Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) at Georgia Tech

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Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) at Georgia Tech

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https://hdl.handle.net/1853/70980

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 22

Selective Ion Separation for Sustainable Agriculture

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2022-04-08) Dou, Zeou

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition challenges students to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. 3MT cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills.
Your pee is on drugs: but we can fix it

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-11-07) Luo, Cong
General sleep patterns predict associative memory retrieval in older adults

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-11-07) Hokett, Emily
Oral delivery of DNA-enzyme nanoparticles ameliorates inflammation in a murine model of ulcerative colitis

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-11-07) Baker, Nusaiba

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic relapsing disease characterized by epithelial barrier damage and disruption of immune homeostasis in the colon. Incidence is increasing every year, affecting 1-2 of every thousand persons in developed countries. Current treatments aim to alleviate inflammation as well as heal the damaged mucosa. Current therapeutic strategies include 5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, or biologics. However, these treatments result in numerous off-target effects, and immunosuppression can be fatal. A major cause of inflammatory symptoms is the release of cytokines from immune cells. These cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-5, TNF-a, and IFN-g signal to the body to cause symptoms such as fever, fatigue, swelling, and cachexia. GATA3, a transcriptional activator, is involved in T lymphocyte differentiation and signaling, and regulates the expression of cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. Accordingly, knock down of GATA3 and subsequent cytokine expression is a promising strategy for treatment of inflammatory disease. A range of antisense and RNAi technologies have been tested, and among these approaches, DNA enzymes (Dzs) have shown the greatest promise in animal models and Phase 1 clinical trials. Dzs are canonical DNA oligonucleotides that catalytically degrade a specific complementary RNA sequence. Despite the success of soluble Dzs as a therapeutic intervention, delivering highly charged oligonucleotides across the plasma membrane, and preventing nuclease degradation are major challenges. To address these problems, we have developed GATA3 DNAzyme nanoparticle conjugates delivered via an oral hydrogel method that elucidate the stability and delivery issues. Preliminary evidence shows that conjugating ~100 Dzs to a 14-nm gold particle forms a complex (DzNP) that improves airway function in mouse models of asthma. Importantly, DzNPs use one order of magnitude lower Dz dose compared to their soluble counterparts. By delivering the DzNPs via an alginate-based hydrogel, the therapeutic DNA-coated nanoparticles survive the acidic environment of the stomach and are degraded in the small intestine. Thus, we have established a novel method of gene regulation using a synthetic biomaterial. This research will provide a foundation for future development of nanoparticle-based therapeutic strategies for numerous diseases.
Lymphatic vessel mechanics: a clue towards treating lymphedema

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-11-07) Mukherjee, Anish

Lymphedema, a debilitating disease characterized by a disfiguring swelling of the extremities, affects nearly 140 to 250 million people worldwide. In the US the primary cause of lymphedema is breast cancer related surgery and it can affect about 70% of the patients depending on the nature of the surgery and any secondary insult. The exact pathogenesis of lymphedema is not clear and diagnosis usually happens at a late stage. Further, the treatment of lymphedema is rarely corrective and focuses more on disease management. One of the primary causes of lymphedema is suspected to be dysfunctions in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a complex network of vessels and nodes that plays an important role in the maintenance of the tissue fluid balance in the body. Lymphatic vessels have been shown to modulate their contractility in response to mechanical forces like transmural pressure and flow induced shear stress (referred to as shear sensitivity). Reduction in shear sensitivity of the lymphangions is suspected to be a major cause of lymphatic dysfunction and, in turn, lymphedema. Hence, it is important to understand how the shear sensitivity of the lymphatic vessel affects the contractility of the vessel in response to the dynamic mechanical microenvironment within the lymphatic vessels. The molecular mechanisms involved in the shear sensitivity of lymphangions also need to be delineated. Finally it is important to investigate whether the lymphatic vessel function can be optimized through mechanical stimulation. These central questions will be approached from three different length scales; in vitro through molecular mechanisms of mechanosensitivity, ex vivo through functional response of lymphatic vessels to oscillatory shear stress and in vivo through reduction in swelling in animals using external oscillatory mechanical stimuli. These aims will lead to the identification of some of the molecular pathways involved in the transduction of shear stress by lymphatic endothelial cells and will motivate studies into pharmacological modulation of lymphatic contractility to maximize its response to oscillatory shear stresses. Quantifying the effect of externally applied pressure, such as those applied during physiotherapy, will provide a scientific basis for enhancing lymphatic system function noninvasively.
Fingerprinting and visualizing electronic environment

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-11-07) Lei, Xiangyun
Predicting the duration and coincidence of ground delay programs and ground stops

( 2018-11-07) Mangortey, Eugene
Nano-mechanical testing: there is plenty of room at the bottom

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-11-07) Gupta, Saurabh
Acousto-optic sensor for interventional MRI procedures

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-11-07) Yaras, Yusuf
Replacing metal antennas with plasma

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-11-07) Liu, Connie