The design of quantum computers using Nitrogen vacancies in diamond has renewed interest in providing a microscopic understanding of the properties of the various allotropes of carbon. Here we visualized the crystal structure and electron densities of diamond, graphite, and fullerene to understand the novel structures and bonding in these materials. Using vector calculus-based methods, we computed the bond lengths and bond angles of diamond, graphite, and fullerene. While diamond exhibited sp3 bonding, both graphite and fullerene revealed sp2 bonding. These key changes in structure and bonding gave rise to important differences in their brightness, hardness, electrical conductivity, etc. We computed the adjacency matrix of fullerene and used that to understand the network connectivity. These studies provided an atomic level understanding of the structure, bonding, adjacency matrix, and network connectivity in these materials which form essential inputs and aid in the design of quantum computers.

Recently, the Promislow lab found that levels of metabolites in the carnitine pathway can be used to estimate age in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. This ‘metabolite clock’ not only predicts an individual’s age, but also shows that when an individual’s predicted age is older than its chronological age, it has a higher mortality rate than other flies its age, and vice-versa. The carnitine pathway is required for energy production via fatty acid oxidation, for which carnitine also removes cellular waste products, and which may influence aging. I hypothesized that higher levels of carnitine would be associated with a longer lifespan, sustained by ongoing energy production and reduced cellular toxin accumulation. To test the effect of the carnitine pathway on fly aging, I measured the lifespan of flies while either supplying additional carnitine, or treating with the carnitine biosynthesis inhibitor etomoxir. I expect flies treated with supplemental carnitine to live longer than control flies, and that etomoxir-treated flies will live shorter than control flies. Approximately 125 female Drosophila melanogaster were assigned to food vials in each condition, plus a control condition that lacked added carnitine or etomoxir. I recorded deaths every two days, transferring remaining flies to fresh vials. Once all flies are dead, I use survival analysis to determine if either treatment affects lifespan, thus testing for a role of the carnitine pathway in fly mortality. Should the results support my hypothesis, I may explore the role that fatty acid oxidation has in aging, or to what degree the metabolome clock is affected by manipulation of the carnitine pathway.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease affecting millions of people worldwide, characterized by thickened heart tissue, which makes pumping difficult for the heart. Since the restructuring of the heart is influenced by remodeling at the cellular level, the overall goal of the project is to investigate the mechanics of how cells sense tension in their environment and its relationship to regulating cell remodeling. The direction in which sarcomeres, the basic contractile unit in the heart, are added influences the shape of the cells and consequently the shape of the overall heart. To study this relationship, it is necessary to visualize the sarcomeres for correlating acquired tension data from FRET sensors. By attaching a fluorophore to a sarcomeric protein such as alpha-actinin, it is possible to visualize sarcomeres using fluorescent microscopy. For this project, I developed a blue fluorescent protein (BFP)-tagged alpha-actinin plasmid through molecular cloning techniques. I used restriction enzymes and PCR to isolate and amplify the genes of interest from a different plasmid, then used Gibson Assembly to insert the genes into a plasmid containing ampicillin resistance to construct the final BPF-tagged alpha-actinin plasmid. Preliminary results showed successful expression of the transiently transfected BFP construct in cardiomyocytes. The next steps are to optimize the transfection for higher efficiency, adapt an existing data analysis pipeline for analyzing sarcomere dynamics, and develop a set of parameters for efficient image acquisition. Many existing therapies for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy only address symptoms but do not solve the underlying issue of systolic dysfunction. Rather than taking a genetic or biochemical approach, which can be difficult to develop, this research project focuses on the mechanical interactions in the heart and studying the contractile forces may yield more insight into this disease and build the informational foundation for developing future therapies to prevent or treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A critical strategy for achieving carbon neutrality is carbon dioxide (CO2) storage and sequestration, wherein CO2 is removed from emissions and stored underground. Current state of the art technologies, such as aqueous amine solutions, suffer from poor stability and recyclability primarily due to their homogenous nature. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), extended porous crystalline networks of metal nodes connected by organic linkers, have emerged as an exciting class of potential solid state CO2 storage materials owing to their high internal surface area and facile tunability. Here, we outline the synthesis of an expanded framework analogue of Matériaux de l′Institut Lavoisier-53 (MIL-53) framework functionalized with either ester based crosslinked ligands or bulky tert-butoxycarbonyl (BOC) protected carboxylates or amines, both of which prop open the pores of the framework. Expanded MIL-53 was characterized by powder x-ray diffraction, gas sorption analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) digestion experiments. These myriad techniques reveal that the expanded MIL-53 framework’s surface area increases with higher incorporation of either ester based crosslinkers or bulky BOC groups. Subsequent thermal removal of the crosslinker or BOC groups to reveal the respective free functional group proceeds without compromising the structural integrity of the framework. Notably, the resultant ‘open’ pore structure is inaccessible without first propping the pores open. Future work will focus on investigating the carboxylate functionalized and amine functionalized frameworks for gas separations and storage.

