Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering Commons^™

Characteristics Of Glass Ionomer Cements Composed Of Glass Powders In Cao-Sro-Zno-Sio2 System Prepared By Two Different Synthetic Routes, Ill Yong Kim, Chikara Ohtsuki, Aisling Coughlan, Lana Placek, Anthony W. Wren, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Glass ionomer cements (GICs) are composed of an acid degradable glass, polyacrylic acid and water. Sol-gel processing to prepare the glass phase has certain advantages, such as the ability to employ lower synthesis temperatures than melt quenching and glasses that are reported to have higher purity. A previous study reported the effects of glass synthesis route on GIC fabrication. However, in that study, the sol-gel derived glass exhibited a reduced concentration of cations. This study investigates increasing the cation content of a sol-gel derived glass, 12CaO·4SrO·36ZnO·48SiO₂ (molar ratio) by heating before aging to reduce dissolution of cations. This glass …

An Experimental And Computational Evaluation Of The Importance Of Molecular Diffusion In Gas Gravity Currents, Jeremy Jac Herman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The accidental release of hazardous, denser-than-air gases during their transport or manufacture is a vital area of study for process safety researchers. This project examines the importance of molecular diffusion on the developing concentration field of a gas gravity current released into a calm environment. Questions which arose from the unexpectedly severe explosion in 2005 at Buncefield, England were of particular interest. The accidental overfilling of a large tank with gasoline on a completely calm morning led to a massive open air explosion. Forensic evidence showed that at the time of ignition, a vapor cloud, most of which now appears …

Reassessment Of Biowish Activation Procedure For Denitrification, William Wah Yee

Master's Theses

BiOWiSH^TM – Aqua is a blend of preserved multi-bacteria culture with the capability of denitrification. If an anaerobic nitrate rich activation procedure is used instead of the standard aerobic activation procedure, the denitrification rate is increased by 28 percent under the conditions of 30°C, 1C:1N, 200mg/L of carbon, and 200mg/L nitrogen.

Relating Ph And Ion Release From Ga2o3-Na 2o-Cao-Zno-Sio2 Bioactive Glasses, T. J. Keenan, A. W. Wren, A. Coughlan, Mark R. Towler, M. M. Hall

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Three glasses were designed for this study, including one Ga-free glass (Control), and two Ga-containing glasses (TGa-1, TGa-2). In the Ga-containing glasses, Ga₂O₃ is included at the expense of ZnO. This study focuses on the relation between pH and ion concentration present in solution in which these bioactive glasses have been submerged for periods of 1, 7, and 14 days. © 2013 IEEE.

Gallium Containing Glass Polyalkenoate Bone Cements: Ion Release And E. Coli Inhibition, L. Placek, A. W. Wren, A. Coughlan, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Glass Polyalkenoate Cement (GPC) series (LCon., LGa-1 and LGa-2) containing gallium (Ga) and a 50 wt% addition of E11 polyacrylic acid (PAA), previously developed, was evaluated for ion release, specifically Si, Ca, Zn and Ga, and E. coli inhibition. The maximum inhibition was observed in the t = 0 samples and was 0.35 mm for LCon. and 0.65 mm for LGa-1 and LGa-2. © 2013 IEEE.

Biocompatibility Of Cao-Na2o-Sio2/Tio2 Glass Ceramic Scaffolds For Orthopaedic 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

This work aims to determine the effect of substituting TiO₂ for SiO₂ in a 0.62SiO₂-Na₂O-0.24CaO based glass-ceramic scaffold. High temperature X-ray Diffraction (HT-XRD) was used to determine the sintering temperature (700oC). Both optical microscopy and x-ray micotomography was used to determine the average pore size (540-680ìm) of each scaffold. Cytocompatibility of each scaffold was conducted using murine mesenchymal stem cells. © 2013 IEEE.

An Investigation Into The Structure And Properties Of Cao-Zno-Sio 2-Tio2-Na2o Bioactive Glass/Hydroxyapatite Composite, Chokchai Yatongchai, Mark R. Towler, Anthony W. Wren

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Effect of the addition of CaO-ZnO-SiO₂-TiO₂-Na₂O glass as a reinforcing phase on properties of hydroxyapatite/glass composites was investigated. The addition of the glass caused the decomposition of HA phase to tricalcium phosphate, inhibiting densification in the HA/glass composites. However, depending on the glass concentration, some of the glass can act as a sintering aid enhancing the densification in the composites. © 2013 IEEE.

