Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Expression, Production, And Purification Of Novel Therapeutic Proteins, Mckinzie Shea Fruchtl

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Interest in the production of recombinant proteins consisting of collagen binding domain (CBD) fused to a bioactive material has increased due to the targeting/attachment capabilities of CBD. For example, CBD fusions can be applied to the reversing of bone density loss and the repair of the eardrum, specifically, by choosing an appropriate fusion partner (parathyroid hormone or epidermal growth factor). The production of CBD fusions was examined using batch and fed-batch culturing of Escherichia coli to express the fusion proteins, and affinity chromatography to isolate the final product.

Different medium formulations, feeding strategies, and induction methods were tested in order …

Highly Sensitive Method For Detecting And Separating Pathogens Using Paramagnetic Particles And A Micro-Fluidic System, William Ryan

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water is one of the most important compounds on Earth. If a water supply is contaminated with a pathogen, it can have devastating results to an individual or a community. This research is directed at constructing an easily reproducible procedure that could increase the sensitivity of detecting and separating bacteria from the current limits of about 100 cells to 10-20 cells per sample with a ultimate goal of a single cell detection. Here, we report a micro-fluidic system to magnetically capture pathogenic bacteria in water followed by rapid impedance detection using Escherichia coli K-12 as a model bacterium. Paramagnetic beads …

Comparing Decellularized Muscle Tissue With An Engineered Muscle Biomaterial, Katelin Cherry

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Decellularized tissues composed of extracellular matrix are commonly used for tissue transplantations but this method has many limitations. An alternative approach is to create an extracellular matrix by seeding degradable foams with cells, culturing these foams to allow extracellular matrix to be secreted from the cells, then washing away the degradable foam to collect the material that is produced. This study was interested in comparing decellularized skeletal muscle tissue to an engineered biomaterial that was seeded with skeletal muscle myoblast cells. Collagen content of decellularized tissue and engineered biomaterial were quantified using a hydroxyproline assay to compare the two samples. …

Rapid Detection And Quantification Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Using Single-Based Extension And Capillary Electrophoresis, Anh Vu

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In 1993, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared tuberculosis (TB) a global emergency. Since then, more than 30 million lives have been claimed by that world-wide epidemic. In 2011, 8.7 million people “felt ill” because of TB and not all TB cases were reported to clinicians. Therefore, it is important to accurately identify TB patients by developing a diagnostic method that is sensitive, fast, and cost-effective. However, conventional methods have not met those criteria because they either require lengthy procedures or may misdiagnose TB cases. Hence, the automated Xpert MTB/RIF, endorsed by WHO in 2010, was developed and so …

Aluminium-Free Glass Polyalkenoate Cements: Ion Release And In Vitro Antibacterial Efficacy, A. W. Wren, J. P. Hansen, S. Hayakawa, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Glass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs) have exhibited potential as bone cements. This study investigates the effect of substituting TiO₂ for SiO₂ in the glass phase and the subsequent effect on cement rheology, mechanical properties, ion release and antibacterial properties. Glass characterization revealed a reduction in glass transition temperature (T_g) from 685 to 669 C with the addition of 6 mol % TiO₂ (AT-2). Magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) revealed a shift from -81 ppm to -76pmm when comparing a Control glass to AT-2, indicating de-polymerization of the Si network. The incorporation of TiO_{2 …}

Sensor Application Of Poly (Ethylene Glycol) Diacrylate Hydrogels Chemically-Anchored On Polymer Surface, Zhan Gao, Chang-Soo Kim, David B. Henthorn

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We demonstrate a device process combining two photo patternable polymers, poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)-diacrylate-based-hydrogel and epoxy-based photoresist SU-8, to implement an optofluidic bioanalytical platform through a surface anchoring technique. As an exemplary sensor application, optical dissolved oxygen sensors are fabricated and their performance characterized. The PEG-rich hydrogel is used as a matrix material for the immobilization of oxygen-responsive fluorophore, dichlorotris (1, 10-phenanthroline) ruthenium (II) hydrate. This hydrogel is chemically anchored on the surface of negative-tone photoresist, SU-8, through a free radical reaction in which 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone served as the surface bound photo initiator. The sensor exhibits a reversible Stern-Volmer …

Method Of Purifying Crude Noscapine, Benjamin M. Marshall, Keith Tomazi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The invention provides a method for separating noscapine from an opium source without substantially changing the color of the noscapine.

