VOLUME IX | NOV 2014 | ISSUE 3
THEPIONEER.GATECH.EDU
PIONEER
RESEARCH Learn more about the Dr. Todd Sulchek’s Research.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS Journal
From the Editor in Chief PIONEER
Adv Healthc Mater.
Established 2007
The fall semester is almost over. The leaves on the trees have begun turning into fiery shades of orange, red, and yellow, and the unrelenting heat of summer in Georgia has finally abated to be replaced by a crisp nip in the air. Soon, the holidays will be upon us, along with finals, and we at Pioneer hope that you can hold out until winter break. We congratulate those of you who will be graduating, and wish to encourage those of you who have just now completed your first semester. This issue of Pioneer includes a Design Toolbox written by Dr. Omer Inan discussing biomedical circuit designs, Biotech Reviews on 3D printed organs and neurosynaptic computer chips, and upcoming changes to the MCAT. We also look into the research being done in Dr. Todd Sulchek’s lab, and we check in with Brian Srikanchana, an alumnus of the Coulter Department who founded WorkReadyGrad. Additionally, we talk to students in the department about their opinions on Biomedical Engineering, and discuss some recent publications as well. Be sure to read on to find out all about it! To get updates about when new articles are posted online, feel free to like our Facebook page at facebook.com/gtpioneer or follow us on Twitter at twitter. com/pioneergt. If you would like, you can also reach us at thepioneer@ gatech.edu. Until next time, Jackson Hair Editor-in-Chief Pioneer
A Generalizable, Tunable Microfluidic Platform for Delivering Fast Temporally Varying Chemical Signals to Probe Single-Cell Response Dynamics.
Chingozha L, Zhan M, Zhu C, Lu H.
FACULTY SPONSOR Barbara Fasse, Ph.D.
Ann Biomed Eng
Focal Association Between Wall Shear Stress and Clinical Coronary Artery Disease Progression.
OPERATIONS SECRETARY TREASURER PUBLIC RELATIONS
Timmins LH, Molony DS, Eshtehardi P, McDaniel MC, OshinskiJN, Samady H, Giddens DP.
Ann Biomed Eng.
Surgical Planning of the Total Cavopulmonary Connection: Robustness Analysis.
Restrepo M, Luffel M, Sebring J, Kanter K, Del Nido P, VenezianiA, Rossignac J, Yoganathan A.
Ann Thorac Surg.
Clinical Evaluation of New Heart Valve Prostheses: Update of Objective Performance Criteria.
Wu Y, Butchart EG, Borer JS, Yoganathan A, Grunkemeier GL.
Steven Touchton, Jr Fatiesa Sulejmani
Hee Su Lee Tino Zhang
WEBMASTERS Josh Diaddigo Arthur Lim Kelsey Williams
STAFF WRITERS Jonathan Austin
Anirudh Joshi Maithili Appalwar Shanzeh Farooqui Sarah Gonzales Ann Johnson Yinglin Li Andrew McNair Sameer Mishra Alaap Murali Dhara Patel Valeriya Popova Tanvi Rao Abigail Riddle Hifza Sakhi Eric Sampayo Linda Tian Abhinaya Uthayakumar Nadiya Zafar
EDITORS Catherine Chou
Nader Abdullahi Andrew Akers Sruti Bheri Alexis Blazier Julie Chow Hardika Dhir Amanda Klinker Meera Nathan Likhit Nayak Melanie Yoshimura
LAYOUT EDITORS Marisa Casola
INSIDE PIONEER RECENT PUBLICATIONS……………………….………….…………..…………...…...….......3 That’s So BME.....................………….…......…………...…………..……….………..…..........3 TOOLBOX.............................................................................................................................4 EVENTS AND DEADLINES.....……………………………..………………..……...……..........4 BIOTECH REVIEW............................................…….………………….…….…….……….....5 BME ANSWERS...................................................................................................................6 FRACTURES..……............................……………..…….……...……….….......…………........7 RESEARCH SERIES............………………..………………………..…..…...………...............8 Dr. Todd Sulcheck
HEALTH...............................………….…......…………...…………..……….………..….........10 FEATURE PUBLICATION...................................................................................................10 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT.....................................................................................................11
Authors
Drug delivery: nanoengineered particles for enhanced intra-articular retention and delivery of proteins (adv. Singh A, Agarwal R, Diaz-Ruiz CA, Willett NJ, Healthcare mater. 10/2014). Wang P, Lee LA,Wang Q, Guldberg RE, García AJ.