Dna Based Carbon Nanotube Porphyrin Nanohybrids Molecular Recognization And Regeneration, Molly M. Riccitelli, Hanyu Zhang, Jong Hyun Choi

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In the search to improve solar cells, scientists are exploring new materials that will provide better current transfer. One material that has emerged as a strong contender is the single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT). Current DNA-SWNT based films combined with chromophores have poor operational lifetimes compared to commercial solar cells. Once exposed to light the chromophore begins to degrade, eventually rendering the solar cell unusable. To solve this problem, we used a method involving multiple steps. First we found which DNA sequences formed structures around the SWNT that could hold the most chromophores by using a spectrophotometer to test the …

Multi-Factorial Stability Study Of Metabolites, Ruijun Zheng, John A. Morgan

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Previous research done on metabolites has found that high energy compounds like adenosine triphosphate(ATP), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate reduced (NADPH) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced (NADH) are unstable in cell extracts at relatively high temperature and acidic condition. The multifactorial stability study of metabolites enables us to verify the best condition of storage for these energy compounds and sugar phosphates, as well as to strengthen the understanding of metabolism in biological study. As the most solvents for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are acidic and unfavorable for these energy compounds, it is necessary to perform a detailed study about …

Tobacco Mosaic Virus Implemented As An Interfacial Layer In Organic Photovoltaic Cells, Monica D. Del Real, Bryan Boudouris

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are flexible, light weight, and economical to produce due to low processing temperatures, solution processing, and print fabrication. This makes them optimal for a wide range of applications. However, the efficiencies of OPVs are currently not high enough for them to be viable in the market or to be able to compete with inorganic photovoltaics. Therefore the integration of new materials and methods into OPVs in order to increase their efficiency is a vital field. One way to increase the efficiency of OPVs is to increase the surface area in-between layers to allow for enhanced electron transport. …

Biomarkers For Vincristine-Induced Neuropathy, Danni Li, Jayachandran Devaraj, Doraiswami Ramkrishna

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Vincristine is a vinca alkaloid, a commonly used chemotherapy drug for treating leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and some pediatric cancers. Its major dose-limiting side effect is peripheral neuropathy. The current dosing of “standard-dose-for-all” ignores the genetic and phenotypic variations among different patients, and causes severe neuropathy in some patients while ineffectively treats the others. In the present study, we aim to discover novel biomarkers involved in vincristine-induced neuropathy and identify patients with varied metabolic characteristics. Thus treatment can be tailored accordingly to improve outcomes of vincristine treatment. Pre-dose and post-dose serum samples were collected from two groups of patients (low …

Adhesive Elastomeric Proteins, Haefa Mansour, Julie Liu

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Sutures and staples commonly used to close surgical wounds tend to be much stiffer than the surrounding tissue, often resulting in external tissue damage. Surgical adhesives provide a promising alternative to these sutures and staples. Ideal surgical adhesives are biocompatible, able to set well and remain sticky in moist conditions, possess strong adhesive and cohesive properties, and exhibit mechanical properties that mimic those of the surrounding tissue. Unfortunately, the adhesives available today are unable to satisfactorily meet all of these criteria. We are utilizing protein engineering techniques to design, create, and test a new surgical adhesive that combines the adhesive …

Bacteriorhodopsin-Based Sensors, Craig Friedrich, Donald Lueking, Mark Griep

Michigan Tech Patents

A sensor comprising a membrane containing bacteriorhodopsin. In one embodiment, the sensor comprises a layer of purple membrane between a first and a second electrode, wherein the electrodes are connected to a circuit such that a signal is produced when a charge is transferred across the membrane. In another embodiment, the sensor comprises a field effect transistor with a layer of purple membrane deposited on the gate. The layer of purple membrane may be further functionalized by adding fluorophores to the layer of purple membrane. The fluorophores may be deposited adjacent to the layer of purple membrane, or the fluorophores …

Encapsulation Of Supported Metal Nanoparticles With An Ultra-Thin Porous Shell For Size-Selective Reactions, Zeyu Shang, Rajankumar L. Patel, Brian W. Evanko, Xinhua Liang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel nanostructured catalyst with an ultra-thin, porous shell obtained from the thermal decomposition of an aluminum alkoxide film deposited by molecular layer deposition for size-selective reactions was developed. The molecular sieving capability of the porous metal oxide films was verified by examining the liquid-phase hydrogenation of n-hexene versus cis-cyclooctene. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Gas Barrier And Mechanical Properties Of Crosslinked Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Nanocomposites, S. A. Ahmad Ramazani, M. Shafiee, Hossein Abedsoltan, A. Shafiee

