A common issue with extracorporeal medical devices is blood clotting due to bio-incompatibility. Systemic anticoagulants are often prescribed to mitigate the coagulation issues. However, such drugs can lead to further complications, for example hemorrhaging. One solution to improve the hemocompatibility of blood-contacting medical devices are biomaterials, such as slippery liquid...
Surface-associated thrombosis is a critical concern in medical device development. Current extracorporeal circulation units require systemic anticoagulation to avoid thrombosis, which can cause adverse effects such as thrombocytopenia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperkalemia. To address this issue, we combine the technology of polydopamine (PDA) functionalization with slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS)....
The work presented in this dissertation highlights the various techniques available to characterize the increasingly complex surfaces of engineered biomaterials. The methods used range from the simple measurement of a contact angle with a smartphone to a complex synchrotron technique like near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy to...
Nanoparticles have become more prevalent from their use in sunscreen to antimicrobial agents in socks. In light of these applications, gaining a fundamental understanding of how NPs interact with humans is crucial for their future. Specifically, how cells interact with NPs and what factors drive the modes of cellular uptake....
There have been many attempts to characterize and mimic natural fluid-based adhesive systems. However, very few of these studies have examined surface or interfacial interactions between adhesive and substrate. Furthermore, until now no study has used a combination of surface analytical and kinematic techniques to determine the precise chemical mechanisms...
Cell membranes act as barriers against unwanted movement of ions and biomolecules and are complex surfaces littered with protein channels, ion channels, cholesterol, and a myriad of different proteins. While this surface is extremely well studied, there is still much we do not know. The work in this dissertation demonstrates...
WLBU2 is an engineered cationic amphiphilic peptide that targets Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and envelopes endotoxin while avoiding other cell types. The exact mechanism of how WLBU2 targets, binds, and disrupts bacterial cell membranes is still not completely known. Thus, the overall goal of this investigation is to determine the...
Diatoms are single celled eukaryotic microalgae that self-assemble complex SiO₂
nanostructures by sillafin proteins within their cell wall. There has been increasing
interest in mimicking the diatom’s silica self-assembly process for fabricating metal
oxide nanoparticles, namely germanium dioxide (GeO₂). GeO₂ has a higher refractive
index than silica, enabling it to...
Diatoms, the most common type of algae, are one of the most prevalent organisms in the world. They live in wet ambient environments such as oceans, lakes and rivers and are easily recognizable because of their unique structure. Diatoms are surrounded by a silica cell wall called a frustule. The...