Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Toxicity Evaluation Of Magnetic Hyperthermia Induced By Remote Actuation Of Magnetic Nanoparticles In 3d Micrometastasic Tumor Tissue Analogs For Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Nathanael A. Stocke, Pallavi Sethi, Amar Jyoti, Ryan Chan, Susanne M. Arnold, J. Zach Hilt, Meenakshi Upreti

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Magnetic hyperthermia as a treatment modality is acquiring increased recognition for loco-regional therapy of primary and metastatic lung malignancies by pulmonary delivery of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP). The unique characteristic of magnetic nanoparticles to induce localized hyperthermia in the presence of an alternating magnetic field (AMF) allows for preferential killing of cells at the tumor site. In this study we demonstrate the effect of hyperthermia induced by low and high dose of MNP under the influence of an AMF using 3D tumor tissue analogs (TTA) representing the micrometastatic, perfusion independent stage of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) that infiltrates the lungs. …

A Novel Tantalum-Containing Bioglass. Part I. Structure And Solubility, Adel Mf Alhalawani, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bio glasses are employed for surgical augmentation in a range of hard tissue applications. Tantalum is a bioactive and biocompatible transition metal that has been used as an orthopedic medical device. It has a range of biological and physical properties that make its incorporation into ionic form into bioactive glass systems promising for various clinical applications. The work herein reports the characterization and properties of novel tantalum-containing glasses. A series of glasses based on the system 48SiO₂-(36-X)ZnO-6CaO-8SrO-2P₂O₅-XTa₂O₅ with X varying from 0 mol% (TA0) to 0.5 mol% (TA2) were synthesized. The …

Evaluation Of Procedures To Quantify Solvent Retention In Electrospun Fibers And Facilitate Solvent Removal, Anthony R. D'Amato, Nicholas J. Schaub, Jesus M. Cardenas, Erich Franz, Deniz Rende, Alexis M. Ziemba, Ryan J. Gilbert

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electro spun fiber scaffolds crafted from polyesters are studied extensively for potential tissue engineering applications. For translation of electro spun fibers into the clinic, the FDA requires analysis and quantification of any organic solvent that may be retained in the fibers since many organic solvents can negatively affect cells and tissues. If a significant amount of solvent is retained, then developing procedures for efficient solvent removal may enhance the clinical potential of these materials. In this study we use fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to analyze solvent retention. A correlative analysis …

Characterization And Fracture Property Of Different Strontium-Containing Borate-Based Glass Coatings For Ti6al4v Substrates, Yiming Li, Ali Matinmanesh, Declan J. Curran, Emil H. Schemitsch, Paul Zalzal, Marcello Papini, Anthony W. Wren, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work considered the effect of increasing Strontium ion (Sr²⁺) content on the structure of a series of glasses based on the B₂O₃-P₂O₅-CaCO₃-Na₂CO₃-TiO₂-SrCO₃ series and their resultant fracture toughness when coated onto a surgical metal substrate. Six glasses with increasing Sr²⁺ content (0 to 25 mol%) were synthesized and subsequently characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) and both Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS-NMR) and Raman Spectroscopy. These techniques confirmed that increased Sr²⁺ content induced …

Beating Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes On Porcine Extracellular Matrix, Kaitlyn J. Mcentire, Alonzo Cook, Toph Knutson, Gevan Eldredge, Hunter Behrmann, Clayton Holding, Matthew Hodgson, Dillon Despain, Jacob Preslar, Joseph Rich, Matthew Stephens, Matthew Trone, Michael Neff, Sam Worrall, Joshua Mcclellan, Abbie Kondel, Donnie Pfeifer

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Despite modern technology and developments in heart disease treatment and prevention, heart disease remains the number one cause of death in America. With an inability to meet an ever-increasing demand for heart transplants and the dangers of immunosuppressant drugs, any potential alternative to cardiac transplantation must be pursued. The end goal of this research is to engineer biocompatible tissues that are fully functional to repair or replace damaged portions of the heart following the loss of cardiac function. This research investigates the effect of porcine extracellular matrix as the scaffold for beating IPS-differentiated cardiomyocytes.