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this research, the effects of crosslinking agent and clay content on the morphology, barrier and mechanical properties of ethylene vinyl acetate-organoclay nanocomposites prepared by solution method were studied. Dicumyl peroxide has been used as crosslinking agent. The morphology of the prepared nanocomposites was investigated using wide-angle X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy indicated that the prepared nanocomposites had predominantly intercalated morphologies. The obtained results of permeability tests showed that the permeability of ethylene vinyl acetate films dramatically decreases with addition of organoclay and dicumyl peroxide. Mechanical tests showed that tensile modulus and …

Stabilizing Nanostructured Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathode With Atomic Layer Deposition, Yunhui Gong, Diego Palacio, Xueyan Song, Rajankumar L. Patel, Xinhua Liang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We demonstrate that the highly active but unstable nanostructured intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell cathode, La_0.6Sr_0.4CoO_3-δ (LSCo), can retain its high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity with exceptional stability for 4000 h at 700 C by overcoating its surfaces with a conformal layer of nanoscale ZrO₂ films through atomic layer deposition (ALD). The benefits from the presence of the nanoscale ALD-ZrO₂ overcoats are remarkable: a factor of 19 and 18 reduction in polarization area-specific resistance and degradation rate over the pristine sample, respectively. The unique multifunctionality of the ALD-derived nanoscaled ZrO₂ overcoats, …

Comparison Of A Sio2-Cao-Zno-Sro Glass Polyalkenoate Cement To Commercial Dental Materials: Ion Release, Biocompatibility And Antibacterial Properties, A. W. Wren, A. Coughlan, M. M. Hall, M. J. German, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ion Release and biocompatibility of a CaO-SrO-ZnO-SiO₂ (BT 101) based glass polyalkenoate cement (GPC) was compared against commercial GPCs, Fuji IX and Ketac Molar. The radiopacity (R) was similar for each material, 2.0-2.8. Ion release was evaluated on each material over 1, 7, 30 and 90 days. BT 101 release included Ca (23 mg/L), Sr (23 mg/L) Zn (13 mg/L), Si (203 mg/L). Fuji IX release includes Ca (0.7 mg/L), Al (3 mg/L) Si (26 mg/L), Na (60 mg/L) and P (0.5 mg/L) while Ketac Molar release includes Ca (1 mg/L), Al (0.6 mg/L) Si (23 mg/L), Na (76 …

Atomic Layer Deposited Highly Dispersed Platinum Nanoparticles Supported On Non-Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes For The Hydrogenation Of Xylose To Xylitol, Xinhua Liang, Chengjun Jiang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Highly dispersed platinum nanoparticles were deposited on gram quantities of non-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) in a fluidized bed reactor at 300°C. (Methylcyclopentadienyl) trimethylplatinum and oxygen were used as precursors. The results of TEM analysis showed that ∼1.3 nm Pt nanoparticles were highly dispersed on non-functionalized MWCNTs. The porous structures of MWCNTs did not change with the deposition of Pt nanoparticles. For comparison, the commercial 3 wt.% Pt/C catalyst was also characterized. The ALD-prepared Pt/MWCNT was used for the hydrogenation of xylose to xylitol. The ALD-prepared Pt/MWCNT showed the best catalytic performance with 100 % …

Characterization And Quantification Of Monomers, Oligomers, And By-Products From Switchgrass Hemicelluloses During Biomass Pretreatment, Kris Allan Bunnell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Production of fuels and chemicals from biomass is contingent upon economical release of carbohydrates from biomass. Carbohydrates can then be used for production of bio-based products using a biochemical conversion process. Pretreatment, the first step of the biochemical conversion process, has been suggested to be the most costly step of the conversion process. Thus, better understanding the behavior of biomass during pretreatment is imperative for an economically viable production of biofuels and chemicals. Elucidating the physicochemical properties of biomass and developing an understanding the depolymerization patterns of biomass during pretreatment will help progress towards this goal.

In this study, July- …

Algae To Propellants: Biosynthesis Of 1,2-Propanediol From Algal Derived Sugars, Lauren Rachelle Merriman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Propylene glycol dinitrate (PGDN) is an important component used in the formulation of energetic materials. A renewable, environmentally-friendly and effective production technique for the production of 1,2-propanediol, an important precursor to PGDN, is desired. While fermentation of 1,2-propanediol has been achieved, it suffers from major limitations such as expensive feed sugars and relatively low yields. It is hypothesized that algae sugars could serve as a feedstock for the microbial synthesis of 1,2-propanediol, thereby reducing production costs and enhancing sustainability.

Algal biomass produced from an Algal Turf Scrubber® has proven to have significant potential as a source of fermentable materials. However, …

Scale-Up Of Bubble Column Reactors: A Review Of Current State-Of-The-Art, Ashfaq Shaikh, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In Multiphase Flow Reaction Systems, in General, an Extrapolation of Small Diameter Behavior to Larger Ones is Always an Important and Challenging Task. the Critical Issue in Such an Extrapolation Remains to Be Mixing and Hydrodynamic Characteristics. It Needs Reliable Similarity Criteria that Would Result in Similar Mixing and Hydrodynamics and Hence Transport and Performance in Two Different Scales. Numerous Experimental and Computational Studies Have Been Performed to Investigate the Flow Behavior of Bubble Column Reactors for a Proper Design and Scale-Up. Experimental Techniques Vary from Simple Visual Observation to More Advanced Noninvasive Diagnostic Techniques. on Computational Front the Progress …

Materials Education And Research In Art And Design: A New Role For Libraries (Survey Stats), Mark Pompelia

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries

No abstract provided.

Materials Education And Research In Art And Design: A New Role For Libraries (Program Sheet), Mark Pompelia

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries

No abstract provided.

Materials Education And Research In Art And Design: A New Role For Libraries (Program Booklet), Mark Pompelia

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries

No abstract provided.

Materials Education And Research In Art And Design: A New Role For Libraries (Website), Mark Pompelia

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries

No abstract provided.

Materials Collection Creation And Administration: A New Role For Libraries (White Paper), Mark Pompelia

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries

The Problem/Opportunity: To define, identify, and guide design-based materials collections in academic settings and foster community among those with existing collections and/or those considering creating and supporting one.

Contents and topics:

1. What is a materials collection?
2. Why have a materials collection?
3. Acquisition strategies
4. Organizational approaches
5. Programming possibilities
6. Symposium summary
7. Resources

Characterisation Of Ga2o3-Na2o-Cao-Zno- Sio2 Bioactive Glasses, A. W. Wren, T. Keenan, A. Coughlan, F. R. Laffir, D. Boyd, Mark R. Towler, M. M. Hall

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The structural role of Gallium (Ga) is investigated when substituted for Zinc (Zn) in a 0.42SiO₂-0.40-xZnO-0.10Na₂O-0.08CaO glass series, (where x = 0.08). Each starting material was amorphous, and the network connectivity (NC) was calculated assuming Ga acts as both a network modifier (1.23), and also as a network former. Assuming a network forming role for Ga the NC increased with increasing Ga concentration throughout the glass series (Control 1.23, TGa-1 2.32 and TGa-2 3.00). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed both composition and correlated NC predictions. Raman spectroscopy was employed to investigate Q-structure and found that a shift …

Increasing Round Trip Efficiency Of Hybrid Li-Air Battery With Bifunctional Catalysts, Kan Huang, Yunfeng Li, Yangchuan Xing

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Previously it was shown that Pt as cathode catalyst has a large overpotential during charge in rechargeable hybrid Li-air battery with sulfuric acid catholyte. This article demonstrates that a bifunctional catalyst composed of Pt and IrO2 supported on carbon nanotubes can address this problem. The specially designed and synthesized bifunctional catalyst showed significant overpotential reduction and achieved a round-trip energy efficiency of 81% after 10 cycles, higher than many achieved in aprotic Li-O2 batteries. The hybrid Li-air battery was discharged and recharged for 20 cycles at 0.2 mA/cm2, showing a fairly stable cell performance. A specific capacity of 306 mAh/g …

In Vivo Efficacy Of Chitosan/Interleukin-12 In Controlling Lung Metastasis In 4t1 Breast Cancer Model, Jimmy Vo

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a leading front in cancer treatment. In contrast to other treatment methods such as radiation and surgery, immunotherapy trains the patient's body to recognize and eliminate tumors, thus preventing reoccurrence of secondary tumors. IL-12 has been shown to display a potent anti-tumor immune response in mice; however, when clinical trials were conducted, it was shown to be toxic and in some cases fatal when administered systemically.1,2 Because of this, local delivery of IL-12 is under investigation. Our lab has shown that when paired with the polymer chitosan, local, intratumoral (i.t.) injections of IL-12 are retained …

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 …