{"410181":{"#nid":"410181","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BME Undergrads Say It Best","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKaci Crawford and Cory Turbyfield have learned very quickly that what you say truly matters, especially when you know what you\u2019re talking about. The pair of undergraduates from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) recently took first place for Best Oral Presentation in the 10\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E annual Undergraduate Research Spring Symposium at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECrawford and Turbyfield presented research from their project, called, \u201cBiomechanical comparisons of leukemia cells and their healthy counterparts,\u201d which focused on using a microfluidic chip to separate leukemia cells from healthy white blood cells.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe clinical impact of this project has the potential to shift the diagnostic protocol from a bone marrow biopsy, which is what is typical now, and is very painful, to a simple blood sample,\u201d explains Crawford, who has also joined with Turbyfield to start a biomaterials testing company through what they\u2019ve learned as undergraduate researchers in the lab of Todd Sulchek, faculty member of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. Their company, Vesalius Technologies, LLC, was incorporated in January.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCory and I have been working on characterizing disease in a different way,\u201d Crawford says. \u201cIn the past, we\u2019ve seen healthy cells and diseased cells being distinguished from each other based on what genes they express, or what proteins they are producing. So this could mean differences in things like what biomolecules are present on the cell\u2019s surface, or what structurally is different about a diseased cell. Does it have a different cellular \u201cskeleton\u201d? Did it shrink in size?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis type of information is definitely helpful and relevant, but until very recently, it\u2019s been the only information we\u2019ve had.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe continues, \u201cOur lab is focusing on adding a new piece of information to the picture. We measure mechanical properties of cells, and then compare the differences we see in the healthy versus the unhealthy. The explicit mechanical properties we study are stiffness and viscoelasticity, as well as compare size measurements. If people aren\u2019t familiar with viscoelasticity, we\u2019re using it here to describe the rate at which a cell can regain its shape after it is compressed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey measure these properties with a technique called Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). These two BME students have become experts in this difficult skill, so\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESulchek, an assistant professor based in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, suggested they start a company. Vesalius Technologies will provide measurements that can used \u201cfor anything from FDA regulations to patent law infringement legal cases,\u201d according to Crawford.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their study, the students proved there were differences in the mechanics between healthy and cancerous cells, using a microfluidic chip (\u2018lab on a chip\u2019) the Sulcheck lab had developed to separate cells. \u201cWe knew if we flowed a sample containing cancerous cells through the chip, we should be able to isolate stiffer, healthy cells from softer cancerous ones,\u201d Crawford says. \u201cThis is revolutionary in terms of diagnostics. Using this technology, we are able to envision a day where you go to the doctor and find if you have cancer from a blood test.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECrawford and Turbyfield plan to continue their studies this summer, using blood samples from patients with leukemia. They also want to grow their company. All of it, they both agree, has been made possible through the professional connections, hands on experience, and entrepreneurial focus at BME.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe best part about the biomedical engineering program here at Tech is the fact that it is always evolving,\u201d Turbyfield says. \u201cThe professors and administrators are always on the look out for new and better ways to teach and support the students that make up this department. It is reassuring to know that you are part of a program that cares so deeply about your success as an individual.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to their award at the symposium, and their recently minted company, Crawford and Turbyfield are both PURA award recipients and have served as teaching assistants for BMED 2300, the Engineering Design class.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, the wide-ranging BME undergraduate experience has opened doors of discovery and opportunity for these two, bringing them to the brink of uncharted territory. \u201cUndergraduate research has been my best experience at Georgia Tech,\u201d says Turbyfield. \u201cI have had the opportunity to work on the fringe of cancer research with cutting edge technology and brilliant minds. Kaci and I are uncovering knowledge that was previously unknown to the world and it is beyond exciting.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003ECONTACT\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:wrich@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr \/\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Entrepreneurial duo wins award for oral presentation in research symposium"}],"field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Entrepreneurial duo wins award for oral presentation in research symposium"}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2015-06-03 17:04:22","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:18:29","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"410171":{"id":"410171","type":"image","title":"Cory Turbyfield and Kaci Crawford Win at Research Symposium","body":null,"created":"1449254195","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:36:35","changed":"1475895137","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:17","alt":"Cory Turbyfield and Kaci Crawford Win at Research Symposium","file":{"fid":"202231","name":"coryandkacihorizontal.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/coryandkacihorizontal_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/coryandkacihorizontal_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":687509,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/coryandkacihorizontal_0.jpg?itok=jlYJhvdo"}}},"media_ids":["410171"],"groups":[{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for\u003Cbr \/\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}