{"512911":{"#nid":"512911","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BioEngineering 2016 Annual Award Winners","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe goal of the BioE Awards is to highlight outstanding achievements by faculty and graduate students who support the BioE interdisciplinary program. Our community is successful because of the generous and collaborative trainees and faculty that make up our program. Below are the winners for this year. We thank all the nominators and congratulate those who were nominated. Special thanks to Drs. Todd Sulchek, Hang Lu, and Maysam Ghovanloo for reviewing the nomination packages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding Paper\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;Jordan Ciciliano, a trainee in Dr. Lam\u0027s lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cResolving the multifaceted mechanisms of the ferric chloride thrombosis model using an interdisciplinary microfluidic approach\u201d recently published in Blood (Impact Factor: 10.452)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding Thesis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAdrian Lam, PhD , who was a member of Dr. Oshinski\u2019s lab, until his graduation in Fall 2015.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDevelopment of a combined angiography and late Gadolinium enhancement MRI sequence\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding Advisor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKrishnendu Roy, PhD \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe awards were presented at the BioE recruitment event on March 11th.\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease join us in congratulating the winners and we look forward to hearing from Jordan Ciciliano and Dr. Roy on BioE Day, May 12th.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease note that the Christopher Ruffin Award will be announced at BioE Day as well.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Highlighting outstanding achievements by faculty and graduate students in BioE"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHighlighting outstanding achievements by faculty and graduate students in BioE\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Highlighting outstanding achievements by faculty and graduate students in BioE"}],"uid":"27917","created_gmt":"2016-03-14 09:42:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:05","author":"Laura Paige","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-03-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-03-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"65448","name":"Bioengineering Graduate Program"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"52891","name":"BioE Program news"},{"id":"99991","name":"grad student"},{"id":"4407","name":"Graduate Student"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"492911":{"#nid":"492911","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nelson Wins Fellowship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ETyler Nelson always imagined that some day he\u2019d be working for a large corporation engaged in the work of biotechnology. But the fourth-year PhD student in bioengineering has broadened his scope.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m starting to realize that maybe I want something different and the idea of entrepreneurship is really attractive,\u201d says Nelson. \u201cMaking something based on your research, and looking back to say it succeeded or failed \u2013 that kind of independence appeals to me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ENelson recently got a substantial boost for his research efforts when he was named an American Heart Association (AHA) Fellowship Award winner. The award began January 1 and will extend through 2017.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAHA is supporting Nelson\u2019s project, titled \u2018The effects of diet induced obesity on lymphatic function and therapeutic intervention in lymphedema progression,\u2019 with an award totaled at $52,000 over two years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cLymphedema affects about one in six cancer survivors,\u201d says Nelson, who works in the lab of J. Brandon Dixon, faculty member of the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u201cIt basically occurs as the result of some common cancer treatments, like lymph node removal, chemotherapy, radiation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe disease causes irreversible swelling, mostly in the arms or legs. It results from a blockage in the lymphatic system (part of your immune system). This blockage prevents lymph fluid from draining well and that fluid buildup leads to swelling. There is presently no cure, but lymphedema can be managed with early diagnosis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cIt turns out that people who are obese develop lymphedema at a much higher rate than the rest of the population,\u201d Nelson says. \u201cWe want to understand how obesity affects the lymphatic system and its function.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ENelson, who is from the Nashville, Tennessee, area, earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at Mississippi State. After enrolling at the Georgia Institute of Technology, he joined Dixon\u2019s Laboratory of Lymphatic Biology and Bioengineering (LLBB), where researchers focus on developing non-invasive methods to quantify lymphatic function.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EHe\u2019s always been interested in pursuing a career in industry once he earns his PhD. But since arriving at Georgia Tech, is thoughts on what that might look like have shifted a little bit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cNow, I\u2019m thinking that I\u2019d really like to start up a small company, or work with an early-stage company,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThat line of thought is driven in part by his experience in the TI:GER (Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results) program, administered through the Scheller College of Business at Tech. The program is designed to teach students how to address the multidisciplinary issues that are part of technology commercialization.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThrough TI:GER, Nelson has teamed with two MBA students and two Emory Law students. Together, they\u2019re focused on the commercialization of diagnostic and monitoring devices for lymphedema.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe team, called Lumenostics, is working on a product designed to detect swelling in the earliest stages of the disease. This semester, the students will be engaged in business plan competitions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cThe training I\u2019ve gotten through TI:GER is irreplaceable,\u201d Nelson says. \u201cIt really sets you apart and gives you great exposure to the business side of research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECONTACT:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/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","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Bioengineering student using American Heart Association award for lymphedema research"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EBioengineering student using American Heart Association award for lymphedema research\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Bioengineering student using American Heart Association award for lymphedema research"}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2016-01-29 15:37:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:31","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-01-29T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-01-29T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"492901":{"id":"492901","type":"image","title":"Tyler Nelson","body":null,"created":"1454115600","gmt_created":"2016-01-30 01:00:00","changed":"1475895251","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:11","alt":"Tyler Nelson","file":{"fid":"204500","name":"tyler_cell_wall.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyler_cell_wall.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyler_cell_wall.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1354957,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tyler_cell_wall.jpg?itok=H9I0FqLs"}}},"media_ids":["492901"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"52891","name":"BioE Program news"},{"id":"1808","name":"graduate students"}],"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=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/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":""}},"476821":{"#nid":"476821","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Garc\u00eda Wins Student Research Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EJose Garc\u00eda, a bioengineering graduate student based in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, is engaged in some ambitious, groundbreaking research. He\u0027s working to develop engineered hydrogels to improve the engraftment of stem cells and ultimately enhance bone healing. And his research is getting some national attention.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EGarc\u00eda, who works in the lab of Petit Institute researcher Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda (no relation), has been honored with a 2016 Society for Biomaterials Student Award for Outstanding Research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe Society for Biomaterials (SFB), which promotes advances in biomedical research and development, annually recognizes significant contributions to the field of biomaterials science from industry, academia, regulatory agencies and students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe 2016 awards and respective recipients include:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003EFounders Award\u003C\/strong\u003E: Cato Laurencin, MD, PhD (University of Connecticut)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003EClemson Award for Applied Research\u003C\/strong\u003E: Justin Hanes, PhD (The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003EClemson Award for Basic Research\u003C\/strong\u003E: Molly Stevens, PhD (Imperial College of London)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003EClemson Award for Contributions to the Literature\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rocky Tuan, PhD (University of Pittsburgh)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003EC. William Hall Award\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jim Curtis, PhD (Dow Corning Corporation)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003ESFB Award for Service\u003C\/strong\u003E: Alan Litsky, MD, ScD (Ohio State University)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003ETechnology, Innovation and Development Award\u003C\/strong\u003E: Joseph Salamone, PhD (Rochal Industries LL)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003EYoung Investigators Award\u003C\/strong\u003E: Fan Yang, PhD (Stanford University)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Awards for Outstanding Research\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jose Garc\u00eda (Georgia Institute of Technology)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Awards for Outstanding Research\u003C\/strong\u003E: Abigail Erin Loneker (University of Pittsburgh)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Awards for Outstanding Research\u003C\/strong\u003E: Veronica Ibarra (Illinois Institute of Technology)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cEvery year we recognize our members for their outstanding achievements in the biomaterials industry, whether it be from industry, academia, regulatory agencies or from the student population,\u201d said Tom Webster, SFB president. \u201cThe 2016 recipients have shown tremendous thought leadership in their respective fields. I commend each and every one of them on this achievement and look forward to their continued contributions to our industry and Society.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EGarc\u00eda is a trainee in the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in Stem Cell Manufacturing, awarded to Georgia Tech in 2010 to educate and train the first generation of Ph.D. students in the transition and commercialization of stem cell technologies for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biological engineering with a concentration in biomechanics from the University of Florida in May 2012.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p3\u0022\u003EThe recipients are honored for their contributions to advancing the Society\u2019s objectives and goals in a variety of ways and will be honored during the 2016 World Biomaterials Congress, May 18, 2016, Montreal, Canada.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECONTACT:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/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","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Society for Biomaterials honors Georgia Tech bioengineering grad student"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ESociety for Biomaterials honors Georgia Tech bioengineering grad student\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Society for Biomaterials honors Georgia Tech bioengineering grad student"}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2015-12-07 16:05:22","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:12","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-12-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2015-12-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"476811":{"id":"476811","type":"image","title":"Jose Garcia","body":null,"created":"1449586800","gmt_created":"2015-12-08 15:00:00","changed":"1475895230","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:50","alt":"Jose Garcia","file":{"fid":"99308","name":"josegarcia2_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/josegarcia2_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/josegarcia2_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2242351,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/josegarcia2_0_0.jpg?itok=04XhiU15"}}},"media_ids":["476811"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"52891","name":"BioE Program news"},{"id":"99991","name":"grad student"},{"id":"4407","name":"Graduate Student"}],"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=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/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":""}},"422371":{"#nid":"422371","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Student Team Joins the Corps","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStem cells are the foundation of an organism\u2019s normal growth and development, serving as a biological repair system for the body, shape shifters that can turn into other types of cells through a process called \u201cdifferentiation.\u201d \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut how does a stem cell decide what type of cell to turn into? A group of graduate students in the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience set out to help young students answer that question through an interactive Plinko game, designed to demonstrate how scientists control stem cell differentiation. And thanks to their low-tech, innovative education tool, these students have received a National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps for Learning (I-Corps L) grant for this summer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe students \u2013 Tom Bongiorno, Jessie Butts, Katy Lassahn and Liane Tellier \u2013 are now ensconced in the seven-week I Corps L program, which is bookended by two workshops (July 7-10 and August 24-25) in Washington, D.C.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESeeking to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, the NSF developed a five-year strategic plan calling for a broader implementation of effective instructional practices and advances in education. But getting the best evidence-based practices into the hands of large numbers of students or learners requires an entrepreneurial approach, and that\u2019s what the I-Corps L program is fostering.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cIf you mix the scientific method with an MBA and put it in a blender, this is what it looks like,\u201d says Steve Renda, who is serving as mentor to the Petit Institute team. A 1983 graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology in electrical engineering, Renda has made a great career out of starting and transforming high tech businesses. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of the strengths of the I-Corps program, Renda says, is that \u201cit takes you outside the context you\u2019re used to operating in and allows you the chance to retest everything you believe. I told the team, \u2018come at this as if everything you know isn\u2019t true and you have to reprove it.\u2019\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt the end of the seven-week grant period, the students will have a clear go or no-go decision concerning the viability and effectiveness of the Stem Cell Plinko, as well as a transition plan to move the project forward and bring their idea to scale, assuming it\u2019s a go.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cWe have all these different ideas about potential versions of our product, and potential markets. Hopefully, I-Corps L will help us pare it all down,\u201d says Lassahn, the team leader, who earned her Master\u2019s degree in Bioengineering (BioE) this past spring.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo be eligible for the I-Corps L grant applicants must have received a prior NSF award relevant to the proposed innovation. The Stem Cell Plinko project had been fostered by the NSF-funded Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in Stem Cell Biomanufacturing, as well as through the education and outreach committee of the Bioengineering and Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (BBUGS).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of the things working to the Petit Institute team\u2019s advantage is, they are coming at this project now from a bicoastal perspective, with three students based at the Georgia Institute of Technology and one in California. Lassahn has entered the workforce while Bongiorno is in the fourth year of pursuing his Ph.D. in BioE, and Tellier is a third year Ph.D. student in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (a collaboration of Georgia Tech and Emory University). Butts is based in San Francisco since leaving Georgia Tech to work and study at the Gladstone Institutes. She plans to complete her Ph.D. through the University of San Francisco and the University of California-Berkeley.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThis is a coast-to-coast effort,\u201d says Bongiorno. \u201cThis is nationwide, which can only help as think about scalability.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn addition to the support the students have received through Georgia Tech, Butts says the Plinko project has the backing of Gladstone researchers like former Petit Institute faculty member Todd McDevitt, among others. \u201cWe have their support, they\u2019re excited about the prospects of a stem cell education tool,\u201d Butts says. \u201cSan Francisco is also a startup-heavy place and the PIs here serve on the boards of companies, which means we have connections to networks in Atlanta and San Francisco.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInitially, the team along with fellow graduate students, Emily Jackson and Lauren Priddy, developed a small Plinko game that they demonstrated to public school classrooms in the Atlanta region. They built a larger model for the Atlanta Science Festival. And so far, they haven\u2019t seen anything on the market quite like their simple device, which is based on the game made famous on the TV show, The Price is Right.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUltimately, the students want to create some kind of start-up enterprise featuring their Stem Cell Plinko. But the bottom line they\u2019re eyeing isn\u2019t necessary drawn in black ink.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cA lot of people go into this with monetary gain in mind, and I understand that,\u201d says Tellier. \u201cThe better thing would be, we get this to more students, maybe on a national level. That would be a great scenario.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor Bongiorno, it comes down to the human experience, sharing what he knows with younger, grade-school students, and watching the reaction.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s always great when we can go into a school and teach them something new, something they haven\u2019t seen before,\u201d he says. \u201cWe get to see how excited these kids are when they make the connections. It reminds me of why I love science.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECONTACT:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/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","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"NSF grant program encourages innovation in interactive learning"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENSF grant program encourages innovation in interactive learning\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"NSF grant program encourages innovation in interactive learning"}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2015-07-09 10:24:11","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:18:56","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"422331":{"id":"422331","type":"image","title":"I Corps Team","body":null,"created":"1449254306","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:38:26","changed":"1475895160","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:40","alt":"I Corps Team","file":{"fid":"202693","name":"i_corps_group.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/i_corps_group_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/i_corps_group_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":968884,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/i_corps_group_0.jpg?itok=kmRA-o20"}},"422351":{"id":"422351","type":"image","title":"Plinko pair","body":null,"created":"1449254306","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:38:26","changed":"1475895160","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:40","alt":"Plinko pair","file":{"fid":"202694","name":"tom_and_liane.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tom_and_liane_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tom_and_liane_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1076018,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tom_and_liane_0.jpg?itok=N79-Pi6A"}}},"media_ids":["422331","422351"],"groups":[{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1808","name":"graduate students"}],"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=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/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":""}},"403271":{"#nid":"403271","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Allen Wins Ruffin Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshley Allen capped an action-packed fifth year in the Bioengineering (BioE) Ph.D. program by winning the Christopher Ruffin BioE Graduate Leadership Award, highlighting the second annual BioE Day at the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe award, established last year to honor the memory of Ruffin, former BioE academic advisor who died in 2013, recognizes a current graduate student for superior contributions to the program, a student whose influence, ideals and activities create a lasting and positive impression, raising the standard of excellence for future students. Allen follows in the footsteps of Patricia Pacheco, who won the first Ruffin Award in 2014.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cAshley is an amazing young woman with an incredibly positive nature and boundless energy. She\u2019s a true champion for the BioE program, which reflects Chris\u2019s spirit,\u201d says Laura Paige, who has followed Ruffin as academic advisor for BioE. \u201cAnd she\u2019s been very supportive of me since I stepped into this role.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn what must now be considered a tradition, BioE Day began in the Petit Institute atrium with student research presentations and the awards ceremony, and ended outdoors in the commons area, where students, staff and professors tossed a Frisbee, played corn hole, and threw water balloons at each other while enjoying refreshments. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Ruffin Award remains the unifying theme for BioE Day, but several other students and a faculty member also were recognized: Erin Hannen, a student in the lab of Susan Thomas, won the Best Poster Award. Jennifer Lei, from Johnna Temenoff\u2019s lab, took the prize for Rapid Fire Presentation. He Zheng, from Garrett Stanley\u2019s lab, presented her research from a Best Paper Award that was announced at BioE Recruitment Day earlier in the semester. And Brandon Dixon accepted his award for Best Faculty Advisor (also announced originally during BioE Recruitment Day).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAllen, who works in the lab of Petit Institute Executive Director Bob Guldberg, was the ideal candidate for the Ruffin Award, according to her fellow BioE students, 18 of which signed a letter of nomination on her behalf.\u0026nbsp; They point out her implicit and explicit leadership positions through the years, including her extensive work within the Bioengineering Graduate Association (BGA \u2013 she was president in 2011). They wrote of her volunteer work at recruitment events, coming up with the idea for BioE Day, and other community-building events.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe also served as education and outreach chair for the Bioengineering and Bioscience Unified Graduates (BBUGS), spreading her interest in science to the next generation of students. And earlier this school year, Allen spent two weeks in Israel doing research as part of her Nerem International Travel Award, working the lab of Zulma Gazit, who may sum up this year\u2019s Ruffin Award best when she says of Allen, \u201cshe directs as high a degree of energy, kindness, and enthusiasm toward learning and engaging with people as she does towards research.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOr, as Allen\u2019s friends in BioE conclude in their letter, \u201cThe BioE program and the role of BGA have seen significant growth over the past few years, which we strongly believe would have been impossible without Ashley\u2019s passionate involvement and leadership.