Prevention of marine biofouling is vital to the survivability and performance of ships, buoys, and wave energy devices. Coatings that contain metal biocides are currently used to prevent marine biofouling. These coatings have a limited lifetime and are under environmental scrutiny. As a result, it is necessary to research and...
Due to the effective antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles they represent a significant proportion of all consumer-‐related nanomaterials. The introduction of silver nanoparticles from these products into domestic and industrial wastewater streams poses potential complications for biological treatment systems. A critical component of biological treatment that is extremely sensitive to...
By taking advantage of the electron pathway through the heme group in cytochrome c (CytoC) electrochemists
have built sensors based upon CytoC immobilized onto metal electrodes. Previous studies have shown that the
electron transfer rate through the protein is a function of the position of this heme group with respect...
Biophysical studies of the interaction of peptides with model membranes provide a simple yet effective approach to understand the transport of peptides and peptide based drug carriers across the cell membrane. Herein, the authors discuss the use of self-assembled monolayers fabricated from the full membrane-spanning thiol (FMST) 3-((14-((40-((5-methyl-1-phenyl-35-(phytanyl)oxy- 6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27,30,33,37-undecaoxa-2,3-dithiahenpentacontan-51-yl)oxy)-[1,10-biphenyl]-4- yl)oxy)tetradecyl)oxy)-2-(phytanyl)oxy...
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...
Retraction fibers (RFs) determine orientation of the cell division axis and guide the spreading of daughter cells. Long and unidirectional RFs, which are especially apparent during mitosis of cells in three-dimensional (3D) environments, enable improved control over cell fate, following division. However, 3D gel environments lack the cues necessary for...
The clotting protein von Willebrand factor (VWF) binds to platelet receptor glycoprotein Ibα (GPIbα) when VWF is activated by chemicals, high shear stress, or immobilization onto surfaces. Activation of VWF by surface immobilization is an important problem in the failure of cardiovascular implants, but is poorly understood. Here, the authors...
Hearing loss is one of the most common defect, affecting 360 million people worldwide due to several factors including congenital, present at or soon after birth or acquired with age. Congenital hearing loss affects 32 million children in the world. The economic impact of hearing loss is estimated to cost...
Sepsis is an inflammatory reaction occurring throughout the human body to infections caused by bacteria, fungi, and or other forms of pathogens. It is essential to find an alternative treatment method for sepsis, to lessen the dependence on antibiotics. Hemoperfusion is an absorbent device that removes select targets from blood,...
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...