Design And Evaluation Of 3d Printed Features To Improve Stability Of Plasma-Cell Pack Interface In Bacteria Separating Hollow Spinning Disk, Colin G. Bledsoe, Ryan L. Wood, Daneil S. Mcclellan, Dr. William G. Pitt

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

PDF submission of abstract.

Molecular Modeling Of Antibody-Antigen Binding Near Solid Surfaces, Derek Bush, Thomas Knotts

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Antibody microarrays are biosensors that have the potential to revolutionize molecular detection in medicine, scientific research, and national defense. However, current microarrays are not widely used due to problems including poor reproducibility and signal quality, unbalanced antibody performance, and cross-reactivity. Prior work in the area focused mainly on the stability of the antibody alone and not its affinity for its antigen. This presentation shows results of using molecular simulation to determine how different types of surfaces affect antigen binding to surface-tethered antibodies. The results offer an unprecedented, molecular-level view into these protein-protein-surface interactions and how to drive binding to occur.

A Novel Tantalum-Containing Bioglass. Part Ii. Development Of A Bioadhesive For Sternal Fixation And Repair, Adel Mf Alhalawani, Cina Mehrvar, Wendy Stone, Stephen D. Waldman, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

With over a million median sternotomy surgeries performed worldwide every year, sternal wound complications have posed a serious risk to the affected patients. A rigid therapeutic sternal fixation device has therefore become a necessity. In this work, the incorporation of up to 0.5 mol% of tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅), in exchange for zinc oxide (ZnO), into the SiO₂-ZnO-CaO-SrO-P₂O₅ glass system is presented. The effect of Ta incorporation on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the glass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs) prepared from them have been presented in this manuscript. The data obtained …

Engineering A Fluorescent Protease Sensor For In Vivo Protein Detection, Thomas C. Kinard

Honors Scholar Theses

This report details the results of an ongoing project to engineer a mutant form of Red Fluorescent Protein (RFP) variant mCherry that acts as a real-time in vivo protease sensor. The sought-after mutant only becomes fluorescent when exposed to Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) Protease, this system’s model protease. This will be accomplished via the insertion of the TEV Protease Recognition Site (TEV-PRS) in such a position that, before cleavage, will prevent the protein from folding to fluorescent conformation, but upon cleavage, will allow for fluorescent conformation to occur. The cylindrical structure of the protein, composed of beta-pleated sheets, contains “loops” …

Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Liver Injury (Idili): Potential Mechanisms And Predictive Assays, Alexander D. Roth, Moo-Yeal Lee

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI) is a significant source of drug recall and acute liver failure (ALF) in the United States. While current drug development processes emphasize general toxicity and drug metabolizing enzyme- (DME-) mediated toxicity, it has been challenging to develop comprehensive models for assessing complete idiosyncratic potential. In this review, we describe the enzymes and proteins that contain polymorphisms believed to contribute to IDILI, including ones that affect phase I and phase II metabolism, antioxidant enzymes, drug transporters, inflammation, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA). We then describe the various assays that have been developed to detect individual reactions …

Going Green: Experimental Adaptation Of Scenedesmus Dimorphus To Marine Conditions, Mohammed Khalil

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Algae has gained some interest as the need for alternative fuels becomes more pressing. Reliance on fossil fuels is causing our environment and economy harm, and is not sustainable moving forward. Lipid rich algae strains can be used in the production of biofuels, and provide an alternative fuel source. One challenge facing the prospect of algae as a fuel source is that lipid rich algae grows exclusively in freshwater. Considering the scarcity and cost to use freshwater for algae growth, interest has grown in the possibility of adapting lipid rich, freshwater algae to a seawater environment. Seawater can have up …

Development And Verification Of A Mechanical Loading Device For Microfluidics, Stefan Habean, Erin Tesny

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Establishing the role that mechanics play in nerve cell (e.g. neurons) function requires experimental testing. Microfluidic based experiments are commonly used to study neuron growth and function, and studies have found mechanics to play an important role in neuron health. External loads can be applied to a microfluidic device using a motor, which presumably influences the mechanical environment of the cells. While a motor can easily apply known displacements, a “load cell” is necessary to measure corresponding forces. In an existing prototype microfluidic loading device, a load cell was integrated and verified. The manufacturer's calibration of the load cell was …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Poly(Simvastatin) - Incorporated Copolymers And Blends For Bone Regeneration, Theodora Asafo-Adjei