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECONTACT:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/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","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"BioE Day returns with presentations, honors and water balloons"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBioE Day returns with presentations, honors and water balloons\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"BioE Day returns with presentations, honors and water balloons"}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2015-05-09 00:32:28","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:18:17","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-05-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-05-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"403251":{"id":"403251","type":"image","title":"Ashley Allen, Ruffin Award","body":null,"created":"1449252000","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:00:00","changed":"1475895124","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:04","alt":"Ashley Allen, Ruffin Award","file":{"fid":"75962","name":"ashley_trophy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ashley_trophy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ashley_trophy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1000978,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ashley_trophy.jpg?itok=TMU3G8bb"}},"403261":{"id":"403261","type":"image","title":"BioE Day Awards","body":null,"created":"1449252000","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:00:00","changed":"1475895124","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:04","alt":"BioE Day Awards","file":{"fid":"75963","name":"award_winners.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/award_winners.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/award_winners.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":958534,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/award_winners.jpg?itok=FiU-PX_c"}}},"media_ids":["403251","403261"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"569","name":"bioengineering"},{"id":"1808","name":"graduate students"}],"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=\u0022http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/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":""}},"388971":{"#nid":"388971","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BioEngineering 2015 Annual Award Winners","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe goal of the BioE Awards is to highlight outstanding achievements by faculty and graduate students who support the BioE interdisciplinary program. Our community is successful because of the generous and collaborative trainees and faculty that make up our program. Below are the winners for this year. We thank all the nominators and congratulate those who were nominated. Special thanks to Drs. Julie Babensee, David Ku, and Michelle Dawson for reviewing the nomination packages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding Paper\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHe Zheng, a trainee in Dr. Stanley\u2019s lab.\u003Cbr \/\u003EPaper Title, \u201cThe Adaptive Trade-Off between Detection and Discrimination in Cortical Representations and Behavior\u201d and was published in Neuron (a division of CELL) in January of 2014.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding Thesis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAndrew Siefert, PhD , who was a member of Dr. Yoganathan\u2019s lab, until his graduation in Spring 2014.\u003Cbr \/\u003EThesis Title: \u201cMitral Valve Force Balance: A Quantitative Assessment of Annular and Subvalvular Forces\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding Advisor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJ. Brandon Dixon, PhD (Mechanical Engineering)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe awards will be presented at the BioE recruitment event on March 27th.\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease join us in congratulating the winners and we look forward to hearing from He Zheng and Dr. Dixon on BioE Day, April 30th.\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease note that the Christopher Ruffin Award will be announced at BioE Day as well.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Highlighting outstanding achievements by faculty and graduate students in BioE"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHighlighting outstanding achievements by faculty and graduate students in BioE\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Highlighting outstanding achievements by faculty and graduate students in BioE"}],"uid":"27349","created_gmt":"2015-03-19 15:07:34","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:54","author":"Floyd Wood","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-03-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-03-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"353211":{"id":"353211","type":"image","title":"Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program at Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1449245728","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:15:28","changed":"1475895080","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:20","alt":"Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program at Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"201186","name":"bioe_logo_-_square.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bioe_logo_-_square_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bioe_logo_-_square_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":33003,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bioe_logo_-_square_0.png?itok=Qzui4Hcg"}}},"media_ids":["353211"],"groups":[{"id":"65448","name":"Bioengineering Graduate Program"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"6178","name":"BIOE"},{"id":"52891","name":"BioE Program news"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.paige@bioengineering.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaura Paige\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.paige@bioengineering.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"353111":{"#nid":"353111","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Call for BioEngineering Award Nominations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENow accepting nominations for the annual Bioengineering Awards at Georgia Tech - Deadline January 31, 2015\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003EDETAILS\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding BioE Student Paper\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAll BioE students are eligible - \u003Cem\u003EMust be currently enrolled\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E$750 cash and plaque award\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENominated by Advisor - nominations must include a letter of support from advisor discussing impact and significance of the work\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EElectronic copy of paper must accompany nomination\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPaper must be published, in press or accepted in the time frame January 1 - December 31, 2014\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding BioE PhD Thesis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAll BioE students are eligible - \u003Cem\u003EDo not have to be currently enrolled\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E$750 cash and plaque award\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENominated by Advisor\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENominations must include a letter of support from advisor\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EElectronic copy of Ph.D. thesis must accompany nomination\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThesis Certificate of Completion form must be signed by ALL committee members in the time frame January 1 - December 31, 2014\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding BioE Advisor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAll BioE Program Faculty are eligible\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E$500 discretionary funds and plaque\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENominated by graduate student(s) \u2013 Submit a letter explaining why you are nominating a faculty member.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristopher Ruffin Leadership Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Student Leadership Award was established to honor the memory of Christopher Ruffin and his exceptional contributions to the BioE Program. Chris began working at GT in 1994 and joined the bioengineering community in April 2001. As Academic Advisor in the BioE Program, Chris worked tirelessly to support the BioE students and faculty.\u0026nbsp; This award recognizes a current graduate student for his or her superior contributions to the BioEngineering Program. The Leadership Award will be awarded to a student whose influence, ideals and activities throughout his\/her time in the BioEngineering Program has left a long lasting and positive impression on the institution and has raised the standard of excellence for future BioEngineering classes. Examples of strong leadership qualities include activities such as peer mentoring, teaching, and service.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENominations should be submitted to \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.paige@bioengineering.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaura Paige\u003C\/a\u003E with the BioE program. Nominations for the Outstanding Awards will be reviewed by the BioE Faculty Advisory Committee and nominations for the Ruffin Leadership Award will be reviewed by a BGA committee. Winners will be announced at the BioE Reception on March 27, 2015 (Recruitment Day).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Submission deadline January 31, 2015"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECall for BioEngineering Awards Nominations - Deadline Jan 31, 2015\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Submission deadline January 31, 2015"}],"uid":"27349","created_gmt":"2014-12-09 10:46:17","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:47","author":"Floyd Wood","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"353211":{"id":"353211","type":"image","title":"Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program at Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1449245728","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:15:28","changed":"1475895080","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:20","alt":"Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program at Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"201186","name":"bioe_logo_-_square.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bioe_logo_-_square_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bioe_logo_-_square_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":33003,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bioe_logo_-_square_0.png?itok=Qzui4Hcg"}}},"media_ids":["353211"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/","title":"BIOE program"}],"groups":[{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"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:laura.paige@bioengineering.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaura Paige\u003C\/a\u003E - Academic Advisor II\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.paige@bioengineering.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"317921":{"#nid":"317921","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BioE Orientation \u0026 Expo","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new group of young researchers got better acquainted with the Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s bioengineering community, August 15 at the BioE Expo, the annual orientation event for new and current students in the Georgia Tech Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program (BioE). The innovative BioE Program, established in 1992, has graduated more than 170 students in a broad range of research areas \u2013 accomplished students with wide-ranging minds and skillsets, like Brett Klosterhoff.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u201cI picked this bioengineering program because it is so interdisciplinary, and it gives students from any background a chance to gain new knowledge and pull on their old strengths,\u201d says Klosterhoff, a former high school valedictorian who majored in mechanical engineering as an undergraduate at Purdue University, where he also competed as a long distance runner. \u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cBioengineering is still an emerging field, and from a research perspective, Georgia Tech is an interesting place to be,\u201d adds Klosterhoff, who got involved in an interdisciplinary lab his senior year for an independent study program at Purdue. \u201cI really loved it. So that\u2019s why I\u2019m here. I\u2019ve got a strong mechanical engineering background, but very little in actual life sciences, so this is an outstanding growth opportunity.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E The BioE Program is interdisciplinary in that it is not a solitary academic unit, as in most departments or schools at Georgia Tech. Instead, eight different academic units from the Colleges of Engineering and Computing comprise the program, which allows for a flexible, integrative and individualized degree program. Meanwhile, more than 90 participating faculty from the Colleges of Engineering, Computing, Sciences, and Architecture, as well as Emory University School of Medicine, provide a broad range of research opportunities.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E The BioE Expo is a way of easing into the fall semester. New students took in presentations by program faculty chair Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, as well as a panel of current (i.e., experienced) BioE students, who offered advice on a range of topics, from choosing advisors to whether or not (and when) to drop a class, from how best to navigate Atlanta traffic between Georgia Tech and Emory (\u201cTake the shuttle,\u201d was the rallying cry) to questions about opportunities for anything resembling a social life between classwork and research (\u201cconsider joining BBUGS,\u201d suggested student panelist Jaya Arya, referring to the Bioengineering and Bioscience Unified Graduate Students, the largest and most diverse graduate group on the Tech campus).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E And, as if answering that question about a social life, the Expo ended with a relaxed communal gathering in the atrium of the Parker H. Petit Biotech Building, built around a buffet and, of course, a poster session showcasing the work of the BioE community.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New grad students get the lowdown on interdisciplinary bioengineering program"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew grad students get the lowdown on interdisciplinary bioengineering program\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New grad students get the lowdown on interdisciplinary bioengineering program"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2014-08-21 13:59:16","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:56","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-08-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-08-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"318021":{"id":"318021","type":"image","title":"BioE Orientation \u0026 Expo poster session and reception","body":null,"created":"1449244974","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:02:54","changed":"1475895027","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:27","alt":"BioE Orientation \u0026 Expo poster session and reception","file":{"fid":"199990","name":"student_poster.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/student_poster_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/student_poster_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2062294,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/student_poster_0.jpg?itok=jgwcP2nP"}}},"media_ids":["318021"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bioengineering.gatech.edu\/","title":"BioEngineering website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"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 \u0026nbsp;H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"298171":{"#nid":"298171","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BioEngineering Day - A Day of Firsts","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Ruffin, the longtime academic advisor for the BioEngineering Graduate Program (BioE), died last summer, leaving behind a lot of friends who remember the positive spirit he brought to the job every day. That spirit was rekindled by the throng of students, faculty and staff at the first ever BioE Day (Monday, May 12), and it was felt keenly by Patricia Pacheco, who knew Ruffin well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHe had 100-plus students to work with, but he treated all of us like we were individuals, really went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly for every student who came in,\u201d says Pacheco, inaugural winner of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/hg_news\/290301\u0022\u003EChris Ruffin Graduate Leadership Award,\u003C\/a\u003E announced at BioE Day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPacheco is a fifth year Ph.D. student in Todd Sulchek\u0027s lab, has a string of honors and awards behind her, including: an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Goizueta Foundation Fellowship, NIH-Georgia Tech Biomaterials Training Grant, and the Georgia Institute of Technology Presidential Fellowship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe\u2019s also been a busy participant in the Graduate Leadership Program, which gets to the heart of the Ruffin Award. Among other things, she\u2019s served as Education and Outreach co-chair for the Bioengineering and Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (BBUGS), ambassador and interim vice president of the Georgia Tech Salsa Club, been a mentor to other students, and has been active on the Bioengineering Graduate Student Advisory Committee (BGSAC) and the Latino Organization of Graduate Students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo basically, she does Ruffin\u2019s legacy proud, according to Robert Butera, bioengineering professor and former program director for BioE (2005-2008), who says, \u201cit\u2019s totally appropriate to name a graduate student leadership award after Chris, because he wasn\u2019t just a staff person, he was a leader. Running the BioE program is an important task, with a lot of moving parts, and it required him to interface with all the participating schools and their own rules and cultures. He made it look effortless and easy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Ruffin Award, like BioE Day, was invented and defined by students in the BioE community. \u201cThey made the nominations, set the criteria,\u201d says Butera, who was asked at the last minute to be the award presented, and notes that Pacheco \u201cplayed a critical role in motivating other students and pitching in to volunteer and help lead student organizations.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, current BioE program director, was approached in the spring by students who wanted to create a special day focused on the BioE community, before anyone really was sure what shape it would take. Grad students Jessica Butts and Katie Hammersmith, the BioE co-chairs, originally figured on a program that would last a couple of hours, but as the idea developed, \u201cwe realized we had enough programming to make it a whole day,\u201d says Hammersmith.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe morning began with rapid-fire presentations by students (Ph.D. student Jenna Wilson, from Todd McDevitt\u0027s lab and an NSF-IGERT Stem Cell Biomanufacturing Trainee and GAANN Fellow, won this award). The poster presentation contest was won by Ph.D. students Tom Bongiorno (Todd Sulchek\u0027s lab) and Lauren Priddy (Bob Guldberg\u0027s lab). Bongiorno, also an NSF-IGERT Stem Cell Biomanufacturing Trainee, also\u0026nbsp;won the award for outstanding paper. Jonathan Newman (Steve Potter\u0027s lab), who earned his Ph.D. in 2013, won the outstanding thesis award. Julie Champion, an assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a member of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, was named outstanding advisor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSince it was the first year, we weren\u0027t sure what to expect for the turnout, but it ended up being very well attended. We are really looking forward to the event growing in future years,\u201d Hammersmith says. \u201cWe were impressed with the attendance by programs outside of Petit Institute who came to inform students about the many opportunities to enrich their graduate education as well as the high-quality presentations by students.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere was a cookout, there were games, the highlight being the faculty-student water balloon toss \u2013 the winners were assistant professor J. Brandon Dixon and grad student Josh Hooks, i.e., they were the last team standing (dry). But a major unifying theme to the first BioE Day had to be the Ruffin Award\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI knew Chris, knew him really well, and what kind a person he was,\u201d Pacheco says. \u201cSo, I\u2019m very honored.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The first BioE Day showcased faculty and student presentations, community-building games and several new awards, including the first annual Chris Ruffin Award."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFirst BioE Day showed student presentations, community-building games and several new awards, including the first annual Chris Ruffin Leadership Award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The first BioE Day showed student presentations, community-building games and several new awards, including the first annual Chris Ruffin Award."}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2014-05-17 10:31:35","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:26","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-05-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-05-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"298181":{"id":"298181","type":"image","title":"Patricia Pacheco","body":null,"created":"1449244552","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:55:52","changed":"1475894998","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:58","alt":"Patricia Pacheco","file":{"fid":"199464","name":"patricia.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/patricia_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/patricia_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":43694,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/patricia_0.jpg?itok=aXnu46av"}},"298201":{"id":"298201","type":"image","title":"Julie Champion Lecturing","body":null,"created":"1449244552","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:55:52","changed":"1475894998","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:58","alt":"Julie Champion Lecturing","file":{"fid":"199466","name":"img_4640.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/img_4640_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/img_4640_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1623191,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/img_4640_0.jpg?itok=rBBwxXvT"}},"298211":{"id":"298211","type":"image","title":"BioEngineering Day - A Day of Firsts","body":null,"created":"1449244552","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:55:52","changed":"1475894998","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:58","alt":"BioEngineering Day - A Day of Firsts","file":{"fid":"199467","name":"image_0.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image_0_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image_0_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":801942,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/image_0_0.jpeg?itok=ke2wsvFm"}},"298191":{"id":"298191","type":"image","title":"Brandon Dixon","body":null,"created":"1449244552","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:55:52","changed":"1475894998","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:58","alt":"Brandon Dixon","file":{"fid":"199465","name":"image_5.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image_5_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image_5_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":334099,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/image_5_0.jpeg?itok=PP7xSLWT"}}},"media_ids":["298181","298201","298211","298191"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"569","name":"bioengineering"},{"id":"93491","name":"Chris Ruffin"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"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 \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"295911":{"#nid":"295911","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Special Delivery","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGarc\u00eda lab designing better microcapsules for next generation of cell replacement therapies.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda\u2019s lab in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, which deals with really small-sized stuff may be onto something really big, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), who provided the funding for the groundbreaking study, is paying close attention. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGarc\u00eda, Regents\u2019 Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, spearheaded research that has the potential of improving the lives of millions of people, particularly people with diabetes. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMuch of the Garc\u00eda lab\u2019s research is focused on engineering hydrogels for the delivery of protein and cell therapies. In April, Garc\u00eda and a team of researchers in his lab published a research paper with the bulky title, \u201cMicrofluidic-Based Generation of Size-Controlled, Biofunctionalized Synthetic Polymer Microgels for Cell Encapsulation,\u201d in the journal \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Materials.