Anal Chem
EDITOR IN CHIEF Jackson Hair
Greetings everyone,
Article Title
NOV ISSUE 3
Joy Kim Kevin Bai Candice Cheung Brandi Nevius Pearly Pandya Yuyan Wang Wenjun Wu Yiran Zhao
PHOTOGRAPHERS David Van
Dustin Blohm Wanda Chen Morgan Hinchey Paige McQuade Anokhi Patel Maya Rajan Hyunjun (Fred) Woo Jimmy Zhou
COLLABORATORS Karen Adams
Paul Fincannon Courtney Lucas Ferencik Sally Gerrish Andrea Clark Omer Inan Inez Raharjo Brian Srikanchana Todd Sulchek
Biofabrication
Additively manufactured 3D porous Ti-6Al-4V constructs mimic trabecular bone structure and regulate os- Cheng A, Humayun A, Cohen DJ, Boyan BD, teoblast proliferation, differentiation and local factor production in a porosity and surface roughness depenSchwartz Z dent manner.
Biomech Model Mecha- Bicuspid aortic valves are associated with increased wall and turbulence shear stress levels compared to nobiol. trileaflet aortic valves. Circulation Exp Cell Res. Front Neural Circuits. J Am Coll Cardiol
Saikrishnan N, Mirabella L, Yoganathan AP.
Response to letter regarding article, "accurate assessment of aortic stenosis: a review of diagnostic modali- Kumar G, Saikrishnan N, Sawaya FJ, Lerakis S, ties and hemodynamics". YoganathanAP. Trichostatin A Affects the Secretion Pathways of Beta and Intestinal Endocrine Cells.
Tiernan AR, Champion JA, Sambanis A.
Closed-loop neuroscience and neuroengineering.
Potter SM, El Hady A, Fetz EE.
Cultured Human Bone Marrow-Derived CD31(+) Cells Are Effective for Cardiac and Vascular Repair Kim SW, Houge M, Brown M, Davis ME, Yoon Through Enhanced Angiogenic, Adhesion, and Anti-Inflammatory Effects. YS.
J Biomed Opt.
Spectral-spatial classification for noninvasive cancer detection using hyperspectral imaging.
Lu G, Halig L, Wang D, Qin X, Chen ZG, Fei B.
J Neuroeng Rehabil.
Perspectives on human-human sensorimotor interactions for the design of rehabilitation robots.
Sawers A, Ting LH.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol Membrane actions of 1α,25(OH)2D3 are mediated by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in bone Doroudi M, Plaisance MC, Boyan BD, Schwartz and cartilage cells. Z. Lab Chip.
A multi-channel device for high-density target-selective stimulation and long-term monitoring of cells and Lee H, Kim SA, Coakley S, Mugno P, Hammarsubcellular features in C. elegans. lund M, Hilliard MA, Lu H.
Nat Med
Cleavage of tau by asparagine endopeptidase mediates the neurofibrillary pathology in Alzheimer's dis- Zhang Z, Song M, Liu X, Kang SS, Kwon IS, Duease. ong DM, Seyfried NT, Hu WT, Liu Z, Wang JZ, Cheng L, Sun YE, Yu SP, Levey AI, Ye K.
PLoS One
Disturbed flow enhances inflammatory signaling and atherogenesis by increasing thioredoxin-1 level in Go YM, Son DJ, Park H, Orr M, Hao L, Takabe endothelial cell nuclei. W, Kumar S, Kang DW, Kim CW, Jo H, Jones DP.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Platelet mechanosensing of substrate stiffness during clot formation mediates adhesion, spreading, and Qiu Y, Brown AC, Myers DR, Sakurai Y, Mannino activation. RG, Tran R, Ahn B, Hardy ET, Kee MF, Kumar S, Bao G, Barker TH, Lam WA.
Stem Cell Reports.
Microscale generation of cardiospheres promotes robust enrichment of cardiomyocytes derived from hu- Nguyen DC, Hookway TA, Wu Q, Jha R, Preman pluripotent stem cells. ininger MK, Chen X, Easley CA, Spearman P, Deshpande SR, Maher K, Wagner MB,McDevitt TC, Xu C.
THAT’S SO BME...
