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Bioparticles comprise a diverse amount of materials ubiquitously present in nature. From proteins to aerosolized biological debris, bioparticles have important roles spanning from regulating cellular functions to possibly influencing global climate. Understanding their structures, functions, and properties provides the necessary tools to expand our fundamental knowledge of biological

Bioparticles comprise a diverse amount of materials ubiquitously present in nature. From proteins to aerosolized biological debris, bioparticles have important roles spanning from regulating cellular functions to possibly influencing global climate. Understanding their structures, functions, and properties provides the necessary tools to expand our fundamental knowledge of biological systems and exploit them for useful applications. In order to contribute to this efforts, the work presented in this dissertation focuses on the study of electrokinetic properties of liposomes and novel applications of bioaerosol analysis. Using immobilized lipid vesicles under the influence of modest (less than 100 V/cm) electric fields, a novel strategy for bionanotubule fabrication with superior throughput and simplicity was developed. Fluorescence and bright field microscopy was used to describe the formation of these bilayer-bound cylindrical structures, which have been previously identified in nature (playing crucial roles in intercellular communication) and made synthetically by direct mechanical manipulation of membranes. In the biological context, the results of this work suggest that mechanical electrostatic interaction may play a role in the shape and function of individual biological membranes and networks of membrane-bound structures. A second project involving liposomes focused on membrane potential measurements in vesicles containing trans-membrane pH gradients. These types of gradients consist of differential charge states in the lipid bilayer leaflets, which have been shown to greatly influence the efficacy of drug targeting and the treatment of diseases such as cancer. Here, these systems are qualitatively and quantitatively assessed by using voltage-sensitive membrane dyes and fluorescence spectroscopy. Bioaerosol studies involved exploring the feasibility of a fingerprinting technology based on current understanding of cellular debris in aerosols and arguments regarding sampling, sensitivity, separations and detection schemes of these debris. Aerosolized particles of cellular material and proteins emitted by humans, animals and plants can be considered information-rich packets that carry biochemical information specific to the living organisms present in the collection settings. These materials could potentially be exploited for identification purposes. Preliminary studies evaluated protein concentration trends in both indoor and outdoor locations. Results indicated that concentrations correlate to certain conditions of the collection environment (e.g. extent of human presence), supporting the idea that bioaerosol fingerprinting is possible.
ContributorsCastillo Gutiérrez, Josemar Andreina (Author) / Hayes, Mark A. (Thesis advisor) / Herckes, Pierre (Committee member) / Ghrilanda, Giovanna (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
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Description
A new challenge on the horizon is to utilize the large amounts of protein found in the atmosphere to identify different organisms from which the protein originated. Included here is work investigating the presence of identifiable patterns of different proteins collected from the air and biological samples for the purposes

A new challenge on the horizon is to utilize the large amounts of protein found in the atmosphere to identify different organisms from which the protein originated. Included here is work investigating the presence of identifiable patterns of different proteins collected from the air and biological samples for the purposes of remote identification. Protein patterns were generated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Patterns created could identify high-traffic and low-traffic indoor spaces. Samples were collected from the air using air pumps to draw air through a filter paper trapping particulates, including large amounts of shed protein matter. In complimentary research aerosolized biological samples were collected from various ecosystems throughout Ecuador to explore the relationship between environmental setting and aerosolized protein concentrations. In order to further enhance protein separation and produce more detailed patterns for the identification of individual organisms of interest; a novel separation device was constructed and characterized. The separation device incorporates a longitudinal gradient as well as insulating dielectrophoretic features within a single channel. This design allows for the production of stronger local field gradients along a global gradient allowing particles to enter, initially transported through the channel by electrophoresis and electroosmosis, and to be isolated according to their characteristic physical properties, including charge, polarizability, deformability, surface charge mobility, dielectric features, and local capacitance. Thus, different types of particles are simultaneously separated at different points along the channel distance given small variations of properties. The device has shown the ability to separate analytes over a large dynamic range of size, from 20 nm to 1 μm, roughly the size of proteins to the size of cells. In the study of different sized sulfate capped polystyrene particles were shown to be selectively captured as well as concentrating particles from 103 to 106 times. Qualitative capture and manipulation of β-amyloid fibrils were also shown. The results demonstrate the selective focusing ability of the technique; and it may form the foundation for a versatile tool for separating complex mixtures. Combined this work shows promise for future identification of individual organisms from aerosolized protein as well as for applications in biomedical research.
ContributorsStaton, Sarah J. R (Author) / Hayes, Mark A. (Committee member) / Anbar, Ariel D (Committee member) / Shock, Everett (Committee member) / Williams, Peter (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
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Description
Gold nanoparticles are valuable for their distinct properties and nanotechnology applications. Because their properties are controlled in part by nanoparticle size, manipulation of synthesis method is vital, since the chosen synthesis method has a significant effect on nanoparticle size. By aiding mediating synthesis with proteins, unique nanoparticle structures can form,