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve made a material that is really a hybrid, elements that are pure synthetic chemistry components, and other elements that are biological,\u201d says Garc\u00eda, who co-authored the paper with graduate research assistant Devon Headen from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Guillaume Aubry, a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CHBE), and Hang Lu, CHBE professor and James R. Fair Faculty Fellow. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe paper is getting a lot of attention among researchers, according to Garc\u00eda, \u201cand not just people who work in the cell encapsulation area, although some people in this area are very excited about it, and it\u2019s because this strategy shows the potential to have tremendous control in designing the properties of this encapsulation material, and it overcomes a lot of the limitations of the current materials people use. The precise control of this material is what people are excited about.\u201d \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn essence, they\u2019ve designed a better way to deliver and protect therapeutic, life-saving cells to people with diabetes. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEvery day millions of Americans wake up with the sobering knowledge that they have type 1 diabetes (more than 200,000 of them under age 20), which means that their body\u2019s immune system has mistakenly declared open war on the pancreatic beta cells that make insulin, a hormone that is required in converting food to energy. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWithout insulin, glucose builds up to deadly levels in the bloodstream. So, millions of people (mostly people with type 1 diabetes, but some with type 2) give themselves daily insulin injections, or hook themselves up to an insulin pump, in order to stay alive. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are alternatives \u2013 potentially more effective and less grueling treatments \u2013 emerging. One of the more exciting, designed to restore natural insulin production, is pancreatic islet transplantation \u2013 taking healthy islets (which are actually clusters of about 3,000 cells, including beta cells) from a donor pancreas and transplanting them into diabetes patients. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis replacement therapeutic process has shown terrific promise with some research demonstrating that transplanted islets can function for more than 12 years. But if the body\u2019s immune system detects foreign invaders, it responds aggressively, and may react harshly to these transplanted cells, forcing the need for immune suppression drugs. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECell encapsulation technologies are being developed to overcome this problem, called graft rejection (and to block the ongoing autoimmune attack of type 1 diabetes) in regenerative medicine. Basically, cells are encapsulated within a membrane that permits two-way diffusion, such as incoming molecules essential for cell metabolism, and outgoing waste products and therapeutic proteins, while the semi-permeability of the membrane keeps the body\u2019s immune system from destroying these benevolent foreign invaders (the encapsulated cells). \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cEncapsulated cell therapies are a key research priority for JDRF because they hold broad promise of creating insulin independence for people with type 1 diabetes by physiologically regulating blood sugar levels with replacement cells,\u201d says Albert Hwa, senior program scientist for JDRF. \u201cThese therapies could move us beyond the limitations of islet transplantation by utilizing multiple cell sources and avoiding the risks and side effects of strong immune suppression therapies. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cDr. Garcia\u2019s research improves the way hydrogel microcapsules are made and could be the foundation for next-generation cell replacement therapies. JDRF looks forward to additional testing with these novel capsules.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Garc\u00eda lab designing better microcapsules for next generation of cell replacement therapies."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda lab designing better microcapsules for next generation of cell replacement therapies.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Garc\u00eda lab designing better microcapsules for next generation of cell replacement therapies."}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2014-05-08 12:40:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:22","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-05-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-05-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"296521":{"id":"296521","type":"image","title":"Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, PhD - Regents\u2019 Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1449244530","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:55:30","changed":"1475894995","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:55","alt":"Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, PhD - Regents\u2019 Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"199414","name":"garciaandres-may2014.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/garciaandres-may2014_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/garciaandres-may2014_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1055524,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/garciaandres-may2014_0.jpg?itok=bzWJHeuY"}},"260941":{"id":"260941","type":"image","title":"Hang Lu","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Hang Lu","file":{"fid":"198367","name":"11e2016-p3-033.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/11e2016-p3-033_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/11e2016-p3-033_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":484004,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/11e2016-p3-033_0.jpg?itok=ctZBYa6J"}}},"media_ids":["296521","260941"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/jdrf.org\/","title":"Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation"},{"url":"http:\/\/garcialab.gatech.edu\/","title":"Garcia lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"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\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003Efor Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"296221":{"#nid":"296221","#data":{"type":"news","title":"First Annual BioEngineering Day Geared towards Building Community","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s plenty to like about the interdisciplinary BioEngineering Graduate Program (or BioE) at the Georgia Tech Institute of Technology. What\u2019s not to like? This is a program that brings together a diverse range of curious students and faculty who are discovering and developing tools to improve the human condition.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is the best model for interdisciplinary research, a program that spans multiple schools and departments, with faculty participating from multiple colleges at Georgia Tech and Emory,\u201d explains Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, Regents\u2019 Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and program director for BioE. \u201cThe goal is to integrate engineering with life science and everything rotates around that. So, as you can imagine, we have some outstanding students, remarkable young people with great ideas. But when they came to me earlier this year and said, \u2018we\u2019d like to have a BioE Day,\u2019 I was like, \u2018what\u2019s that?\u2019\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s an opportunity to build community, to bring together the 100 or so grad students from disparate backgrounds and pathways, and honor their work, in one place on one day, which is this Monday, May 12, when the first BioE Day takes place in the Parker H. Petit Institute for BioEngineering and Bioscience (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs you might expect from an interdisciplinary program, the idea took shape out of a collective thought process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSomeone suggested we have something called BioE Day, and the reaction was, \u2018sounds great \u2026 what do you mean?\u2019 So we took some time to define what we wanted that to be,\u201d says Tom Bongiorno, a third-year Ph.D. student and president of the BioEngineering Graduate Student Advisory Committee.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSo we talked a lot about BioE identity. We come from up to eight home schools, so we don\u2019t all take classes together. This seemed like a good idea, a way to build or improve our identity.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019ll now use BioE Day as the venue to announce BioE\u2019s annual awards, but the graduate students have even given that a new twist. This year, they\u2019ve replaced the \u201cbest\u201d appellation with \u201coutstanding.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201c\u2019Best\u2019 seemed kind of arrogant and a little intimidating,\u201d says Bongiorno, who will be honored as the BioE Outstanding Paper winner and offer a presentation about his paper at the event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeveral other awards will be given out, including Outstanding Thesis (Jonathan Newman, who earned his Ph.D. in 2013) and Outstanding Advisor (Julie Champion, assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering). This will also mark the first year of the Chris Ruffin Graduate Student Leadership Award, which honors the memory of the former longtime BioE academic advisor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cChris was a tireless champion for the BioE Program. He truly cared about the students and faculty, was a fantastic listener, and problem solver,\u201d says Garc\u00eda, who will make the announcement Monday afternoon.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u201c\u003C\/strong\u003EHe contributed significantly to the success of BioE.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere will be, among other things, speeches by the award winners, rapid-fire research presentations from students, a poster presentation, a senior graduate student panel discussion, a cookout at the end of the day, and plenty of games (including a faculty water balloon toss competition).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis all about community building,\u201d Bongiorno says. \u201cIt\u2019s a way to make everyone a little more visible to everyone else.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/bgsac\/event\/bioe-day\u0022\u003EView the agenda and register here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAward Winners\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJulie Champion, Outstanding Advisor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChampion is an assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a member of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences. She earned her B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2001 and completed her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of California \u2013 Santa Barbara, in 2007, as a National Science Foundation graduate fellow. She was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow from 2007-2009 at the California Institute of Technology. Champion\u2019s current research focuses on design and self-assembly of therapeutic nanomaterials made from engineered proteins for applications in cancer and immunology. She has received a BRIGE award from the National Science Foundation and the Georgia Tech Women in Engineering Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETom Bongiorno, Outstanding Paper\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBongiorno is a third year Ph.D. candidate in BioEngineering. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2011 from the University of Notre Dame, where he worked on a stem cell-based tissue-engineering project. As an undergraduate, Bongiorno conducted a summer research project on microparticle phagocytosis in the lab of Todd Sulchek, where he has returned for his graduate work. Bongiorno is seeking to use the mechanical properties of individual cells as bases for identifying and sorting differentiating stem cells. The goal of his research is to use microfluidic technology that sorts cells based on their mechanical properties to obtain a purified population of a desired cell phenotype. Bongiorno is a Georgia Tech President\u0027s Fellow and was a trainee on the stem cell biomanufacturing IGERT at Georgia Tech from 2011-2013. His winning paper is titled, \u201cMechanical stiffness as an improved single-cell indicator of osteoblastic human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJonathan Newman, Outstanding Thesis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENewman completed his undergraduate studies at the State University of New York (SUNY) \u2013 Binghamton in 2007, majoring in BioEngineering. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology for his graduate studies under the mentorship of Steve Potter, earning his PhD in 2013 (his thesis work was supported by a National Science Foundation IGERT Fellowship and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship). He is now a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Matt Wilson at MIT, leveraging the skills he gained during his thesis work at Georgia Tech in order to understand the neural basis of memory consolidation in freely moving rodents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOptogenetics is a set of technologies that enable optically triggered gain or loss of function in genetically specified populations of cells. Optogenetic methods have revolutionized experimental neuroscience by allowing precise excitation or inhibition of firing in specific neuronal populations embedded within complex, heterogeneous tissue. During his thesis work at Georgia Tech, Newman developed a feedback control technology that automatically adjusts optical stimulation in real-time to precisely control neuronal network activity levels. This technique (called the \u2018optoclamp\u2019 in Steve Potter\u0027s lab) allows extremely robust and precise control of network firing levels, far surpassing the abilities of existing technologies. Ming-fai Fong and Pete Wenner from Emory University have subsequently used the optoclamp to show conclusively that reductions in excitatory neurotransmission directly trigger homeostatic increases in synaptic strength, independent of changes in firing activity. These results oppose a large body of literature on the subject and have significant implications for memory formation and maintenance in the central nervous system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A day dedicated to building community, outstanding community members recognized."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s plenty to like about the interdisciplinary BioEngineering Graduate Program (or BioE) at the Georgia Tech Institute of Technology. What\u2019s not to like? This is a program that brings together a diverse range of curious students and faculty who are discovering and developing tools to improve the human condition.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A day dedicated to building community, outstanding community members recognized."}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2014-05-09 13:30:44","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:22","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-05-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-05-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"85771":{"id":"85771","type":"image","title":"Dr. Julie Champion","body":null,"created":"1449178110","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:28:30","changed":"1475894706","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:06","alt":"Dr. Julie Champion","file":{"fid":"193904","name":"champion3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/champion3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/champion3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1258945,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/champion3_0.jpg?itok=WIE1_K7U"}}},"media_ids":["85771"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"569","name":"bioengineering"},{"id":"249","name":"Biomedical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\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":""}},"294001":{"#nid":"294001","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech, Emory Students Launch Medical Technology Incubator","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students and engineers have teamed up with Emory students and clinicians to launch Forge, a technology incubator with a mission of developing medical entrepreneurs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have incredible clinicians at Emory, brilliant engineers at Tech, and tremendous entrepreneurial resources through VentureLab, the Advanced Technology Development Center, and FlashPoint,\u201d said Erik Reinertsen, an M.D.\/Ph.D. student at Emory and Tech and managing director of Forge. \u201cAtlanta will be a leader in this space.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EForge builds on a history of productive collaborations between clinicians and engineers in Atlanta, but with a human-centric focus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s driven by the graduate and medical students,\u201d said Yogi Patel, a Ph.D. student in bioengineering. \u201cWe focus on startups, people, and learning through doing. Our colleagues in Silicon Valley and Boston have helped us understand that people are more important than specific technologies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EForge aspires to bring other lessons learned from those colleagues into the Atlanta medical community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe hope to instill elements of the Silicon Valley culture into medicine: big vision, pay-it-forward mentorship, and a get-it-done attitude,\u201d said Evan McClure, an Emory M.D.\/MBA student and Forge director of finance and operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EForge has already hosted pitch nights, workshops, and networking events, and is planning its first Healthcare Hackathon for the fall, all with the aim of connecting innovators and clinicians to existing resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHealthcare innovation in Atlanta is growing quickly, but suffers from fragmentation,\u201d said Reinertsen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough graduate students and entrepreneurs are spearheading Forge \u2014 under the guidance of academic leadership from Emory and Tech \u2014 undergraduates, faculty, postdoctoral scholars, residents, and fellows are encouraged to participate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EForge is looking for work spaces on both the Tech and Emory campuses. More information is available at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/forgeatl.com\/\u0022\u003Eforgeatl.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech biomedical students are teaming up with students and physicians at the Emory University School of Medicine to launch Forge, Atlanta\u2019s first medical technology incubator.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tech and Emory students are teaming up to create and test new medical technology."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2014-05-05 16:21:44","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:18","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"294011":{"id":"294011","type":"image","title":"Forge ATL Medicine 2.0 Event","body":null,"created":"1449244331","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:52:11","changed":"1475894993","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:53","alt":"Forge ATL Medicine 2.0 Event","file":{"fid":"199325","name":"10528172243_b806447f82_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10528172243_b806447f82_o_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10528172243_b806447f82_o_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5487759,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/10528172243_b806447f82_o_0.jpg?itok=5imSSywp"}}},"media_ids":["294011"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ForgeATL","title":"Forge on Facebook"},{"url":"http:\/\/forgeatl.com\/","title":"Forge"},{"url":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/forgeatl","title":"Forge on Twitter"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3472","name":"entrepreneurship"},{"id":"92521","name":"forge"},{"id":"4239","name":"incubator"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"14714","name":"medical technology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:yapatel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EYogi Patel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EForge\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"290301":{"#nid":"290301","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BioE Graduate Student Leadership Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENominations Requested for BioE Graduate Student Leadership Award\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003EThe BioE Graduate Student Leadership Award was established to honor the memory of Christopher Ruffin and his exceptional contributions to the BioE Program. Chris began working at GT in 1994 and joined the bioengineering community in April 2001. As Academic Advisor in the BioE Program, Chris worked tirelessly to support the BioE students and faculty.\u0026nbsp; This award recognizes a current graduate student for his or her superior contributions to the BioEngineering Program. The Leadership Award will be awarded to a student whose influence, ideals and activities throughout his\/her time in the BioEngineering Program has left a long lasting and positive impression on the institution and has raised the standard of excellence for future BioEngineering classes. Examples of strong leadership qualities include activities such as peer mentoring, teaching, and service.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Nomination letters from students, faculty or staff describing the nominee\u2019s contributions should be submitted to the Laura Paige in the BioE office (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.paige@bioengineering.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.paige@bioengineering.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) by COB April 18. Nominations will be evaluated by a selected group of BioE students and staff. This award also carries a monetary prize.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Nominations due by April 18, 2014"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENominations Requested for BioE Graduate Student Leadership Award\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nominations due by April 18, 2014"}],"uid":"27917","created_gmt":"2014-04-14 09:59:28","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:15","author":"Laura Paige","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"226401":{"id":"226401","type":"image","title":"Christopher Ruffin","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"Christopher Ruffin","file":{"fid":"197431","name":"ruffin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ruffin_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ruffin_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1155050,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ruffin_1.jpg?itok=W5lkIEUq"}}},"media_ids":["226401"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bioengineering.gatech.edu\/","title":"BioEngineering website"}],"groups":[{"id":"65448","name":"Bioengineering Graduate Program"}],"categories":[],"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":[],"email":["Laura.Paige@bioengineering.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"288931":{"#nid":"288931","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Class Notes: Stem Cell Engineering with Classmates from Cali to MIT","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 10 graduate students are discussing stem cell population analysis, when it\u2019s time. Before they can continue the discussion, Todd McDevitt, the instructor, has to do one thing \u2014 turn on the TV.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of this class, not only is the topic of stem cell engineering unique, but thanks to video conferencing technology, Georgia Tech students can now take a class with their peers from across the country,\u201d said McDevitt, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStem Cell Engineering (BMED 8813) has been offered since the spring of 2011 and was created by McDevitt as a way to educate graduate students about a research area that is becoming increasingly popular.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIncluding the 10 students at Tech, there are 39 students enrolled in this semester\u2019s course. Aside from Tech, they are located at Washington University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, University of California, Merced, and the University of Wisconsin. And although this is a graduate-level course, undergraduates can take the course with McDevitt\u2019s permission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo what can students expect during a week of classes? On Tuesdays, students from all of the participating campuses hear a lecture via the video conferencing system on a stem cell engineering topic \u2014 think everything from stem cell biology basics to stem cell biomanufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the class meets on Thursdays, two students (at each location) typically lead a 50-minute discussion on a recently published journal article related to the lecture topic to their in-person peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen, for the remainder of class, the Tech group video conferences with the students at other locations to discuss the key points brought up by each local group.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s very helpful to have the perspective of students and faculty from other universities,\u201d\u0026nbsp; said Jenna Wilson, a Ph.D. student in the bioengineering program who is a former student of the course turned teaching assistant. \u201cBecause people at other universities have different areas of research expertise, they can provide greater insight into aspects of the stem cell engineering field and pose interesting questions for discussion.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWilson also appreciated the small class size and discussion format of the course.