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TOOLBOX
BIOTECH REVIEW
PUT YOUR SOLDERING IRONS DOWN
3D PRINTED ORGANS
By Omer T. Inan Assistant Proffesor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
By Nadiya Zafar Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department
F
ew things in life are as satisfying as the smell of solder fumes – leadless, of course! – puffing past your nose as you secure that last connection on your prototype. This short article, however, is all about how you, as a biomedical engineering student, should put your soldering iron down just for a moment and rethink the process of designing circuits for biomedical applications. Specifically, you should take some time to familiarize yourself with three things: (1) dedicated integrated circuits (ICs) for biomedical applications, (2) IC manufacturer application notes, and (3) micromachined (microelectromechanical systems, MEMS) sensors. Texas Instruments (TI), Analog Devices (ADI), and other manufacturers have recently introduced dedicated ICs for a variety of biomedical circuit applications, ranging from electrocardiogram (ECG) to electronic weighing scale measurements. Take, for example, the ADS1291 “Complete Low Power Integrated Analog Front End for Biopotential Measurements” from TI. This chip includes programmable gain amplifiers (PGA), an onboard oscillator, several specialized functions for biopotential applications such as right-leg drive, and a 24-bit delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The IC directly interfaces to electrodes on the body on one side and a microcontroller on the other, providing ultra-miniature and high-fidelity measurements of ECG, electromyogram (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), and other biopotential signals in portable form factors. A similar approach is taken by the AD7191 “Pin-Programmable, Ultralow Noise, 24-bit Sigma-Delta ADC for Bridge Sensors,” from ADI. This chip interfaces directly to a bridge sensor, such as a strain gauge bridge on a weighing scale or a pressure sensor bridge, and provides a digital interface to a microcontroller. This new class of interfacing ICs provides an unparalleled level of programmability and miniaturization that is ideal for the wearable and digital health revolutions that we are currently experiencing. In general, these IC manufacturers are making significant contributions in altering the landscape of biomedical circuit design. If you hope to maximize your application of their latest efforts, you could spend time browsing their websites and familiarizing yourself with their application notes, which are generally informative, rich, and well-written. Read through these application notes, study the example circuits, and try to
build them yourself. My own research in ballistocardiography (BCG) benefitted greatly from reading Williams’ work in particular, such as the classic “AN-43: Bridge Circuits, Marrying Gain and Balance” (1990, Linear Technology). More recently, over the past five years, TI has released some very helpful application notes on using the MSP430 microcontroller, as well as this new class of specialized personal health and fitness ICs, for health monitoring. SLAA280A, for example, describes how to build a digital heart-rate monitor using the MSP430 powered from a coin cell battery. A discussion of modern technologies available for biomedical circuit design would be incomplete without also considering the plethora of advanced MEMS sensors that are commercially available from manufacturers such as ADI, ST Microelectronics, Knowles Electronics, and others. MEMS sensors use the same fabrication techniques invented for making computer chips to create micro-miniature sensing chips. Because of MEMS technology, making inertial measurements of body movements and activity has never been easier, with ultraminiature accelerometers such as the ADXL362 (3 mm x 3.25 mm x 1.06 mm) drawing only 1.8 micro-Amps while providing relatively low noise performance. All-in-one inertial measurement sensors are also available, such as the LSM9DS1 iNEMO inertial module from ST Microelectronics. This device provides nine degree of freedom (9DOF) measurement in a 3.5 mm x 3 mm x 1 mm package. Acoustic measurement technology has also changed rapidly with ST Microelectronics’ introduction of the first MEMS microphone (MP33AB01H), which has a dynamic range comparable to that of more expensive, highend electret microphones. Perusing these manufacturers’ websites regularly will allow you to stay on the cutting edge of the ingredients available for your latest creations. Many of these websites also provide evaluation boards that you can use to easily try out the sensors without requiring a reflow oven for surface mounting tiny components or spinning a printed circuit boards (PCB) before you are ready. Of course, as soon as you have familiarized yourself sufficiently with these three important areas of modern biomedical circuit design, you will be ready to pick that soldering iron up again and get back to real work. Happy soldering!!
