Raman-active gold nanoparticles as beacons in breast cancer cells

Raman-active gold nanoparticles as beacons in breast cancer cells Student: Jennifer Monahan Department: Chemistry Advisor: Max Diem Abstract Nanoparticles can be utilized to overcome the undesired side effects that occur with current chemotherapeutic treatments by delivering the drug directly to the tumor site. Raman-active gold nanoparticles (RA-AuNPs) can be used as biotags to deliver and…

Piezoactive Bio-NanoMechanical Cantilever Force Sensor for Disease Diagnosis

Piezoactive Bio-NanoMechanical Cantilever Force Sensor for Disease Diagnosis Student: Samira Faegh Department: Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Advisor: Nader Jalili Abstract Detection of multiple analytes for the purpose of disease diagnosis requires sensitive biosensing tools capable of transducing molecular interactions into some physical quantity. For this, a microdiagnostic platform based on arrays of microcantilevers with self-sensing…

Photocatalytic activity of AuFe/TiO2 composites

Photocatalytic activity of AuFe/TiO2 composites Student: Savidra Lucatero Department: Chemical Engineering Advisor: Elizabeth Podiaha-Murphy Abstract My research project focuses on characterizing the photocatalytic performance of FeAu/TiO2 composites for the degradation of chlorinated contaminants and hydrogen generation. This system is designed to prevent catalyst aging or deactivation effects observed in Au/TiO2 through cathodic protection by galvanic…

Pancreatic Cancer Gene Therapy with EGFR-Targeted Gelatin-Based Nanoparticle Systems

Pancreatic Cancer Gene Therapy with EGFR-Targeted Gelatin-Based Nanoparticle Systems Student: Padmaja Magadala Department: Pharmaceutical Sciences Advisor: Mansoor Amiji Abstract Over the last few decades, the incidence of pancreatic cancer has risen to become the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths, in both males and females, in the western world. The vague manifestation of its symptoms,…

Novel Approach to Imaging of Nano-Drug-Delivery Carriers Based on Raman Microscopy

Novel Approach to Imaging of Nano-Drug-Delivery Carriers Based on Raman Microscopy Student: Tatyana Chernenko Department: Chemistry Advisor: Max Diem Abstract Cell targeting has been the growing field of interest in gene therapy and anticancer treatments. Of particular interest are pharmaceutical drug delivery systems, such as micelles and liposomes. In order to monitor their uptake, intracellular…

Nanoparticle Antimicrobial Development

Nanoparticle Antimicrobial Development Student: Anthony D’Onofrio Department: Biology Advisor: Kim Lewis Abstract The unique properties of iron oxide nanoparticles hold exciting potential as an antimicrobial. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are capable of producing heat when exposed to an external oscillating magnetic field. When targeted specifically to bacterial cells, this property could be exploited to induce…