Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Investigation Of Gene Regulatory Network State Space Variability, Sara Faye Liesman

Theses and Dissertations

Genes are segments of DNA that provide a blueprint for cells and organisms to effectively control processes and regulations within individuals. There have been many attempts to quantify these processes, as a greater understanding of how genes operate could have large impacts on both personalized and precision medicine. Gene interactions are of particular interest, however, current biological methods can not easily reveal the details of these interactions. Therefore, we infer networks of interactions from gene expression data which we call a gene regulatory network, or GRN. Due to the robust behavior of genes and the inherent variability within interactions, models …

Adsorption Behavior Of Chemically / Charged Modified Antibodies On Gold Nanoparticles, Samuel Okyem

Theses and Dissertations

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been exploited in the various domains of science such as drug delivery, bio-sensing, immunoassays and environmental sensors, due to their optical properties and intriguing surface chemistry. Different scientific procedures have been used to effectively immobilize antibodies onto AuNPs. Although acceptable outcomes have been achieved in the immobilization of antibodies onto AuNPs, the sensitivity of these immobilized antibodies to target antigen or binding sites is limited due to improper orientation of the antibodies. Also, the possibility of nanoparticle aggregation when exposed to proteins limits its biomedical applicability.

There is some evidence that the surface charge of antibodies …