EVENTS AND DEADLINES
NOV/DEC
NOV 7 UCB Georgia Tech Day 1 PM—UCB Headquarters Smyrna,GA
NOV 11 Integrated Cancer Research Center Seminar Dr.Ying Xu 4 PM — Petit Room 1128
NOV 18 Bioengineering Seminar Series Dr.Jeffrey Ruberti 11 AM — Petit Room 1128
NOV 11 Breakfast Club Seminar Dr. Cheng Zhu 8:30 AM — Petit Room 1128
NOV 13 Bioengineering Seminar Series Dr. Keith Neeves 11 AM — Petit Room 1128
DEC 5 Immunoengineering Seminar Series Rob Demont and Sangeetha Srinivasan 9:30 AM — Petit Room 1128
NOV 11 Coulter Translational Research Program Launch 11 AM — Petit Room 1128
NOV 14 Immunoengineering Seminar Series Zhanna Nepiyushchikh and Pallab Pradhan 9:30 AM— Petit Room 1128
DEC 9 Breakfast Club Seminar Dr.Jim Spain 8:30 AM-Petit Room 1128
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NOV ISSUE 3
he first three dimensional printer was developed in the mid-1980s for industrial purposes. However it was not until 2003, when Clemson University’s Dr. Thomas Boland patented Ink-Jet Printing of Viable Cells, that scientists and engineers began exploring potential benefits this technology can provide the healthcare field, particularly in regards to regenerative medicine and transplants. Over the next several years, individuals and companies researched enhancements to 3D printers in order to facilitate cellular printing of thin sheets of living tissue. They then researched how to apply these enhancements so that 3D printing could save the lives of thousands of people each year who die due to lack of organ donations. Currently, Organovo, a company that developed the world’s first commercial 3D bioprinting technology platform and now designs functional human tissues through the use of 3D printing, has partnered with various academic medical facilities and biopharmaceutical establishments and is also in the process of completing several important projects. The first involves heightening accuracy of clinical trials in the medicinal market, while the second focuses on molding fat cells for the cosmetics of disfigured breast cancer survivors, and the third entails testing performance and drug responsiveness on printed liver tissue. The end goal is that, within the next few years, a fully capable liver for transplants can be reproduced. Additionally, a team with Jennifer Lewis, a Harvard professor of biologically-inspired engineering, is developing ways to print tissues with complementary blood vessels necessary for full function. Its work thus far has made important advancements to the field of 3D printing biotechnology. There are three main printer types used by companies and individuals like the ones mentioned above: gel-like polymer materials, laser-power binding combinations, and in vitro cells. The first printer type allows for the fabrication of tissue, generation of cell scaffolds, and support of cell growth. Meanwhile, the second has the most precision in its final products and utilizes multiple materials that are bound together. Last but not least, the final type has the most potential for eventual organ generation, since it involves actual cells, rather than synthetic biomaterials. A plethora of academic texts and scholarly articles, including Rapid Prototyping of Biomaterials: Principles and Applications and Biomaterials: The 3D Printing of Gelatin Methacrylamide Cell-laden Tissue-engineered Constructs with High Cell Viability, discuss the process of how 3D printing technology works and its practical applications in the healthcare field; however, very few, if any, discuss the ethical concerns that arise.
How 3D Printing is Changing the Face of the Medical Industry. (Photo: On3dprinting.com)
Similar to the questions that come up in the stem cell research field, common anxieties towards 3D organ printing include whether only the wealthy will be able to afford care as well as who will monitor the quality of the organs. It is important to note that physicians are already fairly reliant on 3D printing technology for hearing aid and dental implant production, modeling of various parts of the human body, and joint reconstruction. Therefore, as more research is done and once organ printing becomes prevalent and available for large-scale manufacturing, healthcare as we know it will change drastically. And, if all goes well, these advancements could better the lives of hundreds of thousands of people that are waiting on a seemingly endless list of time-critical organ donations.
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BIOTECH REVIEW
FRACTURES
SIMULATING THE BRAIN
WHAT IS BME?