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBoth aspects allow for great conversations with other students and some of the leading faculty in the stem cell engineering field,\u201d she added. \u201cEven though the class is broadcast across six universities, it\u0027s still a small group where you can feel comfortable sharing ideas and opinions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course is typically offered during spring semester. For more information, email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:todd.mcdevitt@bme.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMcDevitt \u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 10 graduate students are discussing stem cell population analysis, when it\u2019s time. Before they can continue the discussion, Todd McDevitt, the instructor, has to do one thing \u2014 turn on the TV.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 10 graduate students are discussing stem cell population analysis, when it\u2019s time. Before they can continue the discussion, Todd McDevitt, the instructor, has to do one thing \u2014 turn on the TV."}],"uid":"27445","created_gmt":"2014-04-07 15:26:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:11","author":"Amelia Pavlik","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"288921":{"id":"288921","type":"image","title":"Class Notes: BMED 8813","body":null,"created":"1449244274","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:14","changed":"1475894986","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:46","alt":"Class Notes: BMED 8813","file":{"fid":"199174","name":"classnotes_stemcellfinal_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/classnotes_stemcellfinal_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/classnotes_stemcellfinal_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":253889,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/classnotes_stemcellfinal_0_0.jpg?itok=nEdVANuv"}}},"media_ids":["288921"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=78","title":"Todd McDevitt"},{"url":"http:\/\/mcdevitt.gatech.edu\/","title":"McDevitt Research Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"91121","name":"BMED 8813"},{"id":"89341","name":"class notes"},{"id":"3322","name":"classes"},{"id":"167603","name":"Stem Cell Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.pavlik@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Pavlik\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"282301":{"#nid":"282301","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Graduate Programs Earn High Marks in 2015 National Rankings","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology graduate programs continue to earn high marks from U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u0027s annual rankings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute\u2019s College of Engineering ranked No. 6 and all 11 of the programs within the college are ranked in the top 10, including industrial engineering (No. 1), biomedical and bioengineering (No. 2), environmental (No. 4), civil (No. 5), aerospace (No. 5), mechanical (No. 5), electrical (No. 6), computer (No. 7), nuclear (No. 8), materials (No. 9) and chemical (No. 10). Georgia Tech appears on the top 10 list of engineering specialties more than any other ranked institution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Georgia Tech\u0027s strong rankings with U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report year after year reflect the Institute\u0027s ongoing commitment to excellence in research and teaching, as well as a legacy of preparing innovators and leaders,\u0022 said Georgia Tech President G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute tied for the No. 9 spot in overall computer science rankings, coming in No. 6 in both systems and artificial intelligence and No. 8 in theory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech moved from No. 26 to No. 24 in overall chemistry rankings and up to No. 29 in overall physics rankings. In discrete mathematics and combinatorics, the Institute moved up four spots to No. 4.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Scheller College of Business full-time MBA program ranked No. 27, while the Institute\u2019s part-time MBA program ranked No. 20, moving up from the No. 24 spot in 2014.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute\u2019s College of Engineering ranked No. 6 and all 11 of the programs within the college are ranked in the top 10.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"College of Engineering ranks #6, with all 11 programs within nation\u0027s top 10."}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2014-03-11 09:03:27","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:58","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com\/best-graduate-schools","title":"U.S. News \u0026 World Report"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"834","name":"Rankings"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["nagel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"281681":{"#nid":"281681","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biomolecular Tweezers Facilitate Study of Mechanical Force Effects on Cells and Proteins","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new type of biomolecular tweezers could help researchers study how mechanical forces affect the biochemical activity of cells and proteins. The devices \u2013 too small to see without a microscope \u2013 use opposing magnetic and electrophoretic forces to precisely stretch the cells and molecules, holding them in position so that the activity of receptors and other biochemical activity can be studied.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArrays of the tweezers could be combined to study multiple molecules and cells simultaneously, providing a high-throughput capability for assessing the effects of mechanical forces on a broad scale. Details of the devices, which were developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University in Atlanta, were published February 19, 2014, in the journal \u003Cem\u003ETechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur lab has been very interested in mechanical-chemical switches in the extracellular matrix, but we currently have a difficult time interrogating these mechanisms and discovering how they work in vivo,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=96\u0022\u003EThomas Barker\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThis device could help biologists and biomedical engineers answer questions that cannot be answered right now.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, a cell that\u2019s binding the extracellular matrix may bind with one receptor while the matrix is being stretched, and a different receptor when it\u2019s not under stress. Those binding differences could drive changes in cell phenotype and affect processes such as cell differentiation. But they are now difficult to study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHaving a device like this will allow us to interrogate what the specific binding sites are and what the specific binding triggers are,\u201d Barker explained. \u201cRight now, we know very little about this area when it comes to protein biochemistry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists have been able to study how single cells or proteins are affected by mechanical forces, but their activity can vary considerably from cell-to-cell and among molecules. The new tweezers, which are built using nanolithography, can facilitate studying thousands or more cells and proteins in aggregate. The researchers are currently testing prototype 15 by 15 arrays which they believe could be scaled up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor me, it\u2019s not sufficient to pull and hold onto a single protein,\u201d said Barker. \u201cI have to pull and hold onto tens of thousands of proteins to really use the technologies we have to develop molecular probes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the center of the tweezers are 2.8- micron polystyrene microbeads that contain superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The tiny beads are engineered to adhere to a sample being studied. That sample is attached to a bead on one side, and to a magnetic pad on the other. The magnet draws the bead toward it, while an electrophoretic force created by current flowing through a gold wiring pattern pushes the bead away.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe device simultaneously pushes and pulls on the same particle,\u201d Barker explained. \u201cThis allows us to hold the sample at a very specific position above the magnet.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the forces can be varied, the tweezers can be used to study structures of widely different size scales, from protein molecules to cells \u2013 a size difference of approximately a thousand times, noted \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=152\u0022\u003EWilbur Lam\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the Coulter Department. Absolute forces in the nano-Newton range applied by the two sources overcome the much smaller effects of Brownian motion and thermal energy, allowing the tweezers to hold the cells or molecules without constant adjustment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are basically leveraging microchip technology that has been developed by electrical and mechanical engineers,\u201d Lam noted. \u201cWe are able to leverage these very tiny features that enable us to create a very sharp electrical field on one end against an opposing short magnetic field. Because there are two ways of controlling it, we have tight resolution and can get to many different scales.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a proof of principle for the system, the researchers demonstrated its ability to distinguish between antigen binding to loaded magnetic beads coated with different antibodies. When a sufficient upward force is applied, non-specific antibody coated beads are displaced from the antigen-coated device surface, while beads coated with the specific antibody are more strongly attracted to the surface and retained on it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarker and Lam began working together on the tweezers three years ago when they realized they had similar interests in studying the effects of mechanical action on different biological systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be surprised that biology can be dictated by physical parameters,\u201d Lam explained. \u201cEverything has to obey the laws of physics, and mechanics gets to the heart of that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELam\u2019s interest is at the cellular scale, specifically in blood cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBlood cells also respond differently, biologically, when you squeeze them and when you stretch them,\u201d he said. \u201cFor instance, we have learned that mechanics has a lot to do with atherosclerosis, but the systems we currently have for studying this mechanism can only look at single-cell events. If you can look at many cells at once, you get a much better statistical view of what\u2019s happening.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarker\u2019s interests, however, are at the molecular level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are primarily interested in evolving antibodies that are capable of distinguishing different force-mediated conformations of proteins,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe have a specific protein that we are interested in, but this technique could be applied to any proteins that are suspected to have these force-activated changes in their biochemical activity.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the tweezers meet the specific experimental needs of Lam and Barker, the researchers hope to find other applications. The tweezers were developed in collaboration with graduate student Lizhi Cao and post-doctoral fellow Zhengchun Peng.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause of the scale we are able to examine \u2013 both molecular and cellular \u2013 I think this will have a lot of applications both in protein molecular engineering and biotechnology,\u201d Lam said. \u201cThis could be a useful way for people to screen relevant molecules because there currently aren\u2019t good ways to do that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond biological systems, the device could be used in materials development, microelectronics and even sensing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis ability to detect discrete binding and unbinding events between molecular species is of high interest right now,\u201d Barker added. \u201cBiosensor applications come out of this naturally.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Lizhi Cao, et al., \u201cA combined magnetophoresis\/dielectrophoresis based microbead array as a high-throughput biomolecular tweezers,\u201d (Technology 2014). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1142\/S2339547814500058\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1142\/S2339547814500058\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new type of biomolecular tweezers could help researchers study how mechanical forces affect the biochemical activity of cells and proteins. The devices \u2013 too small to see without a microscope \u2013 use opposing magnetic and electrophoretic forces to precisely stretch the cells and molecules, holding them in position so that the activity of receptors and other biochemical activity can be studied.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new type of biomolecular tweezers could help researchers study how mechanical forces affect the biochemical activity of cells and proteins."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-03-09 14:27:14","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:58","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-03-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-03-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"281661":{"id":"281661","type":"image","title":"Biomolecular tweezers","body":null,"created":"1449244199","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:59","changed":"1475894976","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:36","alt":"Biomolecular tweezers","file":{"fid":"198943","name":"molecular-tweezers.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/molecular-tweezers_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/molecular-tweezers_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1038763,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/molecular-tweezers_0.jpg?itok=i0NcQFTl"}},"281651":{"id":"281651","type":"image","title":"Biomolecular tweezers figure","body":null,"created":"1449244199","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:59","changed":"1475894976","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:36","alt":"Biomolecular tweezers figure","file":{"fid":"198942","name":"biomolecular-tweezers-figure_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/biomolecular-tweezers-figure_1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/biomolecular-tweezers-figure_1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":821807,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/biomolecular-tweezers-figure_1_0.jpg?itok=d7d1VRJH"}},"281671":{"id":"281671","type":"image","title":"Biomolecular tweezers researchers","body":null,"created":"1449244199","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:59","changed":"1475894976","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:36","alt":"Biomolecular tweezers researchers","file":{"fid":"198944","name":"molecular-tweezers-researchers.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/molecular-tweezers-researchers_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/molecular-tweezers-researchers_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1767612,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/molecular-tweezers-researchers_0.jpg?itok=QiIpHXz3"}}},"media_ids":["281661","281651","281671"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3056","name":"biochemical"},{"id":"88571","name":"biomolecular tweezers"},{"id":"88581","name":"electrophoresis"},{"id":"62101","name":"mechanical force"},{"id":"14574","name":"Thomas Barker"},{"id":"3264","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"14681","name":"Wilbur Lam"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"280951":{"#nid":"280951","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Brain Circuits Multitask to Detect, Discriminate the Outside World","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EImagine driving on a dark road. In the distance you see a single light. As the light approaches it splits into two headlights. That\u2019s a car, not a motorcycle, your brain tells you. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study found that neural circuits in the brain rapidly multitask between detecting and discriminating sensory input, such as headlights in the distance. That\u2019s different from how electronic circuits work, where one circuit performs a very specific task. The brain, the study found, is wired in way that allows a single pathway to perform multiple tasks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe showed that circuits in the brain change or adapt from situations when you need to detect something versus when you need to discriminate fine details,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/stanley.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGarrett Stanley\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, whose lab performed the research. \u201cOne of the things the brain is good at is doing multiple things. Engineers have trouble with that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research findings were published online in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.neuron.2014.01.025\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENEURON\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E on March 5. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvery day we are bombarded with sensations and the brain automatically chooses which ones to detect. This study may help scientists answer fundamental questions about how neurological disorders may disrupt the brain circuits that make those choices,\u201d said Jim Gnadt, Ph.D., program director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of NIH. \u201cInsights into sensory perception may help design new therapies, including prosthetic devices for amputees that recreate human touch.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe distance at which a person can discern two headlights from a single light is controlled by the acuity of the body\u2019s sensory pathway. For decades neuroscientists have assumed that the level of one\u2019s acuity is controlled by the distance between areas in the brain that are triggered by the sensory input. If these two areas of the brain closely overlap, then two sensory inputs \u2014 two headlights in the distance \u2014 will appear as one, the thinking went. The new study, for the first time, used animal models and optical imaging to directly assess how acuity is controlled in the brain, and how acuity can adapt to the task at hand. One neuronal circuit can do different things and do them in a robust way, the study found.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe general problem that is not well understood is how information about the outside world makes its way into our brain, into these patterns of electrical activity that ultimately let us perceive the outside world,\u201d Stanley said. \u201cThis paper squarely goes after that link between what the brain is doing, how it\u2019s activated and what that means for perception.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESensory information is encoded in the brain, much like gene sequences in DNA code for some physical representation. The brain has corresponding codes for when the visual pathway detects an object, like a coffee cup. There\u2019s a representation in the brain to transform that input into sensation. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers had yet to adequately quantify the link between discerning whether an object exists and discriminating finer details about what that object is, Stanley said. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSurprisingly, we don\u2019t understand neural coding problems very well, either in normal physiology or in disease states,\u201d Stanley said. \u201cI think it\u2019s great to be an engineer that works on this because engineers tend to love and think about very complicated systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo learn about the details of the brain\u2019s acuity, the researchers studied an animal with a high level of acuity \u2014 the rat. Rats are nocturnal animals that use their whiskers to sense the outside world. Their whiskers are arranged in rows, and chunks of brain tissue correspond to those individual whiskers. That\u2019s similar to how a human\u2019s body surface is mapped onto the brain surface. When a rat\u2019s whisker touches something, a specific part of the brain becomes activated. When a person\u2019s finger touches something, a specific part of the brain becomes activated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we image the brain, we can move a whisker on the side of the face and on the opposite side of the brain there\u2019s a little hotspot that you can image in real time,\u201d Stanley said. \u003Cbr \/\u003EThe researchers deflected rats\u2019 whiskers and then used optical imaging technology to observe the areas of the brain that were activated and measured the overlap between those areas. Rats were also trained to perform a specific task depending on which whisker was deflected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that pathways in the brain have the ability to switch between doing different kinds of tasks, such as detecting a sensory input and deciding what to do with that information. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSame circuit, same cells, but doing something different in two different contexts,\u201d Stanley said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen engineers want a circuit to do something, they build a circuit specific for that task. When they want a circuit to do something else, they build a different circuit. But in the brain, a pathway adaptively changes between being good at detecting something to being good at discriminating something, the study showed. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs an engineer, I can\u2019t design a circuit that would do that,\u201d Stanley said. \u201cThis is where the brain jumps out and says, \u2018I\u2019m better than you are at this.\u2019\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELearning more about how circuits in the brain multitask could lead to a better understanding of disease, therapeutic applications or to potentially improving how the brain functions. Stanley said that down the road engineers might be able to experimentally manipulate brain circuits to perform a desired task. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCan we make individuals better at doing something? Can we have them detect things more rapidly or discriminate between things with better acuity?\u201d Stanley said. \u201cUsing modern techniques, we believe that we can actually influence the circuit and have it selectively grab one kind of information from the outside world versus another.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number R01NS48285, and by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (CRCNS) program under award number IOS-1131948. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Douglas Ollerenshaw, et al., \u201cThe adaptive trade-off between detection and discrimination in cortical representations and behavior,\u201d (NEURON, March 2014). (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.neuron.2014.01.025\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.neuron.2014.01.025\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/GTResearchNews\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E@GTResearchNews\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/btiatl\u0022\u003E@btiatl\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Brett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study found that neural circuits in the brain rapidly multitask between detecting and discriminating sensory input, such as headlights in the distance. That\u2019s different from how electronic circuits work, where one circuit performs a very specific task. The brain, the study found, is wired in way that allows a single pathway to perform multiple tasks.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study found that neural circuits in the brain rapidly multitask between detecting and discriminating sensory input, such as headlights in the distance."}],"uid":"27902","created_gmt":"2014-03-05 13:28:39","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:58","author":"Brett Israel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-03-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-03-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"280931":{"id":"280931","type":"image","title":"Garrett Stanley","body":null,"created":"1449244184","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:44","changed":"1475894973","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:33","alt":"Garrett Stanley","file":{"fid":"198920","name":"garrett_stanley.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/garrett_stanley_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/garrett_stanley_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":186377,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/garrett_stanley_1.jpg?itok=za48QE0L"}},"280941":{"id":"280941","type":"image","title":"Rat whiskers","body":null,"created":"1449244184","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:44","changed":"1475894973","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:33","alt":"Rat whiskers","file":{"fid":"198921","name":"rat-whiskers.