Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3
Description
Mass nuclear catastrophe is a serious concern for society at large when considering the rising threat of terrorism and the risks associated with harnessing nuclear energy. In the case of a mass nuclear/radiological event that requires hundreds of thousands of individuals to be assessed for radiation exposure, a rapid biodosimetry triage tool is crucial [1]. The Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus Assay (CBMN) is a promising cytogenetic biodosimetry assay for triage [2]; however, it requires shipping samples to a central laboratory (1-3 days) followed by a lengthy cell culture process (~3 days) before the first dose estimate can be available. The total ~ 1 week response time is too long for effective medical care intervention. A shipping incubator could cut the response time in half (~3 days) by culturing samples in transit; however, possible shipping delays beyond 2 days without the addition of a necessary reagent (Cyto-B) would ruin the integrity of the samples—for accurate CBMN assay endpoint observation, Cyto-B must be added within a 24-44 hour window after sample culture is initiated. Here, we propose a “Smart” Shipping Incubator (SSI) that can add Cyto-B while samples are in transit through a centrifugal system equipped with microfluidic capillary valve caps. The custom centrifugal system was constructed with CNC machined and 3D printed plastic parts, controlled by a custom printed circuit board (PBC) microcontroller, and housed inside a commercial shipping incubator (iQ5 from MicroQ Technologies). Teflon-coated, pre-pulled glass micropipettes (FivePhoton BioChemicals) were used as microfluidic capillary valve caps. Release of Cyto-B was characterized by a desktop centrifugal system at different tip sizes and relative centrifugal forces (RCFs). A theoretical model of Cyto-B release was also deduced to aid the optimization of the process. The CBMN assay was conducted both in the SSI with centrifugal Cyto-B release and in a standard CO2 incubator with manual addition of Cyto-B as the control. The expected mechanical shock during shipment was measured to be less than 25g. Optimal Cyto-B release was found to be at 35g RCF with a Teflon-coated 40 µm tip. Similar CBMN dose curves of micronuclei per binucleated cells (MN/BN) vs. exposed radiation (Gy) were produced for samples assessed conventionally and with the SSI. The similarities between the two methods suggest that centrifugation does not significantly affect the CBMN assay.
ContributorsAkkad, Adam Rifat (Author) / Stephanopoulos, Nicholas (Thesis director) / Mills, Jeremy (Committee member) / Gu, Jian (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
Microsolvation studies have begun to shed the light on the impact that single water molecules have on the structure of a molecule. The difference in behavior that molecules show when exposed to an increasing number of water molecules has been considered important but remains elusive. The cluster distributions of formic acid were studied for its known importance as an intermediate in the water gas shift reaction. Implementations of the water gas shift reaction range from a wide range of applications. Studies have proposed implementations such as variety such as making water on the manned mission to mars and as an industrial energy source. The reaction pathway of formic acid favors decarboxylation in solvated conditions but control over the pathway is an important field of study. Formic acid was introduced into a high vacuum system in the form of a cluster beam via supersonic expansion and was ionized with the second harmonic (400nm) of a pump-probe laser. Mass spectra showed a ‘magic’ 5,1 (formic acid, water) peak which showed higher intensity than was usually observed in clusters with 1 water molecule. Peak integration showed a higher relative abundance for the 5,1 cluster as well and showed the increased binding favorability of this conformation. As a result, there is an enhanced probability of molecules sticking together in this arrangement and this is due to the stable, cage-like structure that the formic acid forms when surrounding the water molecule.
ContributorsQuiroz, Lenin Mejia (Author) / Sayres, Scott G. (Thesis director) / Mills, Jeremy (Committee member) / Biegasiewicz, Kyle (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
DNA nanotechnology uses the reliability of Watson-Crick base pairing to program and generate two-dimensional and three-dimensional nanostructures using single-stranded DNA as the structural material. DNA nanostructures show great promise for the future of bioengineering, as there are a myriad of potential applications that utilize DNA’s chemical interactivity and ability to bind other macromolecules and metals. DNA origami is a method of constructing nanostructures, which consists of a long “scaffold” strand folded into a shape by shorter “staple” oligonucleotides. Due to the negative charge of DNA molecules, divalent cations, most commonly magnesium, are required for origami to form and maintain structural integrity. The experiments in this paper address the discrepancy between salt concentrations required for origami stability and the salt concentrations present in living systems. The stability of three structures, a two-dimensional triangle, a three-dimensional solid cuboid and a three-dimensional wireframe icosahedron were examined in buffer solutions containing various concentrations of salts. In these experiments, DNA origami structures remained intact in low-magnesium conditions that emulate living cells, supporting their potential for widespread biological application in the future.
ContributorsSeverson, Grant William (Author) / Stephanopoulos, Nicholas (Thesis director) / Mills, Jeremy (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05