NOV MAR ISSUE ISSUE 35
By Andrew McNair Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department
n August 2014, IBM announced TrueNorth, a “neurosynaptic computer chip” that can mimic the neurological processes of the human brain. TrueNorth contains 5.4 billion transistors, one million programmable neurons, and 256 million programmable synapses – all while operating on just 70 milliwatts of power. If fully realized, such a chip would be the first of its kind in the world. Applications of TrueNorth could range from detecting tsunamis to monitoring oil spills to regulating shipping lanes. Although TrueNorth is still under development, it signifies a remarkable advance in the development of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). The possibility of ANNs stems from the notion that the brain can be generalized as an enormously complex computer. This concept can be originally traced to the renowned mathematician John von Neumann. His book, The Computer and the Brain, was one of the first attempts to comprehensively explore the mathematical foundations of neurological processes. For von Neumann, the central problem involving any speculation on these processes is a lack of total knowledge and understanding. However, regardless of whether the brain can ever be fully understood or not, it is technologically possible to replicate some of its chief characteristics. Before the TrueNorth chip, several important discoveries made neuralnetwork mimicry feasible. A notable example is Professor Kunihiko
BME ANSWERS
Fukushima’s concept of the neocognitron. Designed as a simulation of the visual nervous system, the neocognitron is a neural network capable of pattern recognition and “learning without a teacher.” First theorized in 1980, the neocognitron can be seen as one of the first great leaps towards the creation of ANNs. At the Swiss Artificial Intelligence Lab, Dr. Jürgen Schmidhuber and his team have made enormous strides in “deep learning” through non-linear neural networks, which allow for advanced neuromorphic (brain-like) computing. Self-driving cars are a good example of these deep learning neural networks in action. The future of neural mimicry is bright. As our understanding of the brain and nervous system grows, we may be able to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice to develop increasingly sophisticated and complex artificial neural networks. References: 1.Angelica, A.D, Schmidhuber, J. (28 November 2012) How bio-inspired deep learning keeps winning competitions. Retrieved from http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-bio-inspireddeep-learning-keeps-winning-competitions 2.Fukushima, K. (1980). Neocognitron: A self-organizing neural network model for a mechanism of pattern recognition unaffected by shift in position. Biological Cybernetics 36. 193-202. 3. Terdiman, D. (7 August 2014) IBM’s TrueNorth processor mimics the human brain. Retrieved from CNET.com
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By Yinglin Li Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department
ts students have long deemed Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech the “Best Major Ever”. But what are the opinions toward BME of individuals, namely the freshmen? In a previous issue, we surveyed them at FASET, but what are their thoughts on BME now that they have had a better taste of college? Some see BME as imperative to their future and an important part of their lives…
“Engineering is an art. BME is a way to express myself while helping to improve people’s living standards.” “BME is a major that will allow me to pursue my love for biology and physics and apply it to improve the medical devices and techniques used in the field of veterinary sciences.” “It’s an opportunity to explore multiple dialects of engineering while focusing on a single major that still allows the flexibility to pursue a range of different career paths.” …while others see BME as ‘Georgia Tech’s pre-med Program’.
“BME is a means to obtaining a solid and respectable degree from Georgia Tech that will allow flexibility over my decision to attend medical school.” “BME is the gateway to a medicinal field where I can actually impact the world.” “BME is a field that allows engineers to engage in humanitarian work and use their skills to improve quality of life.”
(Photo: Forbes)
By ALPHA ETA MU BETA - The BME Honors Society
1. My GPA is lower than I’d like, and I do not like my BMED classes as much as the electives that I have been taking, such as Psychology and Biology. However, I am halfway through the BMED curriculum. Is it too late for me to switch majors? It is never too late to switch majors! It is always better to get your major changed and reroute yourself to a path that you find more appealing than to realize that you had selected the wrong major later on in your life when it is really difficult to return to college or start over. However, if you only want to switch because the classes are challenging, I urge you to reconsider. BME is definitely one of the toughest majors on campus, and working for that degree will hurt. There will be a fair number of long nights and hours spent in the Whitaker basement. Search for what your passion really lies in. For some people, it takes a few years to figure things out, so it is perfectly fine to switch majors even late in your undergraduate years. 2. What are some good BME clubs for freshmen to join? Almost all BME clubs are open to freshmen and are great ways to meet other students, faculty, and staff. The most general BME organization that many freshmen join is BMES (Biomedical Engineering Society), which is our largest organization. If you are interested in more specific things, BROS (Biomedical Research and Opportunities Society) is great for helping freshmen learn about research opportunities on campus and how to get into a lab that you’re interested in. Pioneer is a great way to practice your writing, editing, or photography. You also get to meet faculty and leaders in the BME field, which is awesome. We also have great community service organizations like EWH (Engineering World Health), which goes to MedShare at least once or twice a month to conduct medical device repair sessions. If you want to be involved in shaping the future of the BME department, there are ways to do that too! The Learning Commons is being set up on the fourth floor of the Whitaker building and they are always looking for enthusiastic students to help come up with programs and ideas to better the department.
What is BME to an upperclassman, in comparison? To someone like the president of Georgia Tech’s Biomedical Engineering Society, Miss Inez Raharjo,BME is a major in which we will “learn about a lot of things in respect to healthcare and how to solve them as an engineer.” But what BME is cannot be easily summarized in a single sentence. “There are a lot of aspects to it - biomechanics, computer modeling…as a BME, you can analyze [a problem] and break it down,” says Raharjo. In fact, she believes that BME is “more analogy based” and teaches extensive problem solving skills that give us an advantage over pure science majors, whether it is in research, medical school, or work. Personally, I see BME as a crossroads major. The medical and biological aspects of its courses open up medical school as a possible future. At the same time, its chemistry and critical thinking-based courses grant me freedom to pursue graduate school or even industry. BME is the major that patiently waits for me while I choose who I want to be. It is a major that challenges me intellectually inside the classroom and encourages my curiosity with a myriad of campus organizations and opportunities. What is BME to you?