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rat-whiskers_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rat-whiskers_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":341286,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rat-whiskers_0.jpg?itok=h0TRKY5U"}}},"media_ids":["280931","280941"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"63261","name":"Brain Mapping"},{"id":"14462","name":"Garrett Stanley"},{"id":"88371","name":"neural circuits"},{"id":"7276","name":"neuron"},{"id":"1304","name":"neuroscience"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/btiatl\u0022\u003E@btiatl\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"276481":{"#nid":"276481","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Single Chip Device to Provide Real-Time 3-D Images from Inside the Heart and Blood Vessels","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed the technology for a catheter-based device that would provide forward-looking, real-time, three-dimensional imaging from inside the heart, coronary arteries and peripheral blood vessels. With its volumetric imaging, the new device could better guide surgeons working in the heart, and potentially allow more of patients\u2019 clogged arteries to be cleared without major surgery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe device integrates ultrasound transducers with processing electronics on a single 1.4 millimeter silicon chip. On-chip processing of signals allows data from more than a hundred elements on the device to be transmitted using just 13 tiny cables, permitting it to easily travel through circuitous blood vessels. The forward-looking images produced by the device would provide significantly more information than existing cross-sectional ultrasound.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed and tested a prototype able to provide image data at 60 frames per second, and plan next to conduct animal studies that could lead to commercialization of the device.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur device will allow doctors to see the whole volume that is in front of them within a blood vessel,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/degertekin\u0022\u003EF. Levent Degertekin\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cThis will give cardiologists the equivalent of a flashlight so they can see blockages ahead of them in occluded arteries. It has the potential for reducing the amount of surgery that must be done to clear these vessels.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the research were published online in the February 2014 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EIEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control\u003C\/em\u003E. Research leading to the device development was supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), part of the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you\u2019re a doctor, you want to see what is going on inside the arteries and inside the heart, but most of the devices being used for this today provide only cross-sectional images,\u201d Degertekin explained. \u201cIf you have an artery that is totally blocked, for example, you need a system that tells you what\u2019s in front of you. You need to see the front, back and sidewalls altogether. That kind of information is basically not available at this time.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe single chip device combines capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) arrays with front-end CMOS electronics technology to provide three-dimensional intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and intracardiac echography (ICE) images.\u0026nbsp; The dual-ring array includes 56 ultrasound transmit elements and 48 receive elements. When assembled, the donut-shaped array is just 1.5 millimeters in diameter, with a 430-micron center hole to accommodate a guide wire.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPower-saving circuitry in the array shuts down sensors when they are not needed, allowing the device to operate with just 20 milliwatts of power, reducing the amount of heat generated inside the body. The ultrasound transducers operate at a frequency of 20 megahertz (MHz).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImaging devices operating within blood vessels can provide higher resolution images than devices used from outside the body because they can operate at higher frequencies. But operating inside blood vessels requires devices that are small and flexible enough to travel through the circulatory system. They must also be able to operate in blood.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoing that requires a large number of elements to transmit and receive the ultrasound information. Transmitting data from these elements to external processing equipment could require many cable connections, potentially limiting the device\u2019s ability to be threaded inside the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDegertekin and his collaborators addressed that challenge by miniaturizing the elements and carrying out some of the processing on the probe itself, allowing them to obtain what they believe are clinically-useful images with only 13 cables.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou want the most compact and flexible catheter possible,\u201d Degertekin explained. \u201cWe could not do that without integrating the electronics and the imaging array on the same chip.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on their prototype, the researchers expect to conduct animal trials to demonstrate the device\u2019s potential applications. They ultimately expect to license the technology to an established medical diagnostic firm to conduct the clinical trials necessary to obtain FDA approval.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, Degertekin hopes to develop a version of the device that could guide interventions in the heart under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Other plans include further reducing the size of the device to place it on a 400-micron diameter guide wire.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Degertekin, the research team included Jennifer Hasler, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mustafa Karaman, a professor at Istanbul Technical University; Coskun Tekes, a postdoctoral fellow in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering; Gokce Gurun and Jaime Zahorian, recent graduates of Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Georgia Tech Ph.D. students Toby Xu and Sarp Satir.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by award number R01EB010070 from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIBIB or NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Gokce Gurun, et al., \u201cSingle-Chip CMUT-on-CMOS Front-end System for Real-Time Volumetric IVUS and ICE Imaging,\u201d (IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, 2014). (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1109\/TUFFC.2014.6722610\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1109\/TUFFC.2014.6722610\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed the technology for a catheter-based device that would provide forward-looking, real-time, three-dimensional imaging from inside the heart, coronary arteries and peripheral blood vessels. With its volumetric imaging, the new device could better guide surgeons working in the heart, and potentially allow more of patients\u2019 clogged arteries to be cleared without major surgery.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Technology has been developed for a catheter-based device that would provide forward-looking, real-time, three-dimensional imaging from inside the heart and blood vessels."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-02-15 21:39:42","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:51","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"276461":{"id":"276461","type":"image","title":"Medical imaging4","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894968","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:28","alt":"Medical imaging4","file":{"fid":"198784","name":"medical-imaging4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/medical-imaging4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/medical-imaging4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":974327,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/medical-imaging4_0.jpg?itok=5AaQvx3x"}},"276431":{"id":"276431","type":"image","title":"Medical imaging1","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894966","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:26","alt":"Medical imaging1","file":{"fid":"198781","name":"medical-imaging1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/medical-imaging1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/medical-imaging1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1573859,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/medical-imaging1_0.jpg?itok=ukKBrUue"}},"276471":{"id":"276471","type":"image","title":"Medical imaging5","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894968","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:28","alt":"Medical imaging5","file":{"fid":"198785","name":"medical-imaging5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/medical-imaging5_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/medical-imaging5_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1354362,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/medical-imaging5_0.jpg?itok=ciU4apa8"}},"276441":{"id":"276441","type":"image","title":"medical imaging2","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894966","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:26","alt":"medical imaging2","file":{"fid":"198782","name":"medical-imaging2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/medical-imaging2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/medical-imaging2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1343256,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/medical-imaging2_0.jpg?itok=O-v5YafR"}},"276451":{"id":"276451","type":"image","title":"Medical imaging3","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894968","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:28","alt":"Medical imaging3","file":{"fid":"198783","name":"medical-imaging3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/medical-imaging3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/medical-imaging3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1522102,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/medical-imaging3_0.jpg?itok=ttqh2k4Q"}}},"media_ids":["276461","276431","276471","276441","276451"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"987","name":"imaging"},{"id":"17041","name":"Levent Degertekin"},{"id":"2776","name":"medical imaging"},{"id":"167377","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"86611","name":"transducer"},{"id":"7677","name":"ultrasound"},{"id":"86601","name":"volumetric imaging"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"275371":{"#nid":"275371","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Good as Gold","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBuilt for the 1996 Olympics, the campus recreation center helps land Georgia Tech on the Fittest Colleges in America list\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is no question that the Georgia Institute of Technology provides a mental workout. Academically, we rank with the best schools in the nation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech also ranks among the most physically fit college campuses in the country. The Institute was listed #19 on the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.theactivetimes.com\/node\/327512\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E50 Fittest Colleges in America by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EThe Active Times\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe hub of physical activity here helped Georgia Tech land so high on that ranking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/features\/good-gold\u0022\u003EGood as Gold: Inside Georgia Tech\u0027s Rec Center\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Inside Georgia Tech\u0027s Rec Center"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBuilt for the 1996 Olympics, the campus recreation center helps land Georgia Tech on the Fittest Colleges in America list\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Built for the 1996 Olympics, the Campus Recreation Center helps land Georgia Tech on the Fittest Colleges in America List"}],"uid":"27948","created_gmt":"2014-02-10 14:39:11","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:51","author":"Jennifer Tomasino","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-02-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-02-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"275381":{"id":"275381","type":"image","title":"Campus Recreation Center indoor running track","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894966","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:26","alt":"Campus Recreation Center indoor running track","file":{"fid":"198752","name":"campus_rec_center_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/campus_rec_center_2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/campus_rec_center_2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":71404,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/campus_rec_center_2_0.jpg?itok=ygOarerv"}}},"media_ids":["275381"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4523","name":"Campus Recreation Center"},{"id":"719","name":"CRC"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBy Steven Norris\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"271081":{"#nid":"271081","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Todd McDevitt Elected to AIMBE\u2019s College of Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/aimbe.org\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAIMBE\u003C\/a\u003E) announced its 2014 College of Fellows and Todd C. McDevitt, Ph.D.,\u0026nbsp;Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Associate Professor\u0026nbsp;in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (BME) at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, was chosen among this year\u2019s inductees. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAIMBE\u2019s College of Fellows comprises a select group of about 1,500 members who have made significant and transformational contributions to medical and biological engineering.\u0026nbsp;The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers in the country.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcDevitt\u2019s research program is focused on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/mcdevitt.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eengineering stem cell technologies\u003C\/a\u003E, which represents efforts to transform the potential of stem cells into clinically viable and useful regenerative therapies and diagnostic tools. To date, McDevitt has been responsible for over $10 million of research funding and has mentored more than 30 pre- and postdoctoral trainees and advised over 50 undergraduate researchers.\u0026nbsp; He has published over 50 articles in the top journals in his field and he has a number of local and national awards to his credit.\u0026nbsp;McDevitt joined the BME department in 2004 and in 2010 was appointed as the director of Georgia Tech\u2019s Stem Cell Engineering Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;nominations were peer reviewed by the College of Fellows Selection Committee, submitted for election, and approved by the votes of the entire College of Fellows to form\u0026nbsp;AIMBE\u2019s College of Fellows Class of 2014.\u0026nbsp;McDevitt will be officially be inducted during AIMBE\u2019s Annual Meeting at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2014.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) announced its 2014 College of Fellows"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAIMBE\u2019s College of Fellows comprises a select group of about 1,500 members who have made significant and transformational contributions to medical and biological engineering.\u0026nbsp;The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers in the country.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) announced its 2014 College of Fellows"}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2014-01-24 17:29:10","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:44","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-01-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-01-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"271091":{"id":"271091","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt Elected to AIMBE\u2019s College of Fellows","body":null,"created":"1449244095","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:15","changed":"1475894961","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:21","alt":"Todd McDevitt Elected to AIMBE\u2019s College of Fellows","file":{"fid":"198638","name":"10p1000-p37-004_copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10p1000-p37-004_copy_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10p1000-p37-004_copy_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2474162,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/10p1000-p37-004_copy_0.jpg?itok=At4Mf623"}},"254661":{"id":"254661","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt","body":null,"created":"1449243828","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:48","changed":"1475894934","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:54","alt":"Todd McDevitt","file":{"fid":"198186","name":"todd_mcdevitt_lab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/todd_mcdevitt_lab_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/todd_mcdevitt_lab_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4014690,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/todd_mcdevitt_lab_0.jpg?itok=TebBWi34"}}},"media_ids":["271091","254661"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"1007","name":"AIMBE"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"167413","name":"Stem Cell"},{"id":"760","name":"Todd McDevitt"},{"id":"3264","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"}],"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:chris.calleri@bme.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EChris Calleri\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr \/\u003EWallace H. Coulter\u0026nbsp;Department\u003Cbr \/\u003Eof Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["chris.calleri@bme.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"262751":{"#nid":"262751","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Imaging Technology Could Unlock Mysteries of a Childhood Disease","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy the time they\u2019re two, most children have had respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and suffered symptoms no worse than a bad cold. But for some children, especially premature babies and those with underlying health conditions, RSV can lead to pneumonia and bronchitis \u2013 which can require hospitalization and have long-term consequences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new technique for studying the structure of the RSV virion and the activity of RSV in living cells could help researchers unlock the secrets of the virus, including how it enters cells, how it replicates, how many genomes it inserts into its hosts \u2013 and perhaps why certain lung cells escape the infection relatively unscathed. That could provide scientists information they need to develop new antiviral drugs and perhaps even a vaccine to prevent severe RSV infections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to develop tools that would allow us to get at how the virus really works,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=105\u0022\u003EPhilip Santangelo\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe really need to be able to follow the infection in a single living cell without affecting how the virus infects its hosts, and this technology should allow us to do that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was supported by the National Institutes of Health\u2019s National Institute of General Medical Sciences and published online ahead of print in the journal \u003Cem\u003EACS Nano\u003C\/em\u003E on December 30, 2013. While RSV will be the first target for the work, the researchers believe the imaging technique they developed could be used to study other RNA viruses, including influenza and Ebola.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve shown that we can tag the genome using our probes,\u201d explained Santangelo. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve learned from this is that the genome does get incorporated into the virion, and that the virus particles created are infectious. We were able to characterize some aspects of the virus particle itself at super-resolution, down to 20 nanometers, using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) imaging.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERSV can be difficult to study. For one thing, the infectious particle can take different forms, ranging from 10-micron filaments to ordinary spheres. The virus can insert more than one genome into the host cells and the RNA orientation and structure are disordered, which makes it difficult to characterize.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team, which included scientists from Vanderbilt University and Emory University, used a probe technology that quickly attaches to RNA within cells. The probe uses multiple fluorophores to indicate the presence of the viral RNA, allowing the researchers to see where it goes in host cells \u2013 and to watch as infectious particles leave the cells to spread the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBeing able to see the genome and the progeny RNA that comes from the genome with the probes we use really give us much more insight into the replication cycle,\u201d Santangelo said. \u201cThis gives us much more information about what the virus is really doing. If we can visualize the entry, assembly and replication of the virus, that would allow us to decide what to go after to fight the virus.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research depended on a new method for labelling RNA viruses using multiply-labeled tetravalent RNA imaging probes (MTRIPS). The probes consist of a chimeric combination of DNA and RNA oligonucleotide labeled internally with fluorophores tetravelently complexed to neutravidin. The chimeric combination was used to help the probes evade cellular defenses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are lots of sensors in the cell that look for foreign RNA and foreign DNA, but to the cell, this probe doesn\u2019t look like anything,\u201d Santangelo explained. \u201cThe cell doesn\u2019t see the nucleic acid as foreign.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIntroduced into cells, the probes quickly diffuse through a cell infected with RSV and bind to the virus\u2019s RNA. Though binding tightly, the probe doesn\u2019t affect the normal activities of the virus and allows researchers to follow the activity for days using standard microscopy techniques. The MTRIPS can be used to complement other probe technology, such as GFP and gold nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWork done by graduate student Eric Alonas to concentrate the virus was essential to the project, Santangelo said. The concentration had to be done without adversely affecting the infectivity of the virus, which would have impacted its ability to enter host cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt took quite a bit of work to get the right techniques to concentrate the RSV,\u201d he said. \u201cNow we can make lots of infectious virus that\u2019s labelled and can be stored so we can use it when we want to.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo study the infection\u2019s progress in individual cells, the researchers faced another challenge: living cells move around, and following them complicates the research. To address that movement, the laboratory of Thomas Barker \u2013 also in the Coulter Department \u2013 used micro-patterned fibronectin on glass to create 50-micron \u201cislands\u201d that contained the cells during the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the mysteries that the researchers would like to tackle is why certain lung cells are severely infected \u2013 while others appear to escape ill effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you look at a field of cells, you see huge differences from cell to cell, and that is something that\u2019s not understood at all,\u201d Santangelo said. \u201cIf we can figure out why some cells are exploding with virus while others are not, perhaps we can figure out a way to help the bad ones look more like the good ones.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research team included James Crowe, professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University; Elizabeth Wright, assistant professor in the School of Medicine at Emory University; Daryll Vanover, Jeenah Jung, Chiara Zurla, Jonathan Kirschman, Vincent Fiore, and Alison Douglas from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University; Aaron Lifland and Manasa Gudheti from Vutara Inc. in Salt Lake City, and Hong Yi from the Emory University School of Medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the challenges of studying RSV is maintaining its activity in the laboratory setting \u2013 a problem parents of young children don\u2019t share.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen you handle this virus in the lab, you have to always be careful about it losing infectivity,\u201d Santangelo noted. \u201cBut if you take a room full of children who have not been infected and let one infected child into the room, 15 minutes later all of the children will be infected.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research described here was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under contract R01 GM094198-01. Any conclusions or opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Eric Alonas, et al., \u201cCombining Single RNA Sensitive Probes with Subdiffraction-Limited and Live-Cell Imaging Enables the Characterization of Virus Dynamics in Cells,\u201d (ACS Nano, December 2013). (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/nn405998v\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/nn405998v\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-385-1933).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new technique for studying the structure of the RSV virion and the activity of RSV in living cells could help researchers unlock the secrets of the virus, including how it enters cells, how it replicates, how many genomes it inserts into its hosts \u2013 and perhaps why certain lung cells escape the infection relatively unscathed.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Scientists have developed a new technique for studying RSV, a common childhood illness."