And Quantity At Watershed Scale In Mississippi, Dipesh Nepal

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrology and water quality are affected by land use and climate changes. Mississippi’s diverse agro–ecosystem comprises of a range of land use land cover (LULC) including agriculture, forest, wetlands, urban, and grasslands. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impacts of various factors such as Best Management Practices (BMPs), wetlands, LULC, and climate changes on water quality and quantity. The hydrologic and water quality responses to dynamic LULC input in Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) were evaluated. Results showed that agricultural and forest expansion were major drivers of hydrologic and water quality changes in Big Sunflower River …

Design Of Human Serum Albumin And Adenovirus Conjugation Via Catcher/Tag Molecular Glue, Peijie Zhao

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Adenovirus (Ad) has been the ideal cargo delivery mechanism, and its moderate immunological response makes it ideal for in vivo gene therapies since its discovery in 1953. However, the robust immunogenicity of the Ad capsid and low vaccine absorption via mucous membranes and epithelium put a limit on the process of developing intranasal vaccines. Efforts are being made to enhance the effectiveness of Ad vectors and numerous studies have demonstrated the remarkable capacity of human serum albumin (HSA) to extend plasma half-life and facilitate targeted intranasal delivery. In this study, we devised an innovative method for employing the Catcher/Tag molecular …

Determining The Effects Of Glycocalyx Modifications On The Electrophysical Properties Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Rominna E. Valentine Ico

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have gained popularity in clinical trials due to their multipotent differentiation characteristics, ability to secrete bioactive molecules, migrate into diseased or damaged tissues, and their immunosuppressive properties. HMSC cultures are heterogeneous, containing stem cells, partially differentiated progenitor cells, and fully differentiated cells. One of the major challenges with hMSCs therapeutic potential is the inability to select specific cell subpopulations due to an insufficient number of biomarkers. Often the biomarkers used, like those for fluorescence-activated cell sorting, are not sufficient to define hMSCs because they overlap with other cell types. Consequently, there is a need to …

A Framework Of Flow Models For The Development And Testing Of Cardiovascular Devices, Megan Laughlin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and its treatment continues to improve due to the advancement of innovative cardiovascular medical devices. In vitro and in silico models serve to replicate the in vivo environment for the development and testing of these devices prior to using animals for testing, and eventually humans in clinical trials. However, limitations related to these models exist in multiple areas including general, cardiac, and venous applications. Specifically, current gaps have been identified with customizable, tissue-mimicking phantoms (general), 2D Blood Speckle Imaging (BSI) (cardiac) and a bioprosthetic venous valve (venous). This dissertation focuses …

1-Methyl-4-Phenyl-1,2,3,6-Tetrahydropyridine (Mptp)-Treated Adult Zebrafish As A Model For Parkinson’S Disease, Emmeline Bagwell

All Theses

The use of adult zebrafish, Danio rerio, as a model for human neurodegenerative diseases has proven valuable in pharmaceutical development and genetic disease research due to their high genetic homology to humans, cost-effective husbandry, and quick life cycle breeding times. Despite their promise, most zebrafish research has focused on embryonic stage organisms, primarily due to the ease of direct handling protocols and rapid progression through developmental stages. Recognizing the limitations of early-stage organisms in modeling adult diseases, recent efforts have shifted the applicability of zebrafish models, particularly for Parkinson's Disease, due to the nature of the disease impacting patients 55 …

Engineering Next-Generation Cardiovascular Therapies, Ryan Walker Barrs

All Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Heart disease, in particular, accounted for 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States in 2021, representing a substantial public health burden that will require more effective treatment options to alleviate. Heart transplant surgery is currently the only option to completely restore cardiac function, but many patients die while waiting for a transplant due to a longstanding organ donor shortage. Thus, there is a dire need for accessible treatment options that can repair damaged hearts. Recent advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have accelerated the development of therapies for …

Representativeness Evaluation Of Delta-Flux Eddy Covariance Towers For Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Rice Fields In The Mid-South Region, Katherine Skiles

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Rice grown in 5 states across the Mid-South (AR, LA, MS, TX, and MO) account for nearly 80% of all domestic U.S. rice production. Methane emissions produced during rice farming and the large seasonal water demand to maintain flooded fields have created a need for alternative irrigation research that can reduce methane emissions and conserve water. Structures called eddy covariance towers (ECTs) can observe methane and other flux responses to changing irrigation styles, and their data is shared across flux tower networks such as Delta-Flux in the Mid-South. The Delta-Flux network is relatively new, and its data-sharing capacity is not …

Effects Of Indole Derivative Idc16 On Cell Proliferation, Transfection, And Alternative Splicing In Production Of Lentiviral Vectors By Transient Co-Transfection, Nataly Mier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Viruses can efficiently introduce genetic material into a variety of cells through cell infection. Therefore, viral vectors, defined as virus-based gene delivery systems, effectively transfer functional gene constructs to target cells. Among different viral vectors, lentiviral vectors are of interest due to the advantages offered to research and therapeutic applications. Low productivity of lentiviral vectors in mammalian producer cells and high production cost, however, remain barriers to the vectors’ routinary use, particularly in clinical settings.