BME ANSWERS CONTINUED ... 3. I’m struggling in a class. What are some good ways to get help? The academic office is always great. Paul can often help hook you up with a tutor if it is for a BME specific class. Sometimes, this involves you and the tutor coming to an arrangement about pay, but there are other options that are free. Get in contact with some of the upper classmen in any BME organization and they will often be willing to help or will know someone that can help you. Certain BME classes such as BMED 3300 also have peer-led undergraduate study (PLUS) sessions for additional help. For non-BME core classes, Georgia Tech has several programs like one-on-one tutoring which can give students more in-depth help. Of course, going to see your TA and your professor during their office hours is a must if you are struggling in a class. Visiting your professor is a great way to network for a potential letter of recommendation in the future, and who better to help you out in a class than the people in charge of teaching it to you?
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RESEARCH
N I T R A P KE
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Sulchek’s research focuses primarily on the measurement and prediction of how multiple individual biological bonds produce a coordinated function within molecular and cellular systems. There are two complementary goals: the first is to understand the kinetics of multivalent pharmaceuticals during their targeting of
m epart Rao D i r v e n t a l ou By T the C n i t n de te Stu
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nterested in participating in research here at Georgia Tech? Want to learn a little more about some of the ongoing research? Read this interview with Dr. Todd Sulchek to learn more about his field of research and his tips on obtaining a position!
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disease markers, while the second is to quantify the host cell signal transduction resulting from pathogen invasion. Several tools have been developed and employed to accomplish these goals. The primary platform for study is currently the atomic force microscope (AFM), which controls the 3-D positioning of biologically functionalized micro and nanoscale mechanical probes. Meanwhile, interactions between biological molecules are quantified in a technique called force spectroscopy. Membrane protein solubilized nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) are also used to functionalize micro and nanoscale probes with relevant biological mediators. Ultimately, this work is used to optimize molecular drug targeting, improve chemical and biological sensors, and develop more efficient pathogen countermeasures.
Interviewer: I also heard about your outreach programs. Could you tell me a bit more about them? Sulchek: We actually have a high school outreach program. We used to invite students to Tech, but now we have a better system. Teachers at certain schools nominate students they think are phenomenal and need to be pushed more academically. These students are then placed under the tutelage of certain grad students and get to have experience doing research at a very young age. Sulchek received degrees in Physics and Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University in 1996 and his PhD from Stanford University in 2002. He is an Associate Professor in Bioengineering in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to his current appointment, he was a staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
thereof who came together to devise a solution. Also present were other experts, from specialties in business to medicine to engineering, who served as mentors to help each team reach its maximum potential. The mentors fostered teams by asking them to consider different angles of the problem, explaining more technical aspects of their topic, and aiding in the design of a solution prototype. Overall, the opportunity to ask mentors almost any question proved to be invaluable. On Sunday, the different teams presented their ideas. Many of the teams designed smartphone apps; for example, the winning team designed one for parents to be able to teach their toddlers to expand their vocabulary early on. However, the unique twist to this hackathon was that there were also several prototypes made out of wood, tape, and plastic, a much easier approach for those with little to no coding experience. For example, one of the teams made a prototype of a device that emitted UV light to disinfect the area of skin around a catheter’s insertion point. Overall, the teams came up with several unique solutions that may someday become patented products, proving that the Forge Healthcare Hackathon was definitely a success. Here’s to hoping that more events like this for the healthcare industry will be conducted in the future, not only in Atlanta but in other biotech hubs as well!
