Luke P. Lee (Advisor)

BPN585: High Efficiency Transfection of Cell Reprogramming Factors Using µF-TFT Electroporation Array

Ebrahim Ghafar-Zadeh
Erh-Chia Yeh
Chi-cheng Fu
2010

We present a novel hybrid microfluidic thin film transistor (µF-TFT) electroporation array. This system offers the advantages of spatially and temporally control of electrical conditions (10k individual electrodes) in microenvironments for high efficiency transfection of stem cell reprogramming factors. We demonstrated the preliminary results of Oct4, BSA proteins transfected into fiberblast cells.

Project end date: 02/03/11

BPN536: Absorptive h-PDMS Plasmonic Nanopillars: A Replicable Substrate for Generating High SERS Signals by Chemical Concentration

Eric Lee
SoonGweon Hong
Brendan Turner
2010

This project addresses the utilization of Chemically Absorptive Nanopillars as a new, economical substrate to concentrate molecules and generate huge SERS enhancement. Experimental tests were conducted to demonstrate the absorptive property of the PDMS substrate, which concentrates target molecules around localized areas for enhanced SERS detection. Evidence of molecular concentration was demonstrated by monitoring the increasing fluorescence intensity of 1,2- bis(4-pyridyl) ethylene (BPE) as the molecules concentrate along the edge of an h-PDMS microfluidic channel. The SERS signal...

BPN587: Nuclear Reprogramming by Microslits Confined Cytoplasm Fusion

Chi-cheng Fu
Erh-Chia Yeh
2010

Adult Somatic cells, such as skin cells, from patients can be used to derive induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) by transduction of four Yamanaka transcription factors. Those patient specific iPS cells, with similar properties to embryonic stem (ES) cells, show great potential on various applications, such as drug screening and disease modeling. However, in applying this technique to therapeutic applications such as tissues regeneration, progress is often hampered by low efficiency (about 0.01 to 0.1%) and slow reprogramming (few weeks). Here, we present a novel way to overcome this...

BPN568: A Real-time PCR Antibiogram for Drug-resistant Septicemia

John R. Waldeisen
2011

We have developed an assay that combines molecular diagnostic techniques with the phenotypic response of susceptibility testing to rapidly determine optimal drug therapy in septicemia.

Project end date: 08/16/11

BPN618: Reprogramming Cells on a Chip

Erh-Chia Yeh
Chi-Cheng Fu
2011

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSCs) are stem cells that can be derived from fibroblast cells (skin). It has the potential of providing multiple tissue types in the body without any transplant rejection and also bypasses the ethical issues of embryonic stem cells. However, because parts of the cellular mechanisms for reprogramming are still unclear, IPSCs has yet to be utilized in the clinical setting since scientists cannot control the reprogramming/ differentiation process precisely. Here we present a microfluidic chip, which can be used for deciphering reprogramming dynamics....

BPN617: Optofluidic Controls and Multi-Photon Real-Time Imaging of Cell Reprogramming

Chi-cheng Fu
Erh-Chia Yeh
2011

Cell reprogramming (for example, conversion of skin cells into stem cells) holds great promise for regenerative medicine such as replacement-cell therapy and patient-specific drug screening. However, the efficiency of reprogramming is hampered by poor understanding on the mechanisms. Here we propose to develop optofluidic controls of cellular communications and molecular imaging of the reprogramming dynamics in a large scale integrated platform. First, two millions of single stem cells and fibroblasts can be paired by microfluidic devices. Then, the joined cell membranes can be...

BPN569: Beta-Amyloid-Induced Membrane Perturbation and Cation Dyshomeostasis in Neurons and Relation to Alzheimer's Disease

Jae Young Lee
2011

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly population. During the progression, cognitive impairment extends to the domains of language, skilled movements, recognition and decision making. This research project are aimed at ultimately developing fast, innovative, and high throughput approaches for use in relevant biological model, as well as to utilize developing and existing technologies to break through the hurdles in Alzheimer’s disease research. To do so, systematic study of influences of beta-amylolid oligomers on cell dysfunction and death is...

BPN615: Integrated Microfluidic CMOS (imCMOS) for Quantitative Cell Biology

Ebrahim Ghafar-Zadeh
2011

We present an integrated microfluidic CMOS (imCMOS) system for high-accuracy cell adhesion analysis. The hybrid imCMOS system combining novel microelectronic and microfluidic technologies features a large array of capacitive sensors implemented in 90 nm CMOS process and incorporated with microfluidic processor for cell culture devices. This imCMOS method offers the advantages of real-time, quantitative, high precision and high throughput focal cell adhesion analysis suitable for a verity of applications including neural interface studies. We demonstrate the preliminary results of...

BPN513: Direct Synthesis of High Density Mono-Dispersed Gold Nano Particle and Biomedical Applications

Young Geun Park
2011

Many preparation methods for gold nano particle in ordered frame work or substrate have been invented to achieve high optical sensitivity and selectivity, however the complicate and long each step has leaded to low productivity and cost problem for commercialization. In this study, we report a direct synthesis of gold nano particle via meso porous silica thin film with long range orderness. In mesoporous silica thinf film, we introduced self assembly method via using tri- block copolymer. Especially, the hydrophilic part of tri-block polymer shows hydrophilic characteristics, and...

BPN529: Sepsis Diagnostics Using iMDs

Debkishore Mitra
Tiffany Chen
2011

Sepsis is a condition in which the human body is fighting a severe microbial infection that has spread through the blood stream. Blood sepsis is the leading cause of death of immunocompromised patients, and is responsible for over 200,000 deaths per year in the United States. Present diagnostic techniques take a long time to give a confirmation, are prone to contamination and also are unreliable at low bacterial load. Hence the effectiveness of therapies can be improved if early diagnosis of sepsis is done. This would reduce the microbial load that has to combated, and would hence...