Gold nanoparticles are valuable for their distinct properties and nanotechnology applications. Because their properties are controlled in part by nanoparticle size, manipulation of synthesis method is vital, since the chosen synthesis method has a significant effect on nanoparticle size. By aiding mediating synthesis with proteins, unique nanoparticle structures can form, which open new possibilities for potential applications. Furthermore, protein-mediated synthesis favors conditions that are more environmentally and biologically friendly than traditional synthesis methods. Thus far, gold particles have been synthesized through mediation with jack bean urease (JBU) and para mercaptobenzoic acid (p-MBA). Nanoparticles synthesized with JBU were 80-90nm diameter in size, while those mediated by p-MBA were revealed by TEM to have a size between 1-3 nm, which was consistent with the expectation based on the black-red color of solution. Future trials will feature replacement of p-MBA by amino acids of similar structure, followed by peptides containing similarly structured amino acids.
ContributorsHathorn, Gregory Michael (Author) / Nannenga, Brent (Thesis director) / Green, Matthew (Committee member) / Chemical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has revolutionized modern manufacturing in several key areas: complex geometry fabrication, rapid prototyping and iteration, customization and personalization, reduced material waste, supply chain flexibility, complex assemblies and consolidated parts, and material innovation. As the technology continues to evolve, its impact on manufacturing is

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has revolutionized modern manufacturing in several key areas: complex geometry fabrication, rapid prototyping and iteration, customization and personalization, reduced material waste, supply chain flexibility, complex assemblies and consolidated parts, and material innovation. As the technology continues to evolve, its impact on manufacturing is expected to grow, driving further innovation and reshaping traditional production processes. Some innovation examples in this field are inspired by natural or bio-systems, such as honeycomb structures for internal morphological control to increase strength, bio-mimetic composites for scaffold structures, or shape memory materials in 4D printing for targeted drug delivery. However, the technology is limited by its ability to manipulate multiple materials, especially tuning their submicron characteristics when they show non-compatible chemical or physical features. For example, the deposition and patterning of nanoparticles with different dimensions have seen little success, except in highly precise and slow 3D printing processes like aerojet or electrohydrodynamic. Taking inspiration from the layered patterns and structures found in nature, this research aims to demonstrate the development and versatility of a newly developed ink-based composite 3D printing mechanism called multiphase direct ink writing (MDIW). The MDIW is a multi-materials extrusion system, with a unique nozzle design that can accommodate two immiscible and non-compatible polymer or nano-composite solutions as feedstock. The intricate internal structure of the nozzle enables the rearrangement of the feedstock in alternating layers (i.e., ABAB...) and multiplied within each printed line. This research will first highlight the design and development of the MDIW 3D printing mechanism, followed by laminate processing to establish the requirements of layer formation in the XY-axis and the effect of layer formation on its microstructural and mechanical properties. Next, the versatility of the mechanism is also shown through the one-step fabrication of shape memory polymers with dual stimuli responsiveness, highlighting the 4D printing capabilities. Moreover, the MDIW's capability of dual nanoparticle patterning for manufacturing multi-functional carbon-carbon composites will be highlighted. Comprehensive and in-depth studies are conducted to investigate the morphology-structure-property relationships, demonstrating potential applications in structural engineering, smart and intelligent devices, miniature robotics, and high-temperature systems.
ContributorsRavichandran, Dharneedar (Author) / Nian, Qiong (Thesis advisor) / Song, Kenan (Committee member) / Green, Matthew (Committee member) / Jin, Kailong (Committee member) / Bhate, Dhruv (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
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Description
Rapid development of new technology has significantly disrupted the way radiotherapy is planned and delivered. These processes involve delivering high radiation doses to the target tumor while minimizing dose to the surrounding healthy tissue. However, with rapid implementation of these new technologies, there is a need for the detection of

Rapid development of new technology has significantly disrupted the way radiotherapy is planned and delivered. These processes involve delivering high radiation doses to the target tumor while minimizing dose to the surrounding healthy tissue. However, with rapid implementation of these new technologies, there is a need for the detection of prescribed ionizing radiation for radioprotection of the patient and quality assurance of the technique employed. Most available clinical sensors are subjected to various limitations including requirement of extensive training, loss of readout with sequential measurements, sensitivity to light and post-irradiation wait time prior to analysis. Considering these disadvantages, there is still a need for a sensor that can be fabricated with ease and still operate effectively in predicting the delivered radiation dose.