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Common biodegradable polyesters such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) are used as drug delivery vehicles for tissue regenerative applications. However, they are typically bioinert, with drug loading limitations. Polymerizing the active agent or precursor into its respective biodegradable polymer would control drug loading via molar ratios of drug to initiator used for synthesis. Simvastatin was chosen due to its favorable anti-inflammatory, angiogenic, and osteogenic properties. In addition, its lactone ring lends itself to ring-opening polymerization and, consequently, the synthesis of poly(simvastatin) with controlled simvastatin release.

Simvastatin was first polymerized with a 5kDa methyl-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) …

Fractionation And Characterization Of Lignin Streams From Genetically Engineered Switchgrass, Enshi Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Development of biomass feedstocks with desirable traits for cost-effective conversion is one of the main focus areas in biofuels research. As suggested by techno-economic analyses, the success of a lignocellulose-based biorefinery largely relies on the utilization of lignin to generate value-added products, i.e. fuels and chemicals. The fate of lignin and its structural/compositional changes during pretreatment have received increasing attention; however, the effect of genetic modification on the fractionation, depolymerization and catalytic upgrading of lignin from genetically engineered plants is not well understood. This study aims to fractionate and characterize the lignin streams from a wild-type and two genetically engineered …

Characterization Of Polyurethane For Use As Substrate In Nanofiber Sensor For Biomedical Applications, Megan Theaker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project is to begin to determine properties of polymer nanocomposites that make a suitable substrate for nanofiber sensors. In this work, sensitivity of a sodium ion selective sensor constructed with polyurethane was used as a benchmark for comparison with sensors constructed with nylon-6. The sensors were characterized using contact angle and chronoamperometry. Using an ANOVA analysis, the results showed that the multi-walled carbon nanotube type was a significant factor on sensor response both with and without additional functionalization of the polymer by calixarene. The weight percentage of polyurethane in the electrospinning solution was also statistically significant …

Dynamic Model And Estimator Development For A Smart Refractory Brick With Embedded Wireless Sensors For Gasifier Applications, Qiao Huang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The operating temperature is one of the most important variables for gasifier operation. A higher temperature can shorten the service life of the refractory lining. A lower temperature can reduce the extent of carbon conversion and disrupt the flow of molten slag in a slagging gasifier. Therefore temperature is one of the most important variable in a gasifier. In slagging gasifiers, molten slag can penetrate into the refractory lining leading to refractory spallation, undesired downtime, and costly replacement. Even though the temperature and extent of slag penetration are extremely important for the gasifier operation, they cannot be measured reliably by …

Fabrication Of Flexible, Biofunctional Architectures From Silk Proteins, Ramendra K. Pal

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in the biomedical field require functional materials and processes that can lead to devices that are biocompatible, and biodegradable while maintaining high performance and mechanical conformability. In this context, a current shift in focus is towards natural polymers as not only the structural but also functional components of such devices. This poses material-specific functionalization and fabrication related questions in the design and fabrication of such systems. Silk protein biopolymers from the silkworm show tremendous promise in this regard due to intrinsic properties: mechanical performance, optical transparency, biocompatibility, biodegradability, processability, and the ability to entrap and stabilize biomolecules. The unique …

Pore-Confined Carriers And Biomolecules In Mesoporous Silica For Biomimetic Separation And Targeting, Shanshan Zhou

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Selectively permeable biological membranes composed of lipophilic barriers inspire the design of biomimetic carrier-mediated membranes for aqueous solute separation. This work imparts selective permeability to lipid-filled pores of silica thin film composite membranes using carrier molecules that reside in the lipophilic self-assemblies. The lipids confined inside the pores of silica are proven to be a more effective barrier than bilayers formed on the porous surface through vesicle fusion, which is critical for quantifying the function of an immobilized carrier. The ability of a lipophilic carrier embedded in the lipid bilayer to reversibly bind the target solute and transport it through …

Sugar Versus Lipid For Sustainable Biofuels, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Introduction

First‐generation biofuels, namely, ethanol and biodiesel, have led to far reaching impact on the peoples’ life world‐wide.[1] However, they inter-fere with the food supply chain and may not be sustainable although some of the biomass are converted to biofuels after those biomasses have met the human needs. Still, the first‐generation–based biofuels have proved that sugar and lipid platforms can be an answer to energy security and global warming concerns without the need for new infrastructure for feedstock delivery as well as for biomass‐to‐biofuel conversion tech-nologies. At the same time, we are discovering and assessing the long‐term environmental im-plications on …

Surface Enabled Lab-On-A-Chip (Loc) Device For Protein Detection And Separation, Zhichao Wang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Sensitive and selective chemical/biological detection/analysis for proteins is essential for applications such as disease diagnosis, species phenotype identification, product quality control, and sample examination. Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device provides advantages of fast analysis, reduced amount of sample requirements, and low cost, to magnificently facilitate protein detection research. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) is a strong and reliable electrophoretic technique capable of discerning proteins from complex mixtures based on the isoelectric point (pI) differences. It has experienced plenty of fruitful developments during previous decades which has given it the capability of performing with highly robust and reproducible analysis. This progress has made IEF devices …

Hollow Fiber Membranes For Artificial Lung Applications, Lauren Reed

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Artificial lungs are in use, but difficult issues remain in the field of membrane development related to fouling issues. Currently there are external artificial lungs circulating blood outside the body, taking out the carbon dioxide, and inserting oxygenated blood back into the body. An example of this type of machine is the ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine currently used in hospitals. The ECMO takes over the functions for both the lungs and the heart but is only available for short term use by patients with respiratory failure due to infections [1]. The fibers in the machine develop fouling due to …

Characterization Of Molecular Communication Based On Cell Metabolism Through Mutual Information And Flux Balance Analysis, Zahmeeth Sayed Sakkaff

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Synthetic biology is providing novel tools to engineer cells and access the basis of their molecular information processing, including their communication channels based on chemical reactions and molecule exchange. Molecular communication is a discipline in communication engineering that studies these types of communications and ways to exploit them for novel purposes, such as the development of ubiquitous and heterogeneous communication networks to interconnect biological cells with nano and biotechnology-enabled devices, i.e., the Internet of Bio-Nano Things. One major problem in realizing these goals stands in the development of reliable techniques to control the engineered cells and their behavior from the …

Biomarker Detection At Risk Forecasting Level Using Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence Combined With Surface Acoustic Wave, Jun Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) technique is used to lower the detection limit of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) which is able to be utilized in forecasting the risk of having certain kinds of cancers, especially colon and rectal cancer. By incubating silver nanocubes (Ag NCs) on the surface of the chips, the detection limit goes down to below 1ng/mL of CEA. Also, when combining MEF with surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, the incubation time between antigen and antibody will decrease significantly with the fluorescence signal keeping similar or higher level.

Recent Approaches In Designing Bioadhesive Materials Inspired By Mussel Adhesive Protein, Pegah Kord Forooshani, Bruce P. Lee

Department of Biomedical Engineering Publications

Marine mussels secret protein-based adhesives, which enable them to anchor to various surfaces in a saline, intertidal zone. Mussel foot proteins (Mfps) contain a large abundance of a unique, catecholic amino acid, Dopa, in their protein sequences. Catechol offers robust and durable adhe-sion to various substrate surfaces and contributes to the curing of the adhesive plaques. In this article, we review the unique features and the key functionalities of Mfps, catechol chemistry, and strategies for preparing catechol-functionalized poly- mers. Specifically, we reviewed recent findings on the contributions of various features of Mfps on interfacial binding, which include coacervate formation, surface …

Subcellular And In-Vivo Nano-Endoscopy, Surya Venkatasekhar Cheemalapati, John Winskas, Hao Wang, Karthik Konnaiyan, Arseny Zhdanov, Alison Roth, Swamy Rakesh Adapa, Andrew Deonarine, Rays H. Y. Jiang, Anna Pyayt

Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Analysis of individual cells at the subcellular level is important for understanding diseases and accelerating drug discovery. Nanoscale endoscopes allow minimally invasive probing of individual cell interiors. Several such instruments have been presented previously, but they are either too complex to fabricate or require sophisticated external detectors because of low signal collection efficiency. Here we present a nanoendoscope that can locally excite fluorescence in labelled cell organelles and collect the emitted signal for spectral analysis. Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations have shown that with an optimized nanoendoscope taper profile, the light emission and collection was localized within ~100 nm. …

Methanol And Dimethyl Ether From Renewable Hydrogen And Carbon Dioxide: Alternative Fuels Production And Life-Cycle Assessment, Michael J. Matzen, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

In this work we investigate two renewably based alternative fuels; methanol and dimethyl ether. The ultimate feedstocks for production are wind-based electrolytic hydrogen and carbon dioxide captured from an ethanol fermentation process. Dimethyl ether production was modeled in ASPEN Plus using a previously simulated methanol production facility. The facilities use 18.6 metric tons (mt) of H₂ and 138.4 mt CO₂ per day. Methanol is produced at a rate 96.7 mt/day (99.5 wt%) and dimethyl ether is produced at a rate of 68.5 mt/day (99.6 wt%). A full comparative life-cycle assessment (cradle-to-grave) of both fuels was conducted to investigate …

Materials And Techniques Used In Cranioplasty Fixation: A Review, Basel A. Khader, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cranioplasty is the surgical repair of a deficiency or deformity of the skull. The purpose of cranioplasty is to provide protection for the brain following cranial surgery, and to offer relief to psychological disadvantages while increasing social performance. There are several materials that had been used for cranioplasty, but an ideal product has yet to be developed, hence the ongoing research into biologic and non-biologic alternatives to the existing materials. This article critiques the products currently used for cranioplasty in order to facilitate the development of new materials, which can improve patient outcomes.

Alginate Hydrogels As Three-Dimensional Scaffolds For In Vitro Culture Models Of Growth Plate Cartilage Development And Porcine Embryo Elongation, Taylor D. Laughlin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The establishment of in vitro culture models utilizes tissue engineering principles to design functional mimics of in vivo environments in vitro. Advantages for the use of in vitro culture models include ethical alleviation of animal models for therapeutic testing, cost efficiency, and a greater ability to study specific mechanisms via a systematic, ground-up approach to development. In this thesis, alginate hydrogels are utilized in the development of in vitro culture models of porcine embryo elongation and growth plate cartilage development. First, the effect of scaffold and modifications to the scaffold were explored in both projects. In order to modulate …

Hydrothermal Synthesis And Characterisation Of Bioactive Glass-Ceramic Nanorods, Ehsan Zeimaran, Sara Pourshahrestani, Seyed Farid Seyed Shirazi, Belinda Pingguan-Murphy, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study fabrication of rod-like bioactive glass-ceramics (BGCs) using hydrothermal treatment based on a sol-gel precursor is reported for the first time. BGCs with composition 58 wt% SiO₂, 33 wt% CaO and 9 wt% P₂O₅ were synthesized in different thermal conditions (200 and 220 °C) and characterised with regard to morphology, chemical composition and crystallinity. The bioactivity of the materials was assessed by immersion in simulated body fluid for up to 7 days. The results revealed that as the reaction temperature increased from 200 to 220 °C, the diameter of rods was reduced from …

Raman Spectroscopic Analysis Of Fingernail Clippings Can Help Differentiate Between Postmenopausal Women Who Have And Have Not Suffered A Fracture, James R. Beattie, Niamh M. Cummins, Clare Caraher, Olive M. O'Driscoll, Aruna T. Bansal, Richard Eastell, Stuart H. Ralston, Michael D. Stone, Gill Pearson, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Raman spectroscopy was applied to nail clippings from 633 postmenopausal British and Irish women, from six clinical sites, of whom 42% had experienced a fragility fracture. The objective was to build a prediction algorithm for fracture using data from four sites (known as the calibration set) and test its performance using data from the other two sites (known as the validation set). Results from the validation set showed that a novel algorithm, combining spectroscopy data with clinical data, provided area under the curve (AUC) of 74% compared to an AUC of 60% from a reduced QFracture score (a clinically accepted …