Since most lentiviral vectors are derived from human immunodeficiency virus type I, their genome has been engineered to increase safety. Nevertheless, modifications of the lentiviral …

Development Of An Angiogenic Tissue-On-A-Chip Microenvironment, Eric Stuehr

Master's Theses

Preclinical testing is necessary to investigate the safety and efficacy of novel therapeutics before moving to clinical trials, yet approximately 90% of these therapies fail once tested in humans. This has led to increased interest in developing robust preclinical models that accurately mimic the complex human in vivo physiology. Microfluidic devices that can introduce dynamic conditions to 3D cell/organoid cultures, also known as tissue-on-a-chip, have emerged as physiologically relevant in vitro preclinical models that can achieve high throughput screening of therapeutics. The research presented here aimed to develop an angiogenic environment within a novel microfluidic device to stimulate formation of …

Microbial Glycosylation Of Antitubercular Agent Chlorflavonin, Jie Ren, Jixun Zhan

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Flavonoids have shown health-benefiting properties, such as antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities, and are commonly used as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Although flavonoids are predominantly identified from plants, several filamentous fungal species have also been reported to produce bioactive flavonoids, including chlorflavonin from Aspergillus candidus, a novel halogenated flavonoid with potent antifungal and antitubercular (anti-TB) activities. Unfortunately, the low water-solubility of this molecule may hinder its bioavailability. Glycosylation is an effective method to enhance the polarity of natural products and alter their physicochemical properties. This work focuses on the development of novel water-soluble chlorflavonin derivatives to combat the threat of drug-resistant …

Engineered Exosomes For The Multimodal Imaging Directed Photo-Immunotherapy Of Colorectal Cancer, Deepak S. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background: Rio Grande Valley experience severe cancer health disparity. A novel therapeutic modality may serve as better therapeutic option. Nanohybrids endowed with multifunctionality, longer circulation time, large surface area have emerged as an active preference for cancer research. However, rising concern of nanomaterials toxicity and scalability issues has slowed their translation to clinics. Exosomes (Exo) are endogenous endocytic origin 40-100 nm vesicles found in various body fluids, which in comparison to synthetic nanoparticles, are biodegradable, highly biocompatible as well as immunocompatible in nature. Although bulk isolation of exosomes from human body fluids is still a problem and engineering of exosomes …

The Discovery, Characterization, And Engineering Of Autolytic Enzymes As Antimicrobials, Jacob M. Furlon

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

In an age of rising levels of antibiotic resistance, we are quickly running out of tools to address some of the most virulent and widespread infectious bacteria. One group of enzymes that show significant potential for use as next-generation antibiotics are antimicrobial peptidoglycan hydrolases, often referred to as lysins. These enzymes are responsible for the breakdown of peptidoglycan within the bacterial cell wall, and, when exogenously applied, can result in dramatic destabilization of the cell wall leading to rapid lysis of the bacteria. While phage endolysins have been widely investigated as potential antimicrobials, the therapeutic potential of endogenous autolysins from …

Analyzing Pseudomonas Aeruginosa With Bacteriophage Tags Using Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry, Jennifer C. Schinke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of daily bacterial infections is climbing and the CDC explains that this is due to the antibiotic-resistant threat in the United States. Finding a faster way of bacterial identification is necessary as it currently takes 1-4 days for a medical lab to culture and identify bacteria. Photoacoustic flow cytometry (PAFC) can be used as an alternative method resulting in swift identification within an hour (Edgar, 2019). Pseudomonas aeruginosa, cell line PA01, will be coated in up to a few hundred red dyed phages making it detectible by the photoacoustic flow cytometry system. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that …

Prevention And Reversal Of Elastin-Associated And Phosphate-Dependent Arterial Calcification Using Targeted Nanotherapeutics In Pre-Clinical Models, Fatema Tuj Zohora

All Dissertations

Vascular calcification can be life-threatening, involving calcium phosphate crystal deposits in the blood vessels. The calcification in the intimal layer of the arterial wall is usually associated with atherosclerotic plaque build-up that, in the advanced stage, harbors ‘dispersed’ and ‘spotty’ deposits of calcium phosphate crystals in the necrotic core of the plaque. In contrast, medial arterial calcification (MAC) can form independently of atherosclerosis and appears as ‘Railroad-like’ calcific deposits along degraded elastin lamellae in the medial layer of arteries. The mechanisms of such elastin-associated medial arterial calcification and potential therapies are the key concerns of this dissertation. MAC is common …

