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Petit Institute Breakfast Club Seminar Series

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https://hdl.handle.net/1853/70947
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Start date: 2017 × End date: 2017 ×

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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Testing Thousands of Nanoparticles in Vivo
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017-11-28) Dahlman, James E.
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    Redrawing the Global Map of Drug Discovery Science: Hopes and Challenges in South Africa
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017-10-10) Pollock, Anne
    This talk draws on material from Anne Pollock's second book, forthcoming, provisionally titled Synthesizing Hope: Matter, Knowledge, and Place in South African Drug Discovery.
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    Learning Neural Crest Migration at the Interface of Cell and Extracellular Matrix
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017-04-11) Nie, Shuyi
    Understanding how cells migrate during embryonic development: The fundamental question we are trying to answer is how the coordinated cell movements are regulated during animal development. Different groups of cells move to different locations in a growing embryo to give rise to specific tissue and structures. It is a very complex process since the “ground” cells travel on is also undergoing constant rearrangement and growth. We use neural crest as a model to study the mechanisms of cell migration during embryonic development. The neural crest is a vertebrate innovation, comprised of highly migratory stem-like cells that give rise to multiple tissue and structures, including craniofacial bones and cartilages, connective tissue in the heart, enteric nervous system in the gut, and pigment cells all over the skin. Defects in their proliferation, migration, differentiation, or survival lead to numerous diseases and birth defects, including craniofacial and heart malformations as well as different types of cancer. Ongoing studies aim to uncover how neural crest cell migration is regulated from several prospectives: at the level of cytoskeletal machinery, at the interface between cell and extracellular matrix, and at the level of gene transcription. We hope to understand how neural crest cells achieve such extraordinary migratory abilities, and whether such knowledge can be extended to study cancer metastasis.
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    Gene Based Neuromodulation
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017-03-14) Boulis, Nicholas
    Nicholas Boulis, M.D. is a Functional Neurosurgeon with significant expertise in the field of gene transfer to the nervous system. Dr. Boulis' Gene and Cell Therapy Translational Laboratory pursues advanced biological treatments for neurological disorders, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Over the last two decades, growing knowledge about the underlying causes of these diseases, as well as the protective effects of special proteins, has given rise to hope for the development of therapies. Dr. Boulis' laboratory specializes in the therapeutic application of the genes for these proteins. Within the Boulis laboratory, the genes for neural growth factors and antiapoptotic intracellular proteins are inserted into the DNA of genetically engineered viruses. These viruses, which have been rendered safe through the removal of their native genes, can be used to transfer therapeutic genes into diseased tissue. A variety of vectors are currently being tested in both neuronal cell cultures and in animal models for MND. In parallel, the Boulis laboratory has focused on the development of tissuespecific targeting strategies. These approaches are designed to deliver molecular therapeutics to an anatomically defined site of interest. Much of this effort has concentrated on motor neuron-specific gene delivery. Finally, Dr. Boulis has focused on the development of techniques for safe and accurate injection of stem cells into the human spinal cord. Research in the Boulis laboratory tests basic principles while providing tools for clinical translation. Techniques/assays applied in the lab include: neuronal cell cultures, rodent transgenic colonies, surgery in rodents (mice and rats), locomotor behavior assays in rodents, surgery in large animals {pigs and monkeys), histology, etc. With proof-of-principle in the laboratory and Dr. Boulis' expertise in neurosurgery, the laboratory creates a unique resource for the development and clinical translation of these concepts.
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    Patient Specific Design and 3D Printing of Pediatric Implants and Devices
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017-02-14) Hollister, Scott
    My research interests focus on image-based computational design and 3D biomaterial printing for patient specific devices and regenerative medicine, with specific interests in pediatric applications. Clinical application interests include airway reconstruction and tissue engineering, structural heart defects, craniofacial and facial plastics, orthopaedics, and gastrointestinal reconstruction. We specifically utilize patient image data as a foundation to for multiscale design of devices, reconstructive implants and regenerative medicine porous scaffolds. We are also interested in multiscale computational simulation of how devices and implants mechanically interact with patient designs, combining these simulations with experimental measures of tissue mechanics. We then transfer these designs to both laser sintering and nozzle based platforms to build devices from a wide range of biomaterials. Subsequently, we are interested in combining these 3D printed biomaterial platforms with biologics for patient specific regenerative medicine solutions to tissue reconstruction.
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    50 Years of Solitude: Lessons in Evolution from a Neglected Strain of C. elegans
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017-01-10) McGrath, Patrick T.
    Most biological traits have a strong genetic, or heritable, component. Understanding how genetic variation influences these phenotypes will be important for understanding common, heritable diseases like autism. However, the genetic architecture controlling most biological traits is incredibly complex – hundreds of interacting genes and variants combine in unknown ways to create phenotype. The McGrath lab is interested in using fundamental mechanistic studies in C. elegans to identify, predict, and understand how genetic variation impacts the function of the nervous system. We are studying laboratory adapted strains and harnessing directed evolution experiments to understand how genetic changes affect development, reproduction, and lifespan. We combine quantitative genetics, CRISPR/Cas9, genomics, and computational approaches to address these questions. We believe this work will lead to insights into evolution, multigenic disease, and systems biology.