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-12-29 21:43:10","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:36","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-30T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-30T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"262721":{"id":"262721","type":"image","title":"RSV infected cell","body":null,"created":"1449243999","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:39","changed":"1475894948","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:08","alt":"RSV infected cell","file":{"fid":"198433","name":"infected-cell.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/infected-cell_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/infected-cell_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":264504,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/infected-cell_0.jpg?itok=pJCL-W7r"}},"262731":{"id":"262731","type":"image","title":"RSV viral filament","body":null,"created":"1449243999","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:39","changed":"1475894948","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:08","alt":"RSV viral filament","file":{"fid":"198434","name":"viral_filament1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/viral_filament1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/viral_filament1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":227839,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/viral_filament1_0.jpg?itok=6JRfiWJH"}},"262741":{"id":"262741","type":"image","title":"RSV RNA binding","body":null,"created":"1449243999","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:39","changed":"1475894948","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:08","alt":"RSV RNA binding","file":{"fid":"198435","name":"rna-binding.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rna-binding_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rna-binding_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":183158,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rna-binding_0.jpg?itok=3dIKrhFc"}}},"media_ids":["262721","262731","262741"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1133","name":"genome"},{"id":"10660","name":"infection"},{"id":"13850","name":"Philip Santangelo"},{"id":"82651","name":"replication"},{"id":"984","name":"RNA"},{"id":"7647","name":"RSV"},{"id":"82661","name":"virion"},{"id":"4292","name":"virus"},{"id":"82671","name":"Wallace Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"261581":{"#nid":"261581","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Atlantic Pediatric Device Consortium Awarded $3.5M to Assist Commercialization of Medical Devices for Children","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Atlantic Pediatric Device Consortium (APDC) has been awarded $3.5 million over five years by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to assist scientists, clinicians and entrepreneurs in bringing medical devices for children to the market with greater efficiency. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe APDC is one of only seven FDA pediatric device consortia in the country. The center is a public-private partnership between the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Children\u0027s Healthcare of Atlanta, and now the Virginia Commonwealth University. The APDC\u2019s mission is to increase the accessibility of medical devices that will improve the health of children. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe APDC was founded in 2011, and the new award is a second-phase grant. The latest funding positions Atlanta as a national leader in pediatric technologies. The award follows a $20 million joint investment by Georgia Tech and Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta, announced in June 2012, for developing technological solutions for improving children\u2019s health.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe APDC\u2019s mission is crucial to improving the health of children. Many medical devices used to treat children were designed and produced for adults, so they are not optimal for the pediatric physiology and anatomy. The APDC was created to help academic entrepreneurs and small businesses obtain the expertise that they need to commercialize their pediatric medical technologies. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThis additional round of funding will make a profound impact on the availability of medical devices designed especially for pediatric patients,\u201d said David Ku, the Lawrence P. Huang Chair Professor of Engineering Entrepreneurship at Georgia Tech, who will lead the APDC.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEntrepreneurs struggle to commercialize pediatric technologies because the market for these devices is small compared to that of the adult medical device market. The APDC\u2019s hope is that more efficient development of pediatric devices will improve the benefit-to-cost ratio for these products so that they can succeed in smaller markets. \u003Cbr \/\u003ETo achieve this goal, the APDC provides expertise in device engineering, laboratory and animal model studies, design and analysis of clinical trials with access to relevant pediatric populations, and identification of the best clinical application for introduction of a technology into the marketplace. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAPDC also has experience in prototyping, business planning, good manufacturing practices, regulatory affairs and intellectual property protection. The center\u2019s advisors have been assisting projects since 2011 when APDC was awarded initial funding from the FDA.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cOur team\u2019s combined expertise of over 80 years should help the community at large bring additional devices to market,\u201d said Ku, who is also a Regents Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAPDC\u2019s co-directors are Barbara Boyan, dean of the School of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth, and Wilbur Lam, assistant professor of in pediatrics with appointments at Emory University, the Aflac Cancer Center of Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. APDC\u2019s associate director is Kevin Maher, M.D., a cardiologist and researcher specializing in pediatrics with appointments at the Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta, Sibley Heart Center and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants public-private partnership five year award"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EU.S. Food and Drug Administration grants Georgia Tech and partners a five year award.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants public-private partnership five year award"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-12-17 11:58:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:33","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-17T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-17T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"261621":{"id":"261621","type":"image","title":"David Ku, MD, PhD - Executive Director, Atlantic Pediatric Device Consortium","body":null,"created":"1449243999","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:39","changed":"1475894948","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:08","alt":"David Ku, MD, PhD - Executive Director, Atlantic Pediatric Device Consortium","file":{"fid":"198400","name":"d._ku.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/d._ku_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/d._ku_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2457902,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/d._ku_0.jpg?itok=ZngeKZmX"}}},"media_ids":["261621"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/pediatricdevicesatlanta.org\/","title":"Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"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:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector Communications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003EPetit Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"260971":{"#nid":"260971","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Four Faculty Named 2013 AAAS Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech faculty continue to be recognized as among the most respected in their field. Last month, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) named four \u2014 in biology, computing and engineering \u2014 to its 2013 class of fellows\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElection as a fellow of AAAS, the world\u2019s largest general scientific society, is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew fellows include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EHenrik Christensen\u003C\/strong\u003E, cited \u201cfor contributions to applied estimation methods in mapping, robot localization, visual tracking and recognition, as well as national-level leadership of the robotics community.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESchool of Biology Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EMark Hay\u003C\/strong\u003E, cited \u201cfor distinguished contributions in ecology, particularly for developing marine chemical ecology and for elucidating how chemical cues and signals structure populations, communities, and ecosystems.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EHang Lu\u003C\/strong\u003E, cited \u201cfor distinguished contributions to the field of engineering systems for high-throughput quantitative and systems biology, particularly for microfluidics, automation, image-based science, and phenomics.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESchool of Aerospace Engineering Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ESuresh Menon\u003C\/strong\u003E, cited \u201cfor distinguished and innovative contributions to the field of multi-scale computational simulation and modeling of turbulent combustion in power and propulsion systems.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech faculty continue to be recognized as among the most respected in their field. Last month, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) named four \u2014 in biology, computing and engineering \u2014 to its 2013 class of fellows\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Honorific in the world\u2019s largest general scientific society is determined by peers"}],"uid":"27299","created_gmt":"2013-12-13 16:33:08","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:33","author":"Michael Hagearty","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"260951":{"id":"260951","type":"image","title":"Henrik Christensen","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Henrik Christensen","file":{"fid":"198368","name":"10p1000-p71-032_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10p1000-p71-032_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10p1000-p71-032_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":389386,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/10p1000-p71-032_0_0.jpg?itok=0VzKiaal"}},"260931":{"id":"260931","type":"image","title":"Mark Hay","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Mark Hay","file":{"fid":"198366","name":"12e7001-p1-018.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/12e7001-p1-018_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/12e7001-p1-018_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":209169,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/12e7001-p1-018_0.jpg?itok=z7uh_Qi4"}},"260941":{"id":"260941","type":"image","title":"Hang Lu","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Hang Lu","file":{"fid":"198367","name":"11e2016-p3-033.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/11e2016-p3-033_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/11e2016-p3-033_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":484004,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/11e2016-p3-033_0.jpg?itok=ctZBYa6J"}},"260921":{"id":"260921","type":"image","title":"Suresh Menon","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Suresh Menon","file":{"fid":"198365","name":"menon-s.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/menon-s_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/menon-s_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4130,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/menon-s_0.jpg?itok=9IonVlje"}}},"media_ids":["260951","260931","260941","260921"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1629","name":"AAAS"},{"id":"11701","name":"AAAS Fellows"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"260861":{"#nid":"260861","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Petit Institute Announces 2013 \u0022Above and Beyond\u0022 Award Winners","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience announced the winners of its annual Interdisciplinary Education and Research \u0022Above and Beyond\u0022 awards given annually to staff, a junior faculty member, a senior faculty member, six trainees and staff members. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022We have so many people who contribute to the great bio-community at Georgia Tech,\u0022 stated Bob Guldberg, executive director of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u0022These awards serve as a way to celebrate a few individuals who have gone above and beyond to make a real difference in our community.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWinners included, Julia Babensee, PhD, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, received the senior faculty award for her dedication in the planning the 2012 Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting and planning of the first workshop on Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech recently.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EChristine Payne, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Chemistry, received the junior faculty award for writing a instrumentation grant for a new super resolution fluorescence microscope (Zeiss Elyra PS-1) which will be part of the Petit Institute\u0027s microscopy core beginning in 2014 and will be available for all researchers to use.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EThe trainee awards were given to graduate students, Alex Caulk, Tracy Hookway, Timothy Kassis, Chris Quinto, Torri Rinker, Denise Sullivan for their dedication to the broader community through community service activities as well as volunteering. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECaulk, a doctoral student in Georgia Tech\u0027s interdisciplinary bioengineering program was recognized for his leadership and service activities for the Bioengineering Graduate Student Advisory Committee (BGSAC).\u0026nbsp; Caulk is advised by Rudy Gleason, PhD.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E Hookway, a postdoctoral fellow from the lab of Todd McDevitt, PhD, was recognized for her role as the local event organizer for the recent Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine International Society annual meeting held in Atlanta, GA in 2013. Hookway brought a new innovative approach to the trainee-lead events for this workshop, introducing the first high school outreach event to the society. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKassis, a doctoral student in Georgia Tech\u0027s bioengineering program and advised by J. Brandon Dixon, PhD, was recognized for his many volunteer and service activities over several years for the Bioengineering and Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (BBUGS) group as well as the BGSAC organization. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EQuinto received his award for his two years of service as Co-Director for the BBUGS student organization which involved management and oversight of numerous volunteer and service activities to the bio-community.\u0026nbsp; Quinto is a doctoral candidate in the biomedical engineering from the lab of Gang Bao, PhD.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERinker, a doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering advised by Johnna Temenoff, PhD, was recognized for the dedication and excellent organizational skills she brought to the BBUGS education and outreach committee the last two years as well as helping the New Science Club which services Coretta Scott King Young Women\u0027s Leadership Academy and B.E.S.T Academy, two minority-serving public high schools in the City of Atlanta.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESullivan, a doctoral candidate and National Science Foundation fellow in the lab of Todd McDevitt, PhD, received the award also for her many efforts for the BBUGS education and outreach committee and the New Science Club.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe staff awards were given to Rachel Cochran who serves as grants administrator, and Sandra Powell, accounting manager, for the Petit Institute. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Interdisciplinary Education and Research \u0022Above and Beyond\u0022 awards were started in 2009 to recognize team-based individuals who demonstrate exemplary service to the institute and contribute to its collegial, collaborative environment.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Trainees, staff, senior and junior faculty, honored"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESenior faculty, junior faculty, trainees and staff recognized for going \u0022above and beyond\u0022 for the community.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Senior faculty, junior faculty, trainees and staff recognized"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-12-13 13:46:08","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:33","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"260871":{"id":"260871","type":"image","title":"2013 Petit Institute recognizes six trainees with \u0022Above and Beyond\u0022 awards","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"2013 Petit Institute recognizes six trainees with \u0022Above and Beyond\u0022 awards","file":{"fid":"198363","name":"2013_above_and_beyond_trainee_pic-500pxls.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2013_above_and_beyond_trainee_pic-500pxls_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2013_above_and_beyond_trainee_pic-500pxls_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":96066,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2013_above_and_beyond_trainee_pic-500pxls_0.jpg?itok=jkdw1ogQ"}}},"media_ids":["260871"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"14197","name":"Julia babensee"}],"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:colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMarketing and Events\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003Efor Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"256801":{"#nid":"256801","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Two Brothers, One Paper: BME\u0027s Manu Platt and Harvard\u0027s Matthew Platt Publish AIDS Paper","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA paper on American AIDS policy, co-authored by College of Engineering Professor Manu Platt, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of the International AIDS Society.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlatt, a professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, worked on this paper with his brother Matthew Platt, an assistant professor in the Government Department at Harvard University. Their paper is called \u0022From GRID to Gridlock: The Relationship between Biomedical Breakthrough and HIV\/AIDS Policy in the U.S. Congress.\u0022 It examines how science discoveries have impacted congressional response to HIV and AIDS from 1981 to 2010. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey studied every bill introduced, hearing held, and law passed by Congress relating to HIV and AIDS and compared this information with the most impactful biomedical research publications. They found that the breakthroughs in science correlated with the number and types of HIV\/AIDS bills introduced in Congress, but did not impact the passage of laws, according to the abstract of the paper. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EManu Platt became interested in this topic when he attended a conference about the discriminatory laws Congress passed on HIV\/AIDS in the 1980s, but stayed on the books for many years. Since Matthew Platt studies how bills are presented in Congress, they decided to complete the study and paper together.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJIAS selects submissions on HIV-related topics from across all scientific disciplines that provide information on advances that have been made for monitoring and providing support for affordable and sustainable treatment, prevention and care programs, according to the JIAS website.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlatt\u2019s research at the College of Engineering focuses on tissue remodeling in arteries due to sickle cell disease or HIV infection, roles of proteases in tumor metastasis, and bone-marrow-derived cell based therapies. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Manu Platt and brother, Matthew Platt, co-publish paper on AIDS research"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EManu Platt and brother, Matthew Platt, co-publish paper on AIDS research\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Manu Platt and brother, Matthew Platt, co-publish paper on AIDS research"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-11-22 13:49:01","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:25","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"61386":{"id":"61386","type":"image","title":"Manu Platt biomedical engineer","body":null,"created":"1449176322","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:42","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Manu Platt biomedical engineer","file":{"fid":"191346","name":"tse51434.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tse51434_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tse51434_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1277779,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tse51434_0.jpg?itok=iqIZGBUS"}}},"media_ids":["61386"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/groups.bme.gatech.edu\/groups\/platt\/","title":"Platt lab"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.people.fas.harvard.edu\/~mplatt\/","title":"Matthew Platt lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"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:lyndsey.lewis@coe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELyndsey Lewis \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lyndsey.lewis@coe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"244711":{"#nid":"244711","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Garcia Awarded Regents\u0027 Professorship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe University System of Georgia Board of Regents has appointed Andres Garcia, professor of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineeing at Georgia Tech, as a Regents\u2019 Professor.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022Andres\u0027 work in biomaterials and tissue engineering is seminal, \u0022 said Bill Wepfer, Chair of the Woodruff School. \u0022Andres is a great colleague and is fun to be around which is why he is such a great advisor, mentor, and role model for our students!\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA Regents\u0027 Professorship title represents the highest academic status bestowed by the University System of Georgia. It is meant to recognize a substantial, significant and ongoing record of scholarly achievement that has earned high national esteem over a sustained period. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGarcia was recognized for his work with biomaterials, his excellence in research, teaching and service, and his leadership role in bioengineering education on campus and biomaterials research around the world. Garcia has established an internationally recognized program on engineering novel biomaterials and cell-delivery vehicles for regenerative medicine applications, including bone repair, vascularization, inflammation, and tissue morphogenesis. His research integrates engineering principles with cell and molecular biology to provide fundamental insights into mechanisms regulating cell-material interactions and constitute creative approaches to the engineering of bioactive materials for enhanced tissue repair. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier bioengineering and bioscience journals, including Science Translational Medicine, PNAS, Biomaterials, Advanced Materials, and Molecular Biology of the Cell. These papers have been cited over 4,700 times.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Regents\u2019 Professors titles are awarded by the Board of Regents, which governs the University System of Georgia, upon the unanimous recommendation of the president, the chief academic officer, the appropriate academic dean and three other faculty members named by the president, and upon the approval of the chancellor and the committee on academic affairs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Andres Garcia receives top distinction"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAndres Garcia receives top distinction\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Andres Garcia receives top distinction"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-10-12 10:51:42","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:09","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"211761":{"id":"211761","type":"image","title":"Professor Andr\u00e9s Garcia - Hydrogel as possible diabetes treatment","body":null,"created":"1449180039","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:39","changed":"1475894874","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:54","alt":"Professor Andr\u00e9s Garcia - Hydrogel as possible diabetes treatment","file":{"fid":"197065","name":"vascularization_r086_hires.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vascularization_r086_hires.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vascularization_r086_hires.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":833544,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/vascularization_r086_hires.jpg?itok=SbhKm7W7"}}},"media_ids":["211761"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.garcialab.gatech.edu\/","title":"Garcia lab website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"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:melissa.zbeeb@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMelissa Zbeeb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["melissa.zbeeb@me.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"226691":{"#nid":"226691","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bioengineering Program Loses Champion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChristopher James Ruffin, academic advisor for Georgia Tech\u2019s Interdisciplinary BioEngineering Graduate Program, passed away on July 20, 2013.