The dissertation discusses the development of a sensor that changes color upon exposure to therapeutic levels of ionizing radiation used during routine radiotherapy. The underlying principle behind the sensor is based on the formation of gold nanoparticles from its colorless precursor salt solution upon exposure to ionizing radiation. Exposure to ionizing radiation generates free radicals which reduce ionic gold to its zerovalent gold form which further nucleate and mature into nanoparticles. The generation of these nanoparticles render a change in color from colorless to a maroon/pink depending on the intensity of incident ionizing radiation. The shade and the intensity of the color developed is used to quantitatively and qualitatively predict the prescribed radiation dose.

The dissertation further describes the applicability of sensor to detect a wide range of ionizing radiation including high energy photons, protons, electrons and emissions from radioactive isotopes while remaining insensitive to non-ionizing radiation. The sensor was further augmented with a capability to differentiate regions that are irradiated and non-irradiated in two dimensions. The dissertation further describes the ability of the sensor to predict dose deposition in all three dimensions. The efficacy of the sensor to predict the prescribed dose delivered to canine patients undergoing radiotherapy was also demonstrated. All these taken together demonstrate the potential of this technology to be translatable to the clinic to ensure patient safety during routine radiotherapy.
ContributorsSubramaniam Pushpavanam, Karthik (Author) / Rege, Kaushal (Thesis advisor) / Sapareto, Stephen (Committee member) / Nannenga, Brent (Committee member) / Green, Matthew (Committee member) / Mu, Bin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
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Description
A comprehensive and systematic investigation on the diffusion and phase behaviors of nanoparticles and macromolecules in two component liquid-liquid systems via Molecule Dynamic (MD) simulations is presented in this dissertation.

The interface of biphasic liquid systems has attracted great attention because it offers a simple, flexible, and highly reproducible template for

A comprehensive and systematic investigation on the diffusion and phase behaviors of nanoparticles and macromolecules in two component liquid-liquid systems via Molecule Dynamic (MD) simulations is presented in this dissertation.

The interface of biphasic liquid systems has attracted great attention because it offers a simple, flexible, and highly reproducible template for the assembly of a variety of nanoscale objects. However, certain important fundamental issues at the interface have not been fully explored, especially when the size of the object is comparable with the liquid molecules. In the first MD simulation system, the diffusion and self-assembly of nanoparticles with different size, shape and surface composition were studied in an oil/water system. It has been found that a highly symmetrical nanoparticle with uniform surface (e.g. buckyball) can lead to a better-defined solvation shell which makes the “effective radius” of the nanoparticle larger than its own radius, and thus, lead to slower transport (diffusion) of the nanoparticles across the oil-water interface. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is a thermoresponsive polymer with a Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST) of 32°C in pure water. It is one of the most widely studied stimulus-responsive polymers which can be fabricated into various forms of smart materials. However, current understanding about the diffusive and phase behaviors of PNIPAM in ionic liquids/water system is very limited. Therefore, two biphasic water-ionic liquids (ILs) systems were created to investigate the interfacial behavior of PNIPAM in such unique liquid-liquid interface. It was found the phase preference of PNIPAM below/above its LCST is dependent on the nature of ionic liquids. This potentially allows us to manipulate the interfacial behavior of macromolecules by tuning the properties of ionic liquids and minimizing the need for expensive polymer functionalization. In addition, to seek a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of ionic liquids on the phase behavior of PNIPAM, PNIPAM was studied in two miscible ionic liquids/water systems. The thermodynamic origin causes the reduction of LCST of PNIPAM in imidazolium based ionic liquids/water system was found. Energy analysis, hydrogen boding calculation and detailed structural quantification were presented in this study to support the conclusions.
ContributorsGao, Wei (Author) / Dai, Lenore (Thesis advisor) / Jiao, Yang (Committee member) / Liu, Yongming (Committee member) / Green, Matthew (Committee member) / Emady, Heather (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017