Carbothermal Synthesis Of Titanium Oxycarbide As Electrocatalyst Support With High Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity, Kan Huang, Yunfeng Li, Yangchuan Xing

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Carbothermal reduction of semiconducting TiO₂ into highly conductive titanium oxycarbide (TiOxCy) was investigated. The thermally produced uniform carbon layer on TiO₂ (Degussa P25) protects the TiO₂ nanoparticles from sintering and, at the same time, supplies the carbon source for doping TiO₂ with carbon. At low temperatures (e.g., 700 °C), carbon only substitutes part of the oxide and distorts the TiO₂ lattice to form TiO₂-xCx with only substitutional carbon. When the carbon-doped TiO₂ is annealed at a higher temperature (1100 °C), x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that TiOxCy, a solid …

Picture Of A Chelate In Exchange: The Crystal Structure Of Nahodotma, A 'Semi'-Hydrated Chelate, Katherine M. Payne, Edward J. Valente, Silvio Aime, Mauro Botta, Mark Woods

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Crystallography generally only provides static structural information. This can render it an ineffective technique for probing dynamic solution state processes. A crystal of HoDOTMA affords unique structures that effectively represent that of a lanthanide tetra-acetate chelate mid-way through the water exchange process.

Numerical Evaluation Of The Stability Of Stationary Points Of Index-2 Differential-Algebraic Equations: Applications To Reactive Flash And Reactive Distillation Systems, D. A. Harney, T. K. Mills, N. L. Book

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The dynamic behavior of many chemical processes can be represented by an index-2 system of differential-algebraic equations. This index can be reduced by differentiation, but unfortunately the index reduced systems are not guaranteed to possess the same stability characteristics as that of the original system. When the set of differential-algebraic equations can be written in Hessenberg form, the matrix pencil of the linearized system can be used to directly evaluate the stability of a steady state without the need for index reduction. Direct evaluations of stability of reactive flash and reactive distillation are presented. It is also shown that a …

A New Method For Online Flow Regime Monitoring In Bubble Column Reactors Via Nuclear Gauge Densitometry, Ashfaq Shaikh, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the Current Work, Nuclear Gauge Densitometry (NGD), Which is Commercially Available and Industrially Used for Liquid/slurry Level Measurement and Control, Has Been Employed to Identify Fingerprints of the Prevailing Hydrodynamic Flow Regime. Experiments Were Performed using an Air-Water System in 0.1012. M Diameter and 1.2. M Long Bubble Column at Ambient Pressure. the Superficial Gas Velocities Were Varied from 1. Cm/s to 12. Cm/s with an Interval of 0.5. Cm/s Near Transition Region. the Flow Regime Boundaries Were Defined using the Conventional Methods of Flow Regime Demarcation Such as the Change in the Slope of the overall Gas Holdup …

Comparison Of A Sio2-Cao-Zno-Sro Glass Polyalkenoate Cement To Commercial Dental Materials: Glass Structure And Physical Properties, A. W. Wren, A. Coughlan, F. R. Laffir, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Glass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs) have previously been considered for orthopedic applications. A Zn-GPC (BT 101) was compared to commercial GPCs (Fuji IX and Ketac Molar) which have a setting chemistry analogous to BT 101. Handling properties (working, T_w and setting, T_s times) for BT 101 were shorter than the commercial GPCs. BT 101 also had a higher setting exotherm (S_x - 34 °C) than the commercial GPCs (29 °C). The maximum strengths for BT 101, Fuji IX, and Ketac Molar were 75, 238, and 216 MPa (compressive, σ_c), and 34, 54, and 62 MPa (biaxial …

Hydrodynamics Of Pilot-Scale Bubble Columns: Effect Of Internals, Ahmed A. Youssef, Mohamed E. Hamed, Joshua T. Grimes, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan, Milorad P. Duduković