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EChris was known as the easygoing and super friendly champion of the program. His spirit, like the program, was interdisciplinary and through the years he reached out across school, department, college and even university lines to make the program a success.\u0026nbsp; There is no faculty or staff member that the graduate students would more closely associate with the program than Ruffin, as he was the student\u2019s and faculty\u2019s initial point of contact for anything regarding the program.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cChris was the go-to person throughout the last 4 years that I have known him,\u201d said Timothy Kassis, a current graduate student from mechanical engineering who is in the program.\u0026nbsp; \u201cMy interactions with him from day one of the program gave me a quick sense of belonging and an inner satisfaction of calling the BioE community family.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERuffin began at Georgia Tech in 1994 and started working in the bio-community in April 2001 in the Biomedical Engineering department. Since that time he worked tirelessly to make sure that the BioEngineering Graduate students and faculty were taken care of.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cI don\u0027t think I\u0027ve worked with another person who had the combination and depth of kindness and energy that Chris did,\u201d said Rob Butera, professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and former program director.\u0026nbsp; \u201cNo task was too big or too small - he got them all done, professionally and with a smile.\u201d \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cChris was a wonderful person and an outstanding advocate for students and faculty in our program,\u201d Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, current director of the program stated. \u201cHe brought exceptional professionalism and work ethic while at the same time bringing a personal and caring perspective.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Remembering program advisor, Christopher Ruffin"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERemembering program advisor, Christopher Ruffin\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Remembering program advisor, Christopher Ruffin"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-08-05 14:56:35","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:38","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"226401":{"id":"226401","type":"image","title":"Christopher Ruffin","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"Christopher Ruffin","file":{"fid":"197431","name":"ruffin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ruffin_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ruffin_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1155050,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ruffin_1.jpg?itok=W5lkIEUq"}}},"media_ids":["226401"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bioengineering.gatech.edu\/","title":"BioEngineering website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"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:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"225671":{"#nid":"225671","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Interdisciplinary Seed Grants Awarded to Advance Innovation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience awarded $50,000 to three interdisciplinary teams under its Petit Bioengineering and Bioscience Collaborative Seed Grant program, which was created to support early-stage innovative biotechnology research.\u0026nbsp; Proposals were submitted by teams comprised of two Petit Institute faculty with appointments in different academic colleges. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022The purpose of the program is to catalyze new collaborations that will tackle problems that require an interdisciplinary approach,\u0022 said Robert E. Guldberg, PhD, executive director of the Petit Institute.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe new team of Raquel Lieberman, PhD, associate professor from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Ross C. Ethier, PhD, Gellerstedt and Georgia Research Alliance Professor from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, have proposed to lay the foundation for a new treatment for glaucoma by testing a new hypothesis for the molecular basis of disease. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness affecting approximately 70 million people worldwide.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022The grant will expand our understanding of the role of myocilin, a protein closely linked to certain forms of glaucoma,\u0022 said Ethier.\u0026nbsp; \u0022Further, we will develop animal models to support our long-term goal of developing a novel small molecule therapy for glaucoma.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022In parallel, we are taking a chemical biology approach to develop tailored new reagents to identify myocilin amyloids that could be adapted for a therapy,\u0022 Lieberman added. \u0022We have already discovered several promising lead compounds.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother team that was awarded was John McDonald, PhD, professor from the School of Biology and Todd Sulchek, PhD, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. They will be developing a new class of anticancer agents, or bead-size molecules, that will recognize and activate the immune system against them. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022Cancer cells frequently display proteins or other molecules on their surface that are not present on the surface of normal cells. Inducing the production of antibodies against these cancer-specific surface molecules or antigens is the key to cancer immunotherapy,\u0022 said McDonald.\u0026nbsp; \u0022We propose to generate a new class of synthetic micro and nanobeads that will enhance the exposure of the immune system to these cancer antigens.\u0022 \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFacilitating the exposure of the natural immune response to diseased cells is a strategy that may be applied to combat many cellular sources of disease in addition to ovarian cancer. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022By combining the capability to selectively target cancer cells while stimulating the immune system, we hope to create an environment that can overcome immuno-evasive or -suppressive strategies by cancer cells,\u0022 Sulchek explains. \u0022This innovative approach of targeted immune activation could lead to drugs capable of treating a variety of diseases.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe third team to be awarded was, Tom Barker, PhD, associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and Alberto Fernandez-Nieves, PhD, Dunn Family Assistant Professor from the School of Physics, who proposed the development of a new class of deliverable biomaterials. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022One of the primary challenges in the regenerative medicine field is the development of biomaterials that are robust when delivered but that can also enable rapid cell invasion,\u0022 explains Fernandez-Nieves. \u0022Currently researchers have been able to optimize one property (mechanics) or the other (cell migration), but optimization of both simultaneously represents a significant hurdle.\u0022 \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo address this problem the team will take a new approach; incorporating a colloidal assembly, or a system which has highly deformable, \u0022squishy\u0022, microscopic hydrogels that partition into discrete large pockets rather than dispersed consistently throughout a dense fibrin-based.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022To our knowledge the specific approach used here has not previously been explored.\u0026nbsp; The findings thus far could not have been predicted which leads to the uniqueness of the system,\u0022 Barker said.\u0026nbsp; \u0022The long term strategy for this project is to be able to assist better with healing and tissue regeneration.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFunding for the new seed grants comes chiefly from the Petit Institute\u0027s endowment as well as contributions from the College of Sciences and the College of Engineering. Each team will receive $50,000 a year for two years; however, the second year of funding will be contingent on submission of an external collaborative grant proposal. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThis initiative highlights the Petit Institute\u2019s interdisciplinary mission, supporting cutting-edge research at the interface of bioengineering and the biosciences,\u201d Guldberg added. \u201cWe look forward to seeing how these teams leverage this initial seed funding into larger grant proposals.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Three interdisciplinary teams awarded 50K for early-stage research"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThree teams interdisciplinary teams awarded 50K for early-stage research\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Three interdisciplinary teams awarded 50K for early-stage research"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-07-31 12:54:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:27","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"159231":{"id":"159231","type":"image","title":"Todd Sulchek and John McDonald","body":null,"created":"1449178896","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:41:36","changed":"1475894794","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:34","alt":"Todd Sulchek and John McDonald","file":{"fid":"195383","name":"13p1000-p5-004.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13p1000-p5-004_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13p1000-p5-004_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2089143,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/13p1000-p5-004_0.jpg?itok=m770Dcms"}}},"media_ids":["159231"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"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:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing Director\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"224881":{"#nid":"224881","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researcher Honored with Young Investigator Award from National Society","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESusan N. Thomas, PhD, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been named the 2013 Rita Schaffer Young Investigator by the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). This award is in recognition of high level of originality and ingenuity in a scientific work in biomedical engineering to a faculty member within the first five years of their career. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cI am honored to be recognized by a society so important to the bioengineering and biomedical engineering communities,\u201d said Thomas, who is also program faculty in the Wallace H. Coulter School of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Rita Schaffer Young Investigator award is given in honor of the former BMES executive director and was established in 2000 to stimulate research careers in biomedical engineering.\u0026nbsp; As the 2013 awardee, Thomas will present at the annual BMES meeting in Seattle and will go on to publish in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThomas, recognized for her pioneering work in the field of immune-bioengineering, continues to investigate the role of biotransport processes in regulating immune-regulated pathologies, in particular cancer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHer lab focuses on the role of mechanical force in regulating immune response.\u0026nbsp; In particular she is interested in how fluid flow fine-tunes anti-tumor immunity either by influencing tumor permeability or by regulating cell trafficking through the vasculature. Furthermore, Thomas is working on the development of biomaterial-based technologies that combine classic bio-transport phenomena with cell biology and immunology for novel drug delivery approaches in immunotherapy.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cImmunology is conventionally considered a purely biological science.\u201d Thomas stated. \u201cBut both acute and chronic inflammation are accompanied by tissue fluid imbalance, a basic engineering mass balance problem. Understanding how force impacts the ability of the immune system to sense and fight off infection or illness will help us design new approaches to treat disease.\u201d \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile her work currently focuses on melanoma and colon cancer, Thomas feels that with further investigation the principles learned are applicable to other cancers. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThomas received her B.S. cum laude in Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in Bioengineering from the University of California Los Angeles in 2003. She received her Ph.D. in 2008 from The Johns Hopkins University while working as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in the Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering Department under the supervision of Konstantinos Konstantopoulos where she studied the influence of fluid flow on blood-borne metastasis. Subsequently, she was a Whitaker Postdoctoral Scholar at \u00c9cole Polytechnique F\u00e9d\u00e9rale de Lausanne, one of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, in the laboratories of Melody Swartz and Jeffrey Hubbell developing nanomaterials for cancer immunotherapy and studying the role of lymphatic transport in immunity.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Susan Thomas recognized for work in biomedical engineering"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESusan Thomas receives Rita Schaffer Young Investigaor Award for work in biomedical engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Susan Thomas recognized for work in biomedical engineering"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-07-29 08:51:14","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:38","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"224891":{"id":"224891","type":"image","title":"Susan Thomas, PhD - Assistant Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering","body":null,"created":"1449243551","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:11","changed":"1475894896","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:16","alt":"Susan Thomas, PhD - Assistant Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering","file":{"fid":"197394","name":"thomassusan2013-headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thomassusan2013-headshot_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thomassusan2013-headshot_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":576126,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thomassusan2013-headshot_0.jpg?itok=IEUg2DG5"}},"224901":{"id":"224901","type":"image","title":"Susan Thomas, PhD","body":null,"created":"1449243551","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:11","changed":"1475894896","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:16","alt":"Susan Thomas, PhD","file":{"fid":"197395","name":"thomassusan2013-lab2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thomassusan2013-lab2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thomassusan2013-lab2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1846981,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thomassusan2013-lab2_0.jpg?itok=YM1rqzNT"}}},"media_ids":["224891","224901"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/thomas.gatech.edu\/thomas\/lab\/people","title":"Thomas profile"},{"url":"http:\/\/bmes.org\/awards#Rita%20Schaffer%20Young%20Investigator%20Award","title":"Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"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:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunication \u0026amp; Marketing Director\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:melissa.zbeeb@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMelissa Zbeeb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"223571":{"#nid":"223571","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Magnets Steer Stem Cells to Specific Locations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMagnets could be a tool for directing stem cells\u2019 healing powers to treat conditions such as heart disease or vascular disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy feeding stem cells tiny particles made of magnetized iron oxide, scientists at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology can then use magnets to attract the cells to a particular location in the body after intravenous injection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results are published online in the journal \u003Cem\u003ESmall\u003C\/em\u003E and will appear in an upcoming issue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe paper was a result of collaboration between the laboratories of W. Robert Taylor of Emory, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=2\u0022\u003EGang Bao\u003C\/a\u003E of Georgia Tech. Taylor is professor of medicine and biomedical engineering and director of the Division of Cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine. Bao is professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Co-first authors of the paper are postdoctoral fellows Natalia Landazuri and Sheng Tong. Landazuri is now at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe type of cells used in the study, mesenchymal stem cells, are not embryonic stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells can be readily obtained from adult tissues such as bone marrow or fat. They are capable of becoming bone, fat and cartilage cells, but not other types of cell such as muscle or brain. They secrete a variety of nourishing and anti-inflammatory factors, which could make them valuable tools for treating conditions such as cardiovascular disease or autoimmune disorders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMagnetized iron oxide nanoparticles are already FDA-approved for diagnostic purposes with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Other scientists have tried to load stem cells with similar particles, but found that the coating on the particles was toxic or changed the cells\u2019 properties. The nanoparticles used in this study have a polyethylene glycol coating that protects the cell from damage. Another unique feature is that the Emory\/Georgia Tech team used a magnetic field to push the particles into the cells, rather than chemical agents used previously.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were able to load the cells with a lot of these nanoparticles and we showed clearly that the cells were not harmed,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cThe coating is unique and thus there was no change in viability and perhaps even more importantly, we didn\u2019t see any change in the characteristics of the stem cells, such as their capacity to differentiate. This was essentially a proof of principle experiment. Ultimately, we would target these to a particular limb, an abnormal blood vessel or even the heart.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe particles are coated with the nontoxic polymer polyethylene glycol, and have an iron oxide core that is about 15 nanometers across. For comparison, a DNA molecule is two nanometers wide and a single influenza virus is at least 100 nanometers wide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe particles appear to become stuck in cells\u2019 lysosomes, which are parts of the cell that break down waste. The particles stay put for at least a week and leakage cannot be detected. The scientists measured the iron content in the cells once they were loaded up and determined that each cell absorbed roughly 1.5 million particles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce cells were loaded with iron oxide particles, the Emory\/Georgia Tech team tested the ability of magnets to nudge the cells both in cell culture and in living animals. In mice, a bar-shaped rare earth magnet could attract injected stem cells to the tail. The magnet was applied to the part of the tail close to the body while the cells were being injected. Normally most of the mesenchymal stem cells would become deposited in the lungs or the liver.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo track where the cells went inside the mice, the scientists labeled the cells with a fluorescent dye. They calculated that the bar magnet made the stem cells six times more abundant in the tail. In addition, the iron oxide particles themselves could potentially be used to follow cells\u2019 progress through the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNext, we plan to focus on therapeutic applications in animal models where we will use magnets to direct these cells to the precise site need to affect repair and regeneration of new blood vessels,\u201d Taylor said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute\u2019s Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology (HHSN268201000043C).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReference\u003C\/strong\u003E: N. Landazuri, S. Tong, J. Suo, G. Joseph, D. Weiss, D.J. Sutcliffe, D.P. Giddens, G. Bao and W.R. Taylor. Magnetic targeting of human mesenchymal stem cells with internalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Small, early view (2013)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Emory University \u2013 Quinn Eastman (404-727-7829) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:qeastma@emory.edu\u0022\u003Eqeastma@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Georgia Tech \u2013 John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Quinn Eastman\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMagnets could be a tool for directing stem cells\u2019 healing powers to treat conditions such as heart disease or vascular disease, a new study by Emory University and Georgia Tech researchers shows.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are using magnetic nanoparticles to help guide stem cells to desired locations."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-07-18 20:50:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:34","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"223561":{"id":"223561","type":"image","title":"Iron oxide nanoparticles in cell","body":null,"created":"1449243535","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:38:55","changed":"1475894894","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:14","alt":"Iron oxide nanoparticles in cell","file":{"fid":"197360","name":"magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":258936,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells_0.jpg?itok=oBf_ZQVV"}}},"media_ids":["223561"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14219","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"2639","name":"Gang Bao"},{"id":"10845","name":"magnetic nanoparticles"},{"id":"2973","name":"nanoparticles"},{"id":"167130","name":"Stem Cells"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"221551":{"#nid":"221551","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Microparticles Create Localized Control of Stem Cell Differentiation; Reduce Growth Factor Use","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBefore scientists and engineers can realize the dream of using stem cells to create replacements for worn out organs and battle damaged body parts, they\u2019ll have to develop ways to grow complex three-dimensional structures in large volumes and at costs that won\u2019t bankrupt health care systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are now reporting advances in these areas by using gelatin-based microparticles to deliver growth factors to specific areas of embryoid bodies, aggregates of differentiating stem cells. The localized delivery technique provides spatial control of cell differentiation within the cultures, potentially enabling the creation of complex three-dimensional tissues. The local control also dramatically reduces the amount of growth factor required, an important cost consideration for manufacturing stem cells for therapeutic applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microparticle technique, which was demonstrated in pluripotent mouse embryonic cells, also offers better control over the kinetics of cell differentiation by delivering molecules that can either promote or inhibit the process. Based on research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, the developments were reported online July 1 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EBiomaterials\u003C\/em\u003E and were presented at the 11th Annual International Society for Stem Cell Research meeting held in Boston June 12-15, 2013 .\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy trapping these growth factors within microparticle materials first, we are concentrating the signal they provide to the stem cells,\u201d said Todd McDevitt, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u201cWe can then put the microparticle materials physically inside the multicellular aggregate system that we use for differentiation of the stem cells. We have good evidence that this technique can work, and that we can use it to provide advantages in several different areas.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe differentiation of stem cells is largely controlled by external cues, including morphogenic growth factors, in the three-dimensional environment that surrounds the cells. Most stem cell researchers currently deliver the growth factors into liquid solutions surrounding the stem cell cultures with a goal of creating homogenous cultures of cells. Delivering the growth factors from microparticles, however, provides better control of the spatial and temporal presentation of the molecules that govern the growth and differentiation of the stem cells, potentially allowing formation of heterogeneous structures formed from different cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGroups of stem cells stick together as they develop, forming multicellular aggregates that form spheroids as they grow. The researchers took advantage of that by driving microparticles containing growth factor BMP4 or noggin \u2013 which inhibits BMP4 signaling \u2013 into layers of stem cells using centrifugation. When the cell aggregates formed, the microparticles became trapped inside.