Investigating The Potential Of A Cell-Based Gene Editing Therapy For Inherited Metabolic Liver Disease, Ilayda Ates

All Dissertations

Inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) affecting the liver are relatively rare but collectively have a prevalence of 1 in 800 live births. These diseases result from autosomal recessive single-gene mutations, leading to organ dysfunction and potentially fatal consequences if left untreated. One potential therapeutic strategy for IMDs of the liver involves using CRISPR-Cas9-induced loss of function mutations. However, translating this approach into the clinic is limited by the need for safe and effective CRISPR delivery methods. Adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs), commonly used for CRISPR delivery, are associated with significant safety and efficacy concerns, including risks for immunogenicity, off-target mutagenesis, and genotoxicity …

Protein L Functionalized Microparticles For Early Detection Of Surface Markers In Heterogeneous Colorectal Lesions, Saleh Ramezani

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths among both men and women worldwide, a statistic that can be improved with early detection. Increased understanding of the tumor landscape has identified surface antigens that can be utilized to distinguish normal and cancerous tissue lining the colonic lumen. Use of antibodies conjugated to nano/micromaterials offers a means to detect these antigens, however, the heterogeneous nature of tumors makes it unlikely that antibodies against a single antigen will have sufficient sensitivity and specificity to detect all tumors. A versatile micromaterial able to be functionalized with more than one targeting …

Photodynamic Therapy To Treat Triple Negative Breast Cancer In Vitro, Hunter S. Warren

All Theses

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most resilient form of breast cancer, being one of the leading causes of death for women and making up 7% of all cancer deaths. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers a minimally invasive solution to TNBC as a passive-targeting treatment that reduces the need for other well established yet harsh treatments that can be taxing on the patient. PDT involves the use of a high-energy red light on the area of a tumor injected with photosensitizers (PS) that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the tumor, triggering cell death. The PS tetra(hydroxyphenyl)chlorin (m-THPC) was used …

Exploring Versatile Glycosyltransferases From Microorganisms For Natural Product Biosynthesis, Jie Ren

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation is mainly focused on exploring versatile glycosyltransferases from different microorganisms with the purpose of biosynthesizing bioactive natural product glycosides through microbial fermentation. This engineered biosynthesis approach is environmentally friendly, safe, and efficient compared with plant extraction, chemical synthesis, and enzymatic synthesis. Additionally, we applied these characterized glycosyltransferases as efficient biocatalytic tools to produce novel glycosides to expand the chemical repertoire of nature. These novel compounds showed improved water solubility and some of them exhibited enhanced stability and biological activity, which laid the foundation for the development of new therapeutic agents.

In my dissertation research, I have discovered two …

Physiologically Relevant Fluid Shear Stress Induced Receptor Conversion In Hormone Receptor-Positive (Hr+) Breast Cancer, Jonathan James Cuccia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among all people in the United States as of 2023 and often has devastating impacts on afflicted patients. Although some treatments show great efficacy against primary breast tumors, none have been able to significantly reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer once it has metastasized to distant sites. In primary, hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancers, endocrine therapies are often used as first-line treatments and are generally well-tolerated. However, as the disease progresses, these previously sensitive cancers can become resistant to endocrine therapies and continue proliferating despite them. Therefore, there is a …

Plant Stem Undergraduate Symposium, David Britt

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Environmentally Friendly New Catalyst Using Waste Alkaline Solution From Aluminum Production For The Synthesis Of Biodiesel In Aqueous Medium, Sandro L. Barbosa, David Lee Nelson, Lucas Paconio, Moises Pedro, Wallans Torres Pio Dos Santos, Alexandre P. Wentx, Fernando L. P. Pessoa, Foster A. Agblevor, Daniel A. Bortoleto, Maria B. De Freitas-Marques, Lucas D. Zanatta

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Red mud (RM) is composed of a waste alkaline solution (pH = 13.3) obtained from the production of alumina. It contains high concentrations of hematite (Fe₂O₃), goethite (FeOOH), gibbsite [Al(OH)₃], a boehmite (AlOOH), anatase (Tetragonal–TiO₂), rutile (Ditetragonal dipyramidal–TiO₂), hydrogarnets [Ca₃Al₂(SiO₄)_3-x(OH)_4x], quartz (SiO₂), and perovskite (CaTiO₃). It was shown to be an excellent catalytic mixture for biodiesel production. To demonstrate the value of RM, an environmentally friendly process of transesterification in aqueous medium using waste cooking oil …

Dual Color Optogenetic Control For Analyzing Cardiac Function In Drosophila, Jiantao Zhu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Prolonged consumption of carbohydrate-rich diets and immobile lifestyles frequently cause metabolic disorders and obesity and, as a result, may lead to progressive heart dysfunction among broad social groups of the population. Drosophila melanogaster serves as an essential model organism in cardiovascular disease research due to conserved physiological and genomic traits shared with humans, its genetic and molecular toolbox versatility, and cost-effective maintenance. Here, we combine optogenetics and optical coherence tomography to study cardiovascular function in D. melanogaster. A new optogenetic pacing system has been developed, employing a transgenic line carrying two opsins: ChR2 and NpHR2.0. A custom-built hardware setup …

Continuous Bioprocessing: Technology For Next-Generation Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Development Of A Python-Coded Bench-Scale Raman-Based Continuous Bioprocess Platform, Christine Urrea

KGI Theses and Dissertations

Current industrial practices for producing biopharmaceuticals include fed-batch production with batch isolation and purification. Nonproductive hold-up steps and manual offline measurements are common in batch processing which increases processing time and contributes to a high cost of production. Current market trends and cost pressures in the biopharmaceutical industry are creating a push to innovate bioprocessing platforms. Continuous bioprocessing has been considered a solution to the current limitations of batch production of biopharmaceuticals. Continuous bioprocessing involves intensifying individual processing steps by eliminating hold-up steps through a continuous operation to increase productivity, which results in advantages such as lower capital and production …

Consolidated Chamber Design And Protocol For Olfactory Conditioning Assay With Drosophila Melanogaster, Sasha Bronovitskiy, Andres Castillo, Michael Yan, Fang Ju Lin

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The olfactory conditioning assay is widely used in Alzheimer’s disease research to quantify learning and memory in Drosophila melanogaster. The assay tests ability to recall an aversive conditioned stimulus of scent paired with electrical shock when presented a choice between shock-associated and unrelated scents. The T-maze, a commonly used apparatus for olfactory conditioning assays, employs an elevator mechanism to transfer live flies from the shock-delivering training chamber to the scent selection point. This elevator mechanism is known to cause fly casualty. T-mazes are not commercially available and often difficult to reproduce. Other existing variations of olfactory conditioning apparatuses use …

An Integrated Experimental And Modeling Approach To Design Rotating Algae Biofilm Reactors (Rabrs) Via Optimizing Algae Biofilm Productivity, Nutrient Recovery, And Energy Efficiency, Gerald Benjamin Jones

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Microalgae biofilms have been demonstrated to recover nutrients from wastewater and serve as biomass feedstock for bioproducts. However, there is a need to develop a platform to quantitatively describe microalgae biofilm production, which can provide guidance and insights for improving biomass areal productivity and nutrient uptake efficiency. This paper proposes a unified experimental and theoretical framework to investigate algae biofilm growth on a rotating algae biofilm reactor (RABR). The experimental laboratory setups are used to conduct controlled experiments on testing environmental and operational factors for RABRs. We propose a differential-integral equation-based mathematical model for microalgae biofilm cultivation guided by laboratory …

Automation Of Life Cycle Assessment, Jacob Hickman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An automation program, named Jacob LCA, was created to help perform life cycle assessment (LCA). The program uses a template file to perform controlled and consistently ordered actions with the LCA program, SimaPro, and effectively removes the need for manual user input. It can be set to run using data from one or more life cycle inventory (LCI) files, which allows for rapid iteration and testing of data. It also partially addresses some of the limitations of LCA by establishing a procedure through which temporal and spatial variations in data can be integrated into LCI files and then passed to …

A Comparison Of Optical Measurement Methods For The Growth Of S. Cerevisiae, Jackson Black

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Genetic engineering of living organisms provides the opportunity to express and harvest different proteins from cell surfaces. Yeast (S. cerevisiae) is one such organism and is capable of being grown on an industrial scale. Cellular concentration is an important parameter to monitor while fermentation processes are underway, in order to control the environment inside the growth medium and maximize yields. Spectrophotometry is a conventional method for measuring concentration, but is limited by a narrow absorbance range, and the need for on-site periodic sampling. A continuous method of measurement, as provided by Bug Labs BE2100 non-invasive biomass monitor, would …

Laser Inscribed Graphene Aptasensor For Detection Of Apple Stem Pitting Virus, Yifan Tang

All Theses

Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) is a latent RNA virus that could cause significant loss to apple production; early-stage field diagnosis could reduce the economic loss caused by ASPV infection. Biosensor is a promising user-friendly detection tool that could transduce biological or chemical interactions into electric signals. Among various types of biosensors, aptasensor, which use aptamers as recognition elements show potential as a high throughput, in-field test. The goal of this thesis is to develop an electrochemical aptasensor testing system for ASPV detection. The quality control study of laser inscribed graphene (LIG) based working electrode of the biosensor was conducted …