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Gas Holdup and Bubble Characteristics Are Key Parameters that Affect the Performance of Bubble Columns. an Experimental Study of the Effect of Heat Exchanging Internals on the Gas Holdup, Bubble Dynamics, and their Radial Profiles is Performed. an Air-Water System is Used in a Plexiglas Column 45 Cm (18 In.) in Diameter. Internals Configurations Mimicking Those Typical for the Liquid-Phase Methanol Synthesis and Fischer-Tropsch Process and Covering 5% and 25%, Respectively, of the Total Cross-Sectional Area of the Column, Are Investigated. High Superficial Gas Velocities that Fall within the Churn Turbulent Flow Regime, Which Are of Interest for Most …

Microfluidic Devices Applied On Enriching Post –Translational Modified Proteins For Proteomics, Hui Xia

Doctoral Dissertations

In this work, microfluidic devices were developed for enriching post-translational modified proteins. Post-translational modifications (PTM) of proteins play essential roles in cellular physiology and disease. The identification of protein substrates and detection of modification site helps understand PTM-mediated regulation in essential biological pathways and functions in various diseases. However, PTM proteins are typically present only at trace levels, making them difficult to identify in mass spectrometry based proteomics. This work study is about the design, fabrication and testing of the microfluidic device for the enrichment of abundant amount of PTMs. Carbonylated protein is used as a representative PTM to illustrate …

Engineering Novel Terpene Production Platforms In The Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Xun Zhuang

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The chemical diversity and biological activities of terpene and terpenoids have served in the development of new flavors, fragrances, medicines and pesticides. While terpenes are made predominantly by plants and microbes in small amounts and as components of complex mixtures, chemical synthesis of terpenes remains technically challenging, costly and inefficient. In this dissertation, methods to create new yeast lines possessing a dispensable mevalonate biosynthetic pathway wherein carbon flux can be diverted to build any chemical class of terpene product are described. The ability of this line to generate diterpenes was next investigated. Using a 5.5 L fed bath fermentation system, …

Titanium-Oxygen Bond Length -Bond Valence Relationship, D. Dodd, F. D. Hardcastle, S. Laffoon

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A bond length–bond valence correlation is a simple method of checking and evaluating molecular structures and is of great interest in chemistry, biology, geology, and material science. Recently, we used quantum-mechanical arguments to derive Pauling’s bond length-valence relationship and to define the adjustable fitting parameter b in terms of atomic-orbital exponents. Improved orbital exponents were generated for elements 1-103 using published atomic radii and single-bond covalent radii as well as a continuous function for effective principal quantum number. In this study, we use orbital exponents for titanium (Ti) and oxygen (O) to generate a bond length-valence relationship for Ti-O bonds. …

Capillary And Microchip Electrophoresis For The Monitoring Of Disease Causing Amyloid Proteins, Elizabeth Nancy Pryor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The detection of oligomers and aggregates formed by two amyloid proteins, insulin and amyloid-beta (AB), is of particular importance due to the role which these species play in Diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, respectively. However, existing techniques are limited in the ability to detect insulin and AB; oligomers due to the fact that these early aggregates are transient, present at low concentrations, and difficult to isolate. Improvements must be made to existing techniques or alternative techniques must be explored in order to identify and quantify the size of these oligomeric and aggregate species without disrupting their structure.

Capillary and microchip electrophoresis …

Colorimetric Oxygen Imaging And Quantification With Easily Accessible Optical Devices, Satya Achanta, Sanghan Park, Chang-Soo Kim

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Optical oxygen imaging is essential in monitoring two-dimensional analysis of oxygen distribution. Two easily accessible optical devices were used for oxygen analysis to demonstrate the feasibility of an innovatively simple method. a light panel screen with light-emitting diode (LED) backlight was used as a light source to excite a luminophore film responsive to oxygen. Meso-scale fluidic sensor platform was prepared using porphyrin complex (PtOEP) as the luminophore embedded within ethyl cellulose (EC) polymer matrix. Green LED light uniformly displayed from the light panel excited the luminophore film to exhibit two-dimensional luminescence distribution corresponding to wet gaseous oxygen. a color camera …

Fabrication Of Cao-Nao-Sio2/Tio2 Scaffolds For Surgical Applications, A. W. Wren, A. Coughlan, K. E. Smale, S. T. Misture, B. P. Mahon, O. M. Clarkin, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A series of titanium (Ti) based glasses were formulated (0.62 SiO₂-0.14 Na₂O-0.24 CaO, with 0.05 mol% TiO₂ substitutions for SiO₂) to develop glass/ceramic scaffolds for bone augmentation. Glasses were initially characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and particle size analysis, where the starting materials were amorphous with 4.5 μm particles. Hot stage microscopy and high temperature XRD were used to determine the sintering temperature (̃700 °C) and any crystalline phases present in this region (Na₂Ca₃Si₆O₁₆, combeite and quartz). Hardness testing revealed that the Ti-free control (ScC- …

Inactivation Of Bacterial Opportunistic Skin Pathogens By Nonthermal Dc-Operated Afterglow Atmospheric Plasma, L. C. Heller, C. M. Edelblute, A. M. Mattson, X. Hao, J. F. Kolb

Bioelectrics Publications

AIMS: Multidrug-resistant opportunistic pathogens are clinically significant and require the development of new antimicrobial methods. In this study, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus cells were exposed to atmospheric plasma on agar plates and in vitro on porcine skin for the purpose of testing bacterial inactivation.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Microbial inactivation at varying exposure durations was tested using a nonthermal plasma jet generated with a DC voltage from ambient air. The observed reduction in colony forming units was quantified as log₁₀ reductions.

CONCLUSIONS: Direct plasma exposure significantly inactivated seeded bacterial cells by approx. 6 log_{10 …}

Thiol Reactive Probes And Chemosensors, Robert M. Strongin, Lovemore Hakuna, Hanjing Peng, Weixuan Chen, Yunfeng Cheng, Binghe Wang

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Thiols are important molecules in the environment and in biological processes. Cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), glutathione (GSH) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) play critical roles in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. The selective detection of thiols using reaction-based probes and sensors is very important in basic research and in disease diagnosis. This review focuses on the design of fluorescent and colorimetric probes and sensors for thiol detection. Thiol detection methods include probes and labeling agents based on nucleophilic addition and substitution, Michael addition, disulfide bond or Se-N bond cleavage, metal-sulfur interactions and more. Probes for H2S are based on …

A Hybrid Li-Air Battery With Buckypaper Air Cathode And Sulfuric Acid Electrolyte, Yunfeng Li, Kan Huang, Yangchuan Xing

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We demonstrate a type of carbon nanotube based buckypaper cathode in a hybrid electrolyte Li-air battery (HyLAB) that showed outstanding discharging performances. the HyLAB has sulfuric acid as the catholyte and a large active electrode area (10 cm 2). the active cathode layer was made from a buckypaper with 5 wt.% Pt supported on carbon nanotubes (Pt/CNTs) for oxygen reduction and evolution. a similar cathode was constructed with a catalyst of 5 wt.% Pt supported on carbon black (Pt/CB). It is demonstrated that sulfuric acid can achieve high discharging current densities while maintaining relatively high cell potentials. the cell with …

3d Differentiation Of Neural Stem Cells In Macroporous Photopolymerizable Hydrogel Scaffolds, Nic Leipzig

Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering Faculty Research

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) are the stem cell of the adult central nervous system (CNS). These cells are able to differentiate into the major cell types found in the CNS (neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes), thus NSPCs are the mechanism by which the adult CNS could potentially regenerate after injury or disorder. Microenviromental factors are critical for guiding NSPC differentiation and are thus important for neural tissue engineering. In this study, D-mannitol crystals were mixed with photocrosslinkable methacrylamide chitosan (MAC) as a porogen to enhance pore size during hydrogel formation. D-mannitol was admixed to MAC at 5, 10 and 20 wt% D-mannitol …

Fabrication And Degradation Of Electrospun Scaffolds From L-Tyrosine Based Polyurethane Blends For Tissue Engineering Applications, Lingyun Liu

Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering Faculty Research

It is important to control the degradation rate of a tissue-engineered scaffold so that the scaffold will degrade in an appropriate matching rate as the tissue cells grow in. A set of potential tissue engineering scaffolds with controllable rates of degradation were fabricated from blends of two biocompatible, biodegradable L-tyrosine-based polyurethanes (PEG1000-HDI-DTH and PCL1250-HDI-DTH) using the electrospinning process. The scaffolds were characterized by mat morphology, fiber diameter, diameter distribution, pore size, and hydrolytic degradation behavior. The majority of the scaffolds, despite having radically different chemical compositions, possessed no statistical difference with pore sizes and fiber diameters. The degradation pattern observed …

Fabrication Of Ph- Or Temperature-Responsive Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes Via A Graft From Photopolymerization, Pu Zhang, David B. Henthorn

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An ultraviolet light initiated "graft from" polymerization method to fabricate polymer-functionalized single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with pendant pH- and temperature-responsive polymer chains is utilized. the attached polymer chains, formed from methacrylic acid and poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate monomers, are well established for its pH-responsive swelling/deswelling behavior. This special property was utilized here to control the aqueous dispersibility of the carbon nanotubes. Furthermore, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), a temperature-responsive polymer, was utilized in the fabrication of SWNTs whose dispersibility was dependent on solution temperature. the morphology of the polymer-functionalized carbon nanotubes was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after …

Increasing Pt Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity And Durability With A Carbon-Doped Tio 2 Nanocoating Catalyst Support, Kan Huang, Kotaro Sasaki, Radoslav R. Adzic, Yangchuan Xing

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report a conductive TiO2 nanocoating on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a Pt electrocatalyst support that shows a significant enhancement in Pt catalyst activity and durability for the oxygen reduction reaction. by using CNTs as the substrate for TiO2 nanocoating, the nanoscale morphology of the oxide was retained during heat treatment. after carbon doping of the TiO2 nanocoating, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggests a shift in the binding energy of Ti 2p, implying a suboxide formation. the X-ray absorption near-edge structure showed the mid-edge and post-edge up to 5010 eV, which are attributed to a 1s → 4p transition and promotion …

The Study Of Bone Diffusion In Canine Tibia, Mariela Gonzalez-Nieves

Undergraduate Research Posters 2012

The provision of nutrients is imperative in order to maintain healthy bone structure. Bones are composed of dense connective tissues that are consistently reforming making it difficult for simple diffusion of large signaling molecules to occur. Fully understanding the rate at which nutrients, minerals, and waste travel throughout bone could lead to solutions to problems such as bone illnesses, breaks, and integration of prosthetics in the human body. Enhanced targeted medication delivery can be established as well.

Phase Transitions Of Nanoemulsions Using Ultrasound: Experimental Observations, Ram Singh, Ghaleb A. Husseini, William G. Pitt

Faculty Publications

The ultrasound-induced transformation of perfluorocarbon liquids to gases is of interest in the area of drug and gene delivery. In this study, three independent parameters (temperature, size, and perfluorocarbon species) were selected to investigate the effects of 476-kHz and 20-kHz ultrasound on nanoemulsion phase transition. Two levels of each factor (low and high) were considered at each frequency. The acoustic intensities at gas bubble formation and at the onset of inertial cavitation were recorded and subsequently correlated with the acoustic parameters. Experimental data showed that low frequencies are more effective in forming and collapsing a bubble. Additionally, as the size …

Developing Novel Prognostic Biomarkers For Multivariate Fracture Risk Prediction Algorithms, Ernest K. Poku, Mark R. Towler, Niamh M. Cummins, Jeff D. Newman

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Multivariate prediction algorithms such as FRAX® and QFracture Scores provide an opportunity for new prognostic biomarkers to be developed and incorporated, potentially leading to better fracture prediction. As more research is conducted into these novel biomarkers, a number of factors need to be considered for their successful development for inclusion in these algorithms. In this review, we describe two well-known multivariate prediction algorithms for osteoporosis fracture risk applicable to the UK population, FRAX and QFracture Scores, and comment on the current prognostic tools available for fracture risk; dual X-ray assessment, quantitative ultrasonography, and genomic/biochemical markers. We also highlight the factors …

Optimization Of A Dynamic Hot Water Pretreatment Of Switchgrass Using Catalysis By Carbonation To Maximize Carbochemical Yields, Rohit Tanaji Dhamdere

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A bio-refinery is a facility that converts renewable bio-resources into value-added chemicals and products. In this context of a bio-refinery, the production of the carbochemicals such as HMF, furfural and organic acids illustrate that multiple products can be produced from a renewable source such as lignocellulosic biomass (switchgrass). Traditionally, carbochemicals such as furfural and HMF are produced using inorganic acids such as H2SO4, HCL, and H3PO4. The use of such acids requires the application of high cost materials of construction such as Hastelloy-C, titanium etc.

The objective of this study is to develop a semi-continuous process for the conversion of …