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used confocal imaging and flow cytometry to observe the differentiation process and found that growth factors in the microparticles directed the cells toward mesoderm and ectoderm tissues just as they do in solution-based techniques. But because the BMP4 and noggin molecules were directly in contact with the cells, much less growth factor was needed to spur the differentiation \u2013 approximately 12 times less than what would be required by conventional solution-based techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the major advantages, in a practical sense, is that we are using much less growth factor,\u201d said McDevitt, who is also director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center at Georgia Tech. \u201cFrom a bioprocessing standpoint, a lot of the cost involved in making stem cell products is related to the cost of the molecules that must be added to make the stem cells differentiate.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond more focused signaling, the microparticles also provided a localized control not available through any other technique. That allowed the researchers to create spatial differences in the aggregates \u2013 a possible first step toward forming more complex structures with different tissue types such as vasculature and stromal cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo build tissues, we need to be able to take stem cells and use them to make many different cell types which are grouped together in particular spatial patterns,\u201d explained Andres M. Bratt-Leal, the paper\u2019s first author and a former graduate student in McDevitt\u2019s lab. \u201cThis spatial patterning is what gives tissues the ability to perform higher order functions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter creating stem cell aggregates with microparticles containing different growth factors, the researchers observed a hemispherical organization of cells for several days, with the different cells remaining spatially segregated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can see the microparticles had effects on one population that were different from the population that didn\u2019t have the particles,\u201d McDevitt said. \u201cThis may allow us to emulate aspects of how development occurs. We can ask questions about how tissues are naturally patterned. With this material incorporation, we have the ability to better control the environment in which these cells develop.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microparticles could also provide better control over the kinetics of cell differentiation. Including different amounts of molecules \u2013 one the growth factor and the other its antagonist \u2013 could vary the rate at which the stem cell differentiation proceeds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the research reported in this paper manipulated pluripotent mouse cells, the researchers have moved ahead in performing similar studies with human stem cells and achieved comparable types of results with the microparticle delivery approaches.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe developments not only help move stem cell technologies closer to the clinic, but also provide a new tool for research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur findings will provide a significant new tool for tissue engineering, bioprocessing of stem cells and also for better studying early development processes such as axis formation in embryos,\u201d said Bratt-Leal. \u201cDuring development, particular tissues are formed by gradients of signaling molecules. We can now better mimic these signal gradients using our system.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research team also included Anh H. Nguyen, Katy A. Hammersmith and Ankur Singh, all associated with Georgia Tech and Emory University when the research was conducted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through award GM088291 and the National Science Foundation (NSF) through award CBET 0651739. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Andres M. Bratt-Leal, Anh H. Nguyen, Katy A. Hammersmith, Ankur Singh and Todd C. McDevitt, \u201cA Microparticle Approach to Morphogen Delivery within Pluripotent Stem Cell Aggregates,\u201d Biomaterials, 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.biomaterials.2013.05.079\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.biomaterials.2013.05.079\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.biomaterials.2013.05.079\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy using gelatin-based microparticles to deliver growth factors, researchers are creating three-dimensional structures from stem cells and reducing the use of growth factors needed to promote differentiation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are creating three-dimensional structures from stem cells and reducing the use of growth factors."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-07-09 14:26:47","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:30","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"221521":{"id":"221521","type":"image","title":"Making microparticles","body":null,"created":"1449243516","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:38:36","changed":"1475894891","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:11","alt":"Making microparticles","file":{"fid":"197276","name":"biomaterials7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/biomaterials7_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/biomaterials7_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6353237,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/biomaterials7_0.jpg?itok=QOPkRDBj"}},"221531":{"id":"221531","type":"image","title":"Analyzing stem cells","body":null,"created":"1449243516","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:38:36","changed":"1475894891","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:11","alt":"Analyzing stem cells","file":{"fid":"197277","name":"biomaterials8.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/biomaterials8_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/biomaterials8_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2245865,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/biomaterials8_0.jpg?itok=w3ZwDgRh"}}},"media_ids":["221521","221531"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14219","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"65091","name":"differentiation"},{"id":"1960","name":"microparticles"},{"id":"167130","name":"Stem Cells"},{"id":"760","name":"Todd McDevitt"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"217041":{"#nid":"217041","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda Named Biomedical Engineering Chair","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University have selected Ravi V. Bellamkonda, a prominent biomedical scientist and engineer, to chair their joint department of biomedical engineering. He will begin as chair of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University in July.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBellamkonda, who has built a distinguished career in the health and engineering fields, is currently the Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Chair in Biomedical Engineering and a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar. He currently serves as the Georgia Tech associate vice president for research, and he is the new president-elect for the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBellamkonda\u2019s appointment concludes a national search begun last year to fill the position, which is responsible for overseeing the department\u0027s academic and research programs in areas such as biomedical imaging, tissue engineering, cancer technologies, neuroscience, computer-assisted surgery and drug delivery. The department has 40 faculty members at Georgia Tech and Emory. More than 1,300 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled in the program. \u201cRavi is an outstanding leader who has proven his dedication to the department. He is a brilliant researcher and is focused on evolving local and national collaborations to enhance research and education efforts,\u201d said Gary S. May, dean of the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cWe are extremely fortunate to have Ravi Bellamkonda as chair of our nationally recognized joint department,\u201d said Christian P. Larsen, dean of Emory University School of Medicine. \u201cI am confident that as a proven educator, researcher, and leader in his profession he will guide our faculty and students to new levels of excellence.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBellamkonda\u2019s recruitment also builds on a growing collaboration among the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Emory Department of Pediatrics and the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory to build bioengineering programs for Pediatric Bioengineering and cancer diagnosis and treatment. Bellamkonda succeeds Larry McIntire, who is retiring after 10 years as chair of the joint department.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPrior to joining Georgia Tech in 2003, Bellamkonda was an associate professor and associate chair for graduate education in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. He has also served as a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.\u0026nbsp; Bellamkonda was awarded his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1994.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHis various awards include: Fellow of Biomedical Engineering Society and the Institute of Physics; and \u2018Best Professor\u2019 Award conferred by the undergraduate student body of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Bellamkonda was inducted as an AIMBE Fellow in 2006 and served on AIMBE\u2019s board as vice president, at-large, before being elected to president-elect.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBellamkonda has published more than 175 books, chapters, articles, abstracts and proceedings. He is the founding scientist of two companies and has three U.S. patents with two additional ones pending.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022It is with a great sense of excitement that I look to helping lead this outstanding department and continuing its development as the best in the nation in biomedical engineering research and education,\u0022 said Bellamkonda.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBellamkonda\u2019s research is focused on neural tissue engineering, targeted drug delivery for brain tumor therapy, and peripheral and central nerve regeneration.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Tech and Emory created the joint department of biomedical engineering in the fall of 1997. The collaborative relationship blends the expertise of medical researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine with that of the engineering faculty at Georgia Tech, and is the first of its kind between a public and private institution. The collaboration has resulted in a biomedical engineering program ranked second in the nation by U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Bellamkonda to serve as chair of Georgia Tech \u0026 Emory\u0027s joint biomedical engineering department"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERavi Bellamkonda Named Biomedical Engineering Chair - Bellamkonda to serve as chair of Georgia Tech \u0026amp; Emory\u0027s joint biomedical engineering department\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Bellamkonda to serve as chair of Georgia Tech \u0026 Emory\u0027s joint biomedical engineering department"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-06-10 12:13:10","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:23","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ravi.gatech.edu\/","title":"Bellamkonda lab website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"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:kay.kinard@coe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKay Kinard\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003ECollege of Engineering - Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["kay.kinard@coe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"216371":{"#nid":"216371","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Model Finds Common Muscle Control Patterns Governing the Motion of Swimming Animals","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat do swimmers like trout, eels and sandfish lizards have in common? According to a new study, the similar timing patterns that these animals use to contract their muscles and produce undulatory swimming motions can be explained using a simple model. Scientists have now applied the new model to understand the connection between electrical signals and body movement in the sandfish.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost swimming creatures rely on an undulating pattern of body movement to propel themselves through fluids. Though differences in body flexibility may lead to different swimming styles, scientists have found \u201cneuromechanical phase lags\u201d in nearly all swimmers. These lags are characterized by a wave of muscle activation that travels faster down the body than the wave of body curvature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA study of the sandfish lizard \u2013 which \u201cswims\u201d through sand \u2013 led to development of the new model, which researchers believe could also be used to study other swimming animals. Beyond assisting the study of locomotion in a wide range of animals, the findings could also help researchers design efficient swimming robots.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA graduate student in our group, Yang Ding, who is now at the University of Southern California, was able to develop a theory that could explain the kinematics of how this animal swims as well as the timing of the nervous system control signals,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/daniel-goldman\u0022\u003EDaniel Goldman\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cFor animals swimming in fluids using an undulating movement, there are basic physical constraints on how they must activate their muscles. We think we have uncovered an important mechanism that governs this kind of swimming.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported June 3 in the early edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E. It was sponsored by the National Science Foundation\u2019s Physics of Living Systems program, the Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) program of the Army Research Office, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUndulatory locomotion is a gait in which thrust is produced in the opposite direction from a traveling wave of body bending. Because it is so commonly used by animals, this mode of locomotion has been widely used for studying the neuromechanical principles of movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESarah Sharpe, the paper\u2019s second author and a graduate student in Georgia Tech\u2019s Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Program, led laboratory experiments studying undulatory swimming in sandfish lizards. She used X-ray imaging to visualize how the animals swam through sand that was composed of tiny glass spheres.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time their swimming movements were being tracked, a set of four hair-thin electrodes implanted in the lizards\u2019 bodies were providing information on when their muscles were activated. The two information sources allowed the researchers to compare the electrical muscle activity to the lizards\u2019 body motion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe lizards propagate a wave of muscle activations, contracting the muscles close to their heads first, then the muscles at the midpoint of their body, then their tail,\u201d said Sharpe. \u201cThey send a wave of muscle of contraction down their bodies, which creates a wave of curvature that allows them to swim. This wave of activation travels faster than the wave of curvature down the body, resulting in different timing relationships, known as phase differences, between muscle contracts and bending along the body.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESand acts like a frictional fluid as the sandfish swims through it. However, a sandfish swimming through sand is simpler to model than a fish swimming through water because the sand lacks the vortices and other complex behavior of water \u2013 and the friction of the sand eliminates inertia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTheoretically, it is difficult to calculate all of the forces acting on a fish or an eel swimming in a real fluid,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cBut for a sandfish, you can calculate pretty much everything.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe relative simplicity of the system allowed the research team \u2013 which also included Georgia Tech professor Kurt Wiesenfeld \u2013 to develop a simple model showing how the muscle activation relates to motion. The model showed that combining synchronized torques from distant points in the lizards\u2019 bodies with local traveling torques is what creates the neuromechanical phase lag.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is one of the simplest, if not the simplest, models of swimming that reproduces the neuromechanical phase lag phenomenon,\u201d Sharpe said. \u201cAll we really had to pay attention to was the external forces acting on an animal\u2019s body. We realized that this timing relationship would emerge for any undulatory animal with distributed forces along its body. Understanding this concept can be used as the foundation to begin understanding timing patterns in all other swimmers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe sandfish swims using a simple single-period sinusoidal wave with constant amplitude. A key finding that facilitated the model\u2019s development was that the sandfish\u2019s body is extremely flexible, allowing internal forces \u2013 body stiffness \u2013 to be ignored.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis animal turns out to be like a little limp noodle,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cHaving that result in the theory makes everything else pop out.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe model shows that the waveform used by the sandfish should allow it to swim the farthest with the least expenditure of energy. Swimming robots adopting the same waveform should therefore be able to maximize their range.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoldman and his colleagues have been studying the sandfish, a native of the northern African desert, for more than six years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSandfish are among the champions of all sand diggers, swimmers and burrowers,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cThis lizard has provided us with an interesting entry point into swimming because its environment is surprisingly simple and behavior is simple. It turns out that this little sand-dweller may be able to tell us things about swimming more generally.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research has been supported by the National Science Foundation Physics of Living Systems (PoLS) under grants PHY-0749991 and PHY-1150760, by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory\u2019s (ARL) Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Program under cooperative agreement W911NF-11-1-0514, and by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award. Any conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF or ARL.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Yang Ding, Sarah Sharpe, Kurt Wiesenfeld and Daniel Goldman, \u201cEmergence of the advancing neuromechanical phase in resistive force dominated medium,\u201d (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat do swimmers like trout, eels and sandfish lizards have in common? According to a new study, the similar timing patterns that these animals use to contract their muscles and produce undulatory swimming motions can be explained using a simple model. Scientists have now applied the new model to understand the connection between electrical signals and body movement in the sandfish.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study shows that swimming animals use similar timing patterns to contract their muscles"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-06-04 15:36:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:20","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-06-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-06-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"216341":{"id":"216341","type":"image","title":"X-ray of Sandfish Swimming","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"X-ray of Sandfish Swimming","file":{"fid":"197119","name":"sandfish5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish5_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish5_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":253357,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sandfish5_0.jpg?itok=HyTzMGzh"}},"216351":{"id":"216351","type":"image","title":"Sandfish Lizard","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Sandfish Lizard","file":{"fid":"197120","name":"sandfish54.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish54_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish54_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":741621,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sandfish54_1.jpg?itok=ifnOfwQl"}},"216361":{"id":"216361","type":"image","title":"Sandfish Lizard","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Sandfish Lizard","file":{"fid":"197121","name":"sandfish77.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish77_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish77_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":792900,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sandfish77_0.jpg?itok=qTYF-Xey"}}},"media_ids":["216341","216351","216361"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"12040","name":"Daniel Goldman"},{"id":"169581","name":"sandfish"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"167350","name":"swimming"},{"id":"67541","name":"undulatory swimming"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"215841":{"#nid":"215841","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH Director Visits Georgia Research Community","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia university research community welcomed Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Thursday, May 30, 2013.\u0026nbsp; On the heels of learning the specifics on how the sequestration will impact the NIH, Collins spent time with administrators and researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, University of Georgia (UGA), Georgia State University and Morehouse School of Medicine. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe group spent the morning highlighting NIH funded research. Scientists representing Georgia Tech included Robert Guldberg, Ph.D., executive director of the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience and professor in mechanical engineering, who spoke to Collins about the Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center, a partnership between Emory University and Georgia Tech focused on endogenous repair and healing of nerves, bone, metabolic and cardiac applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETodd McDevitt, Ph.D., director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center and associate professor in biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech, presented four projects funded with NIH dollars, including wound healing studies from a \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/commonfund.nih.gov\/highrisk\/index.aspx\u0022\u003ETransformative Research Award\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d a program developed to fund \u201chigh-risk, high-reward\u201d science under the NIH\u2019s Common Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGiven that Dr. Collins \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/directorsblog.nih.gov\/exploiting-stem-cell-stickiness-for-sorting\/\u0022\u003Erecently dedicated a blog post\u003C\/a\u003E on the ongoing research of Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, Todd McDevitt, Hang Lu and Steve Stice from UGA, we were excited to share the great work being done in regenerative medicine and in stem cells,\u201d explained Stephen Cross, Ph.D., executive vice president for research.\u0026nbsp;\u201cBob and Todd were able to present ongoing NIH funded work for which Dr. Collins expressed both admiration and strong support.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELater that morning, administration from each university traveled to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where they were joined by representatives from Clark Atlanta University, Georgia Regents University, Georgia Southern University and Mercer University for further discussions with Congressman Jack Kingston, Collins and Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H, director for the Center for Disease Control.\u0026nbsp; Each representative highlighted their NIH and\/or CDC funded research as well as shared concerns regarding sequestration impacts on each university\u2019s budget and ultimately the state\u2019s economy.\u0026nbsp; Representatives also provided Collins and Frieden with suggestions on specific grant programs and reporting, peer review processes and programs aimed at diversifying the healthcare workforce. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDue to the sequestration, the NIH\u2019s budget will fall by $1.71 billion in 2013, which represents a 5% decrease.\u0026nbsp; As a result, NIH expects to fund 703 fewer new and competing research grants this year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis decline in funding will have an impact on our Georgia universities, including Georgia Tech, which was awarded $41.3 million from the NIH in 2012.\u0026nbsp; NIH estimates that every \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nih.gov\/about\/impact\/economy.htm\u0022\u003E$1 in NIH funding generates $2.21 in local economic growth\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs for how these cuts will affect individual research labs, that may not be known for some time. However, Collins is already seeking anecdotes of the sequestration\u2019s impact via a twitter discussion using the hashtag #NIHSequesterImpact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech has created a sequestration information webpage, which includes the latest updates from Georgia Tech and many of its federal search sponsors.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/tlw-proxy.gatech.edu\/research\/faculty-and-staff-resources\/sