Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons^™

Multifunctional Nanomaterials Utilizing Hybridization Chain Reaction For Molecular Diagnostics And Bioanalytical Applications, Md Muhit Rana

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

DNA nanotechnology has shown great promise in molecular diagnostic, bioanalytical and biomedical applications. The great challenge of detecting target analytes, biomarkers and small molecules, in molecular diagnostics is low yield sensitivity. To address this challenge, different nanomaterials have been used for a long time and to date there is no such cost-effective bioanalytical technique which can detect these target biomarkers (DNA, RNA, circulating DNA/miRNA) or environmental heavy metal ions (Hg2+ and Ag+) in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

Detecting And Analyzing Trna Modification Systems And Homologs Using In Silico And Colorectal Cancer Models, Khadijah Onanuga

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

tRNA modifications can be considered epitranscriptomic signaling components that regulate translation and play integral roles in stress response pathways. As such, tRNA modification enzymes have roles in cancer etiology and potential utility as biomarkers of pathological states. For my thesis project I have used computational and wet bench approaches to study tRNA modification systems. Chapter two of my thesis deals with tRNA modification detection, as current methods are costly, time consuming, and require RNA fragmentation. I present a single-molecule-based approach for RNA modification detection, which involves in slico studies using a 5-layered graphene nanopore. Our simulations using a 1.5 nm …

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 …

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 …

A Bifunctional Nanocomposites Based Electrochemical Biosensor For In-Field Detection Of Pathogenic Bacteria In Food, Meng Xu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research focused on the application of electrochemical biosensors for the rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium, in foods. The possible presence of pathogenic bacteria in foods has always been a great threat to the wellbeing of people and the revenue of food companies. Therefore, the demand for rapid and sensitive methods to detect foodborne pathogens is growing. In this research, an impedimetric immunosensor was first developed for the rapid detection of E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium in foods. It was based on the techniques of immunomagnetic separation, enzyme labelling, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy …

Coarse-Grained Simulations Of The Self-Assembly Of Dna-Linked Gold Nanoparticle Building Blocks, Charles Wrightsman Armistead

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The self-assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) of varying shape, size, and composition for the purpose of constructing useful nanoassemblies with tailored properties remains challenging. Although progress has been made to design anisotropic building blocks that exhibit the required control for the precise placement of various NPs within a defined arrangement, there still exists obstacles in the technology to maximize the programmability in the self-assembly of NP building blocks. Currently, the self-assembly of nanostructures involves much experimental trial and error. Computational modeling is a possible approach that could be utilized to facilitate the purposeful design of the self-assembly of NP building blocks …

Molybdenum Disulfide-Conducting Polymer Composite Structures For Electrochemical Biosensor Applications, Hongxiang Jia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lactic acid is widely existing in human bodies, animals and microorganisms. Recently, using biosensor to detect the concentration of lactic acid and diagnose disease have attracted great research and development interests. Nanocomposites is one of the best material used for biosensor because their wonderful conductivity, optical and electrochemical properties. In the study, MoS₂ and polypyrrole (PPY) are used for the composite material electrode. To determine whether lactate oxidase (LOD) was helpful for the biosensor’s detective properties, both PPY-MoS₂ film with LOD and PPY-MoS₂ film without LOD are being tested. The fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman …

Assembly Of Nucleic Acid-Based Nanoparticles By Gas-Liquid Segmented Flow Microfluidics, Matthew L. Capek, Ross Verheul, David H. Thompson

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The development of novel and efficient mixing methods is important for optimizing the efficiency of many biological and chemical processes. Tuning the physical and performance properties of nucleic acid-based nanoparticles is one such example known to be strongly affected by mixing efficiency. The characteristics of DNA nanoparticles (such as size, polydispersity, ζ-potential, and gel shift) are important to ensure their therapeutic potency, and new methods to optimize these characteristics are of significant importance to achieve the highest efficacy. In the present study, a simple segmented flow microfluidics system has been developed to augment mixing of pDNA/bPEI nanoparticles. This DNA and …

Nano Clay-Enhanced Calcium Phosphate Cements And Hydrogels For Biomedical Applications, Udayabhanu Jammalamadaka

Doctoral Dissertations

Biomaterials are used as templates for drug delivery, scaffolds in tissue engineering, grafts in surgeries, and support for tissue regeneration. Novel biomaterial composites are needed to meet multifaceted requirements of compatibility, ease of fabrication and controlled drug delivery. Currently used biomaterials in orthopedics surgeries suffer limitations in toxicity and preventing infections. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) used as bone cement suffers from limitations of thermal necrosis and monomer toxicity calls for development of better cementing biomaterials. A biodegradable/bioresorbable cement with good mechanical properties is needed to address this short coming. Metal implants used in fixing fractures or total joint replacement needs improvements …

The Change In Nutritional Status In Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: A Retrospective Descriptive A Retrospective Descriptive Study, Dina A. Masha'al

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a high prevalence in malnutrition among traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to the hypermetabolism and hypercatabolism which develop post injury. Traumatic brain injury patients are different, even among themselves, in their energy requirements and response to nutritional therapy. This implies that there are other factors that affect the energy intake of these patients and enhance the incidence of malnutrition.

This dissertation study examines the nutritional status of TBI patients upon admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and during their hospital stay to describe baseline status, detect changes in nutritional status over 7 days, and identify the factors …

Clay Nanotube Composites For Antibacterial Nanostructured Coatings, Christen J. Boyer

Doctoral Dissertations

A surging demand for the development of new antimicrobial nanomaterials exists due to the frequency of medical device-associated infections and the transfer of pathogens from highly touched objects. Naturally occurring halloysite clay nanotubes (HNTs) have shown to be ideal particles for polymer reinforcement, time-release drug delivery, nano-reactor synthesis, and as substrate material for nanostructured coatings.

This research demonstrates the feasibility of a novel method for coating HNTs with metals for antibacterial applications. The first ever ability to coat HNTs through electrolysis was developed for customizable and multi-functional antibacterial nanoparticle platforms. HNTs were investigated as substrate for the deposition of copper …

Thermodynamics And Kinetics Of The Three-Way Junction Of Phi29 Motor Prna And Its Assembly Into Nanoparticles For Therapeutic Delivery To Prostate Cancer, Daniel W. Binzel

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

The emerging field of RNA nanotechnology necessitates creation of functional RNA nanoparticles, but has been limited by particle instability. Previously, it was found the three-way junction (3WJ) of the Phi29 DNA packaging motor pRNA was found to be ultra-stable and assemble in solution without the presence of metal ions. The three-way junction is composed of three short oligo RNA strands and proven to be thermodynamically stable. Here the assembly mechanism, thermodynamic and enzymatic stabilities, and kinetics are examined in order to understand the stability behind this unique motif. Thermodynamic and kinetics studies found that the pRNA 3WJ formed out of …

Size Specific Transfection To Mammalian Cells By Micropillar Array Electroporation, Yingbo Zu

Doctoral Dissertations

Electroporation serves as a promising non-viral gene delivery approach, while its current configurations carry drawbacks associated with high-voltage electrical pulses and heterogeneous treatment on individual cells. Here, we developed a new micropillar array electroporation (MAE) platform to advance the delivery of plasmid DNA and RNA to mammalian cells. By introducing well-patterned micropillar array on the electrode surface, the number of pillars each cell faces varies with its cell membrane surface area, despite their large population and random locations. In this way, cell size specific electroporation is conveniently done and contributed to a 2.5~3 fold increase on plasmid DNA transfection and …

The Gammaturc Nanomachine Mechanism And Future Applications, Timothy Riehlman

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The complexity and precision of the eukaryotic cell’s cytoskeletal network is unrivaled by any man-made systems, perfected by billions of years of evolution, mastering elegant processes of self-assembly, error correction, and self-repair. Understanding the capabilities of these networks will have important and far reaching applications in human medicine by aiding our understanding of developmental processes, cellular division, and disease mechanisms, and through biomimicry will provide insights for biosynthetic manufacturing at the nanoscale and across scales. My research utilizes cross species techniques from Human to the model organism of Fission Yeast to investigate the structure and mechanisms of the g-tubulin ring …

Targeted Delivery Of Nrf2 Sirna Using Modular Polymeric Micellar Nanodelivery System For Efficient Target Gene Knockdown In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Shaimaa Mohamed Ibrahim Yousef

Wayne State University Theses

Tumor selective drug delivery as well as chemotherapy associated multi drug resistance (MDR) pose tremendous hurdles for effective cancer therapy. In this regard, designing multifunctional nanocarriers loaded with drug/gene payloads and engineered with tumor targeting ligands can serve as a modular platform for targeted drug/gene delivery. In this study we undertook the synthesis of a self-assembling block copolymer constructed using poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride, partial iso-octyl ester) (SMAPIE) and branched polyethylenimine (PEI) as building blocks and evaluated its micelle forming ability, siRNA complexation and siRNA delivery potentials. In addition, we engineered galactosamine decorated nanomicelles using modular “click” chemistry based approaches for evaluating …

An Analysis Of Plasticity In The Rat Respiratory System Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury And The Application Of Nanotechnology To Induce Or Enhance Recovery Of Diaphragm Function, Janelle Lorien Walker

Wayne State University Dissertations

Second cervical segment spinal cord hemisection (C2Hx) results in ipsilateral hemidiaphragm paralysis. However, the intact latent crossed phrenic pathway can restore function spontaneously over time or immediately following drug administration.

WGA bound fluorochromes were administered to identify nuclei associated with diaphragm function in both the acute and chronic C2Hx models. WGA is unique in that it undergoes receptor mediated endocytosis and is transsynaptically transported across select physiologically active synapses. Comparison of labeling in the acutely injured to the chronically injured rat provided an anatomical map of spinal and supraspinal injury induced synaptic plasticity. The plasticity occurs over time in the …

In Vitro Studies Of Gold And Gold Silica Nanoparticle Radiosensitization With Kilovoltage X-Rays, Gregory Colarch

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Technological advances in the ability to construct and manipulate nanoscale particles have opened up the possibility of using solid metallic nanoparticles and mixed metal nanoshells as a means to increase dose enhancement and treatment efficacy to tumors. In order for nanoparticles to be an effective form of treatment, they must be delivered to tumors in sufficient concentrations so that there is a dose enhancement factor due to ionizing radiation, as well as being essentially non-toxic to healthy cells. Gold nanoparticles and silica-gold nanoshells fit these requirements. Gold has a high atomic number (Z=79), which gives a larger cross section for …

In Vivo Near Ir Fluorescent Imaging Of Hollow Polymeric Nanocapsules, Venkata Suresh Patthipati

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Medical Imaging has been an integral component in medical diagnosis and therapeutics. It is frequently used in conjunction with other treatment modalities and has been used for developing applications that range from cancer management to clinical practice. Nanotechnology and its applications are foreseen to have a profound impact on life sciences. Nanomaterial based imaging has a significant potential in addressing medical challenges such as tumor localization, targeted delivery of drugs and real time diagnosis and management of circulation pathology. In particular, polymer based nanoparticles are increasingly being developed as they can be customized according to the diagnostic and/or therapeutic requirements. …

Understanding Transcriptional Enhancement In Monoclonal Antibody-Producing Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells, Sarah E. Nicoletti

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

With the demand for monoclonal antibody (mAB) therapeutics continually increasing, the need to better understand what makes a high productivity clone has gained substantial interest. Monoclonal antibody producing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with different productivities were provided by a biopharmaceutical company for investigation. Gene copy numbers, mRNA levels, and mAb productivities were previously determined for two low producing clones and their amplified progeny. These results showed an increase in mRNA copy number in amplified clones, which correlated to the observed increases in specific productivity of these clones. The presence of multiple copies of mRNA per one copy of DNA …

Brown Adipogenesis Of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells In Alginate Microstrands, Andrea Mannarino Unser

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The ability of brown adipocytes (fat cells) to dissipate energy as heat shows great promise for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders. Employing pluripotent stem cells, with an emphasis on directed differentiation, may overcome many issues currently associated with primary fat cell cultures. However, brown adipocytes are difficult to transplant in vivo due to the instability of fat, in terms of necrosis and neovascularization, once injected. Thus, 3D cell culture systems that have the potential to mimic adipogenic microenvironments are needed, not only to advance brown fat implantation, but also to better understand the role of brown adipocytes …

Characterization Of Metallic And Semimetallic Oxide Nanoparticles In Industrial Wastewater And Associated Toxicity, Gary Roth

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) play an increasing role in manufacturing and consumer products. Currently, there is no standard approach to studying ENM toxicity, and a growing body of literature suggests that ENMs may have toxicity differing from similar compounds in bulk or dissolved form. I examined ENMs used in the semiconductor manufacturing process called chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) for their properties, removal in the wastewater treatment system (WWT), in-vitro toxicity, and location post-inhalation in-vivo. It was found that ENMs in CMP slurries have morphology determined by their elemental composition, but assessment of size and concentration can differ substantially between accepted techniques. Particles …

Viscoelastic Effects On Electrokinetic Particle Focusing In A Constricted Microchannel, Xinyu Lu, John Dubose, Sang Woo Joo, Shizhi Qian, Xiangchun Xuan

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Focusing suspended particles in a fluid into a single file is often necessary prior to continuous-flow detection, analysis, and separation. Electrokinetic particle focusing has been demonstrated in constricted microchannels by the use of the constriction-induced dielectrophoresis. However, previous studies on this subject have been limited to Newtonian fluids only. We report in this paper an experimental investigation of the viscoelastic effects on electrokinetic particle focusing in non-Newtonian polyethylene oxide solutions through a constricted microchannel. The width of the focused particle stream is found NOT to decrease with the increase in DC electric field, which is different from that in Newtonian …

Integrated Nanoscale Imaging And Spatial Recognition Of Biomolecules On Surfaces, Congzhou Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Biomolecules on cell surfaces play critical roles in diverse biological and physiological processes. However, conventional bulk scale techniques are unable to clarify the density and distribution of specific biomolecules in situ on single, living cell surfaces at the micro or nanoscale. In this work, a single cell analysis technique based on Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is developed to spatially identify biomolecules and characterize nanomechanical properties on single cell surfaces. The unique advantage of these AFM-based techniques lies in the ability to operate in situ (in a non-destructive fashion) and in real time, under physiological conditions or controlled micro-environments.

First, AFM-based …

Photoelectric Characterization Of Bacteriorhodopsin Reconstituted In Lipid Bilayer Membrane, Joel Kamwa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this work was to conduct basic research in biologically inspired energy conversion solutions. A photosynthetic protein (Bacteriorhodopsin) was reconstituted in a bi-layer membrane. Then, when a laser beam was shined on the membrane, the photon energy was used by the protein to pump protons across the membrane. The translocation of protons across the membrane was measured as photocurrent. For this purpose, a system was built to characterize the lipid bilayer membranes and to measure the photocurrent. The lipid bilayer membrane was characterized by its capacitance and resistance. A picoampere photocurrent was observed when Bacteriorhodopsin protein was present …

Hierarchical Cell Fluid Extracellular Matrix Interaction In Cell Microenvironment, Soham Ghosh

Open Access Dissertations

Hierarchical structural interactions between components of cell microenvironment, the extracellular matrix (ECM), cytoplasm, nucleus and fluid, are important phenomena that decide cell level physiological process and tissue engineering applications. One of those tissue engineering modalities is freezing of biomaterials, important in a wide variety of biomedical applications including cryopreservation and cryosurgeries. In order to design these applications, freezing-induced changes of the cells and tissues and corresponding biophysical mechanisms need to be well understood. Although the effects of freezing on cells in suspension have been extensively studied, the intracellular mechanics of cells embedded in the extracellular matrix (ECM) during freezing are …

Role Of Group Ii Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 2 (Mglur2) In Appetitive And Consummatory Aspects Of Ethanol Reinforcement, Kyle Allyson Windisch

Open Access Dissertations

Background: Group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR2/3) are predominately presynaptically located G_i/o coupled receptors that are highly expressed in the cortex, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and hippocampus. Previous studies suggest that group II mGluRs are involved in regulating ethanol (EtOH) consumption and seeking following extinction (Backstrom and Hyytia, 2005; Kufahl, et al., 2011). The sipper tube model, which allows for procedural separation of seeking and consumption, was used to further clarify the role of mGluR2/3 in EtOH-seeking and consumption. The non-selective group II mGluR agonist LY379268 (LY37) and selective mGluR2 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) BINA were used to determine the …

Nano-Engineered Polymers In Drug Delivery: Potential Approaches For Attenuation Of Secondary Injury After Spinal Cord Trauma, Wen Gao

Open Access Dissertations

Secondary injury elicits a complex series of pathophysiological events after the primary spinal cord trauma and even after its implantation treatment for neural functional recovery. These secondary injuries include an up-regulation of glial cells associated reactive oxygen species, nitrogen species, and reactive astrogliosis, and they can result in various levels of cellular and tissue damage. The inhibition of them has been proved to lead to functional recovery of the spinal cord. In this study, we concentrated on developing polymers and nano-techniques based drug delivery strategies to eliminate these secondary injuries. ^ To maintain and improve the performance of the implants …

Developent Of A Phospholipid Encapsulation Process For Quantum Dots To Be Used In Biologic Applications, Logan Grimes

Master's Theses

The American Cancer Society predicts that 1,665,540 people will be diagnosed with cancer, and 585,720 people will die from cancer in 2014. One of the most common types of cancer in the United States is skin cancer. Melanoma alone is predicted to account for 10,000 of the cancer related deaths in 2014. As a highly mobile and aggressive form of cancer, melanoma is difficult to fight once it has metastasized through the body. Early detection in such varieties of cancer is critical in improving survival rates in afflicted patients. Present methods of detection rely on visual examination of suspicious regions …

Selected Durability Studies Of Geopolymer Concrete With Respect To Carbonation, Elevated Temperature, And Microbial Induced Corrosion, Mohammad Sufian Badar

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis reports a comprehensive study related to the experimental evaluation of carbonation in reinforced geopolymer concrete, the evaluation of geopolymer concretes at elevated temperature, and the resistance of geopolymer concrete to microbial induced corrosion (MIC).

Carbonation: Reinforced concretes, made of geopolymer, prepared from two class F fly ashes and one class C fly ash, were subjected to accelerated carbonation treatment for a period of 450 days. Electrochemical, microstructure and pore structure examinations were performed to evaluate the effect of corrosion caused due to carbonation. GPC specimens prepared from class F fly ash exhibited lower corrosion rates by a factor …

An Unexpected Particle Oscillation For Electrophoresis In Viscoelastic Fluids Through A Microchannel Constriction, Xinyu Lu, Saurin Patel, Meng Zhang, Sang Woo Joo, Shizhi Qian, Amod Ogale, Xiangchun Xuan

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Electrophoresis plays an important role in many applications, which, however, has so far been extensively studied in Newtonian fluids only. This work presents the first experimental investigation of particle electrophoresis in viscoelastic polyethylene oxide (PEO) solutions through a microchannel constriction under pure DC electric fields. An oscillatory particle motion is observed in the constriction region, which is distinctly different from the particle behavior in a polymer-free Newtonian fluid. This stream-wise particle oscillation continues until a sufficient number of particles form a chain to pass through the constriction completely. It is speculated that such an unexpected particle oscillating phenomenon is a …