The construction sector has always had a significant influence on CO₂ footprints in a given area (Pomponi, 2021). However, there are no recent studies quantifying the effect of construction activities on localized CO₂ concentrations. Previous research conducted in the early 1990s has shown that construction increases CO₂ concentrations by over 11% (Mazria, 2018). However, this research was done over three decades ago, and since then, CO₂ concentrations have increased globally over 40%, necessitating updated measurements. My research group and I will investigate construction sites of various degrees in the Puget Sound region to determine the effect of construction activities on local CO₂ concentrations. Preliminary data has shown an increase of 140 ppm (±8 ppm) in CO₂ concentration when implementing a method of measuring CO₂ concentrations in regions of high and low construction activity within urban, suburban, and rural areas. This research is key to understanding the health implications of the increased construction within the Puget Sound region and its effects on our ecosystems.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, many students have participated in online learning. Online students spend many hours every day studying at home in indoor spaces that lack ventilation and may have hazardous air quality. Prior research conducted by Tyler Jacobsen et al, (2019) reveals that CO₂ concentrations over 1,000 parts per million (ppm) can increase physiological stress and lower cognitive abilities. The goal of this project was to determine if the CO₂ levels in the at-home study environment of a student conducting online learning are higher than those of a student conducting in-person learning during study times. I predicted that if a student participates in online learning, then the CO₂ levels in their study environment will be higher than those in the study environment of a student conducting in-person learning during school hours (8 am-3 pm), but the levels will be similar during homework hours (4 pm-5 pm). A CO₂ air monitor collected data in the study rooms of an online learning student and an in-person learning student. Over several days, I recorded data every hour from 8 am to 5 pm, resulting in a time series showing CO₂ concentrations throughout a school day. Preliminary data reveals that the online student’s room consistently exceeds 1,000 ppm and varies greatly throughout the day, while the in-person student’s room remains below 1,000 ppm until they arrive home at 4 pm, at which point levels increase significantly. I only observed two locations during this quarter-long research study in General Chemistry and I need to collect data at more locations to determine if this study’s findings are representative of online learning versus in-person learning as a whole. Findings may be useful to educators when they are deciding if online education is a viable option for students in the future.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is caused by a brain injury at or near the time of birth. As a part of CP, gross motor function is impaired, so many individuals with CP use mobility aids including ankle foot orthoses (AFO) and supra-malleolar orthoses (SMO). While both AFOs and SMOs are designed to correct abnormal gait, AFOs are much taller and can be solid or hinged at the ankle. Despite the early age of diagnosis for CP and prevalent use of mobility aids, there is limited literature and scientific evidence on mobility aid use for children with CP under 5 years of age. This project builds off of a larger mixed-methods study investigating the status of early mobility aid use for young children with CP, by working with both clinicians (physical therapists, orthotists, physicians, etc.) and parents of children with CP. We have surveyed and interviewed clinicians and caregivers on mobility aids with questions focused around the prescription process, initial device use, and impacts. From these survey and interview responses, we qualitatively coded short answer and interview quotes and analyzed numerical data to identify trends. This project is a secondary data analysis with a focus on the factors that influence the type of orthoses a clinician more commonly prescribed. From our preliminary results from the survey, we have found that years of experience, place of work, or type of clinician have no impact on a clinician’s most commonly prescribed device. However, clinicians who most commonly prescribed solid AFOs considered range of motion most frequently when prescribing orthoses, versus joint stability for hinged AFO clinicians, or insurance coverage for SMO clinicians. These results will provide mechanical engineers and clinicians designing orthoses recommendations based on the perspectives of people supporting children with CP, hopefully leading to better device design and more standardized prescription.

Breast cancer has higher fatality rates in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs) within Sub-Saharan Africa compared to more developed countries. Extensive wait times for an evaluation and lack of timely follow-up care contribute to this disparity. In LMICs, breast core needle biopsies (CNBs) are commonly taken from patients by palpation, then transferred to pathologists who manually chemically preserve, slice, and analyze the tissue, which may take weeks to months for a report. We are developing CoreView, a fast, automated, and low-cost device with the ability to assess disease status within one patient visit. The CoreView instrument accepts fresh CNBs, automatically stains tissue surfaces, and generates an optical diagnostic image. For nuclei to be imaged rapidly with high-resolution within a limited depth of focus, the CNB must be pressed against a smooth clear surface, which also maximizes the tissue surface area being analyzed. To do this, compression mechanisms were modeled in SolidWorks using a piston approach and fluidic pumps to apply positive pressure. Breast tissue has low stiffness, requiring precise, applied forces. The CNB integrity and diagnostic image quality during compression was quantitatively video monitored and studied. As a control, images of compressed porcine breast CNBs were compared to matched uncompressed tissues to determine any damage with compression, and measured improvement in diagnostic image quality. Breast CNBs are expected to withstand a maximum pressure of 1.5 psi without significant tissue deformity; however, the threshold depends on the prototype dimensions/geometry. The goal is to form high-magnification, panoramic diagnostic images along the entire length of 20 mm long CNBs with ~20x microscope objective lens within one minute using motorized stage and synchronized imaging. With a reliable design and precisely controlled compression process, CoreView allows for efficient, high-resolution tissue imaging and diagnostic analysis at the point of care, reducing health disparities through prompt breast cancer treatment.