Interviewer: I know you have a lot of undergraduates in your lab. What made you so open to inviting undergrads to your research? Sulchek: When I was an undergraduate at college, I mostly just took classes and had no idea that there was this other world of research that professors were involved in. When I found out, I naively approached a professor and asked him for a research job. He gave me a shot, and I started with a summer that turned into two years under a graduate student’s tutelage. Essentially, I just want to give undergraduates the same opportunity I received. Interviewer: How do you propose undergraduates go about getting into a lab? Dr. Sulchek: If a student really likes an area of research, look into the work a specific professor is doing. That may involve getting on the professor’s website and looking at research overviews. I also suggest that the student read a paper, or a few papers, to the best of his or her ability to learn what the professor does. Then, the student could approach the professor over e-mail (which is slightly better than just showing up at his or her door). What is important is that the student shows initiative. Merely sending an e-mail shows a little initiative, but attempting to learn about the research by reading a paper or self-teaching is really distinctive. Interviewer: What is your advice to students unsure whether they want to participate in research? Sulchek: Research is really useful to participate in as an undergraduate. It allows you to feel at a basic level whether you like your area of academia or whether research is really for you. A student could go through college liking the idea of research, get a job involving research, and realize that the lab is not a place for him or her. Spending hours working on potentially fruitless research is not the job for everyone. Conversely, a student could also realize his or her passion and work on a project he or she loves. He or she may even discover something amazing!
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Left and Above: Dr.Sulchek with an atomic force microscope, a major piece of equipment in his lab. (Photo: Paige McQuade)
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HEALTH
INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
MCAT CHANGES
DR. VOIT’S NATURAL HABITAT
By Sarah Gonzales Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department of physicians today. The diverse American population is aging and the demand for medical resources has skyrocketed. Today, it takes more than just knowledge to make an adept physician. Bedside manner is crucial, and the new tests are geared towards selecting the most wellrounded applicants, who will be socially and culturally aware, in addition to scientifically adroit. In an open letter to pre-med students, Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., President and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), notes: “Testing students’ understanding of these areas is important, because being a good physician is about more than scientific knowledge. It is about understanding people—how they think, interact, and make decisions.” What changes can students expect in the new MCAT? The primary difference is the inclusion of several new topics like biochemistry, sociology, and psychology. Critical analysis and reasoning skills will also be tested because there is no possible way for a physician to memorize everything. Therefore, applicants who can quickly analyze new information will be more desirable and more likely to succeed. The two existing natural science sections will also be updated to account for recent scientific advances and will have more questions. Additionally, starting in 2013, the MCAT will not include a writing section, but students should not believe that this reduction will shorten testing time. As a consequence of the new and longer sections, the MCAT2015 test will last 6 hours and 15 minutes (not including breaks). (Photo: David Van)
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ince its inception in 1928, the MCAT, previously known as the Moss Test, has been used to determine the aptitude of those wishing to become physicians. For pre-med hopefuls of medical school classes of 2016: the MCAT, which has been revised several times, will be changing once more. In response to over 2,700 surveys from residents, current medical students, faculty, admissions officers, and more, the iconic make-orbreak application criterion has been edited to reflect the changing roles
So what can students do to prepare? Andrea Clark, BMED pre-health advisor, has these words: “Students pursuing a degree in medicine would be advised to take Psychology 1101, Sociology 1101 to have a well-rounded background. Years ago, the HTS department developed a “History, Culture, and Medicine” minor specifically to address the changes in the MCAT, so I would recommend students to take one or two of their courses such as “Race, Culture, and Medicine”, “The History of Medicine”, and “The Sociology of Medicine”’. In 2014, AAMC will release a full-length practice test and The Official Guide to the MCAT2015. Another practice test will follow in 2015.
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By Eberhard Voit Associate Proffesor in the Coulter Department
t the ripe old age of three, while my peers were dreaming of becoming policemen or firemen, or maybe “just like their dads”, I had already set my sight on the ultimate, long-term goal: I publicly declared that I wanted to become a retiree and take walks in the woods. Apparently I had figured out life and, indeed, my goals have not changed much. Certainly, I have persistently been creeping closer toward the former goal, and I do keep on practising and enjoying the latter. When walking, I am not out to break distance or speed records; I just want to be out there with my wife, stretch my office-challenged muscles, and marvel at trees and shrubs and caterpillars, and occasionally check up on fishes and tadpoles. As a trained biologist, I should probably be embarrassed that I don’t know the common names, let alone the Latin names, of most plants and critters around us, but as far as I am concerned, they could be X1, …, Xn. After all, I do not plan to engage in erudite disputations about Quercus this and Quercus that. Besides, I am sure they don’t know their own names either. We simply enjoy plants and animals as they are. Sometimes we actually look up the names, only to forget them promptly within a few days. No, being in the woods is not a scientific expedition but rather an attempt to absorb energy directly from the source and to remind ourselves that we and our problems are rather small and ephemeral in comparison to some of the majestic trees and rocks and waterfalls out there. I am not even a Thoreau in disguise, as I don’t want to be one with nature. Nature is much too harsh for my taste, and after breathing in freshly released oxygen for a few hours, I am just fine with a good meal and a glass of red wine. Being with nature is wonderful without comparison, especially this time of the year when the air is crisp, the sky blue, and the leaves embrace the entire warm spectrum of colors. However, even this splendor can distract my brain only so long. Things begin moving from the backburner to the front. What do I do with the student who copied homework from someone else and admitted to it? How can I possibly finish that manuscript before the deadline? Forgetting these issues outside the office is tricky business. The brain should relax and recuperate, but if we allow it do that for too long, it has a knack for bringing up things we really do not want to think about. I try to keep up with the newspaper, but no surprise, that is often quite depressing. And there is also the occasional tinkering or woodworking project, but, then again, that display box for two French dueling pistols
has now been in limbo for several months and counting. As it turns out, playing piano is a great temporary solution to the dilemma. Good old Schubert and Chopin make me concentrate enough to shut work out, and if I really want to test my limits once again—as I have so often before—there is that g-minor Brahms rhapsody, or perhaps even the Grieg sonata that has been taunting me for decades. Accompanying my wife with her flute or playing muzak from the 60s or from Broadway is fun – actually quite pleasant to listen to, I was told – and complicated enough to keep my brain busy. The root problem seems to be that chillaxing is apparently a skill that is missing from my genome. For me, it seldom works, as the addiction to accomplishing something or being creative wants to be fed. I am not sure how exactly it works but I am convinced that clever ideas create a dopamine rush, and the more one accomplishes, the more the numbers of D1 and D2 receptors on the medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens change, and so the more dopamine is wanted, needing more creativity. (Sorry, I can’t get away from biological systems for too long.) I used to take photos, but with professionals galore and the Internet at anyone’s fingertips, nobody really wants to see other people’s pictures anymore, and so mine have become snapshots of memories. Instead, I have developed a penchant for writing. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about love stories, crime and corruption, zombies, or other topics the general public loves to devour. Also too bad is that I have not found the right topic for a self-help book yet. So I concentrate on torturing students with textbooks that, unbelievably, have not (yet) made it onto Oprah’s or the New York Times bestseller list. I wonder why. Maybe the new mini-opus on systems biology for educated laypeople and without a single equation, which is still in the works, will conquer the market in 2015 or 2016. Maybe then I could retire. While the Pulitzer committee is deliberating, I think I’ll take a long walk in the woods.
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS Spectral-spatial classification for noninvasive cancer detection using hyperspectral imaging. Lu G, Halig L, Wang D, Qin X, Chen ZG, Fei B. Taken from Figure 13 (SVM Probability Map and Corresponding Binary Tumor Map) “Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has emerged as a powerful tool for noninvasive cancer detection and diagnosis, with the advantage of avoiding tissue biopsy and providing diagnostic signatures without the need of a contrast agent in real time. [The researchers] developed a spectral-spatial classification method to distinguish cancer from normal tissue on hyperspectral images…the preliminary study demonstrated that HSI has the potential to be applied in vivo for noninvasive detection of tumors.”
Surgical Planning of the Total Cavopulmonary Connection: Robustness Analysis. Restrepo M, Luffel M, Sebring J, Kanter K, Del Nido P, VenezianiA, Rossignac J, Yoganathan A Taken from Figure 8 (Surgical Variations Resulting in Highest Differences from Original Configuration) “In surgical planning of the Fontan connection for single ventricle physiologies, there can be differences between the proposed and implemented options. Here, [the researchers] developed a surgical planning framework that will...ensure that the results will be comparable if there are slight geometrical variations…and assesses the robustness of a surgical option for the total cavopulmonary connection; this will be useful to assess the most complex cases where pre-surgery planning could be most beneficial to ensure an efficient and robust hemodynamic performance.”
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Microscale generation of cardiospheres promotes robust enrichment of cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent Nguyen DC, Hookway TA, Wu Q, Jha R, Preininger MK, Chen X, Easley CA, Spearman P, Deshpande SR, Maher K, Taken from Figure 2 (Enrichment of hSPC-CMs via 3D Cardiosphere Culture) “Cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are a promising cell source for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug discovery, all of which require enriched cardiomyocytes, ideally ones with mature phenotypes…here, [the researchers] generated 3D aggregates of cardiomyocytes (cardiospheres) from 2D differentiation cultures of hPSCs using microscale technology and rotary orbital suspension culture…generation of cardiospheres represents a simple and robust method for enrichment of cardiomyocytes in microtissues that have the potential use in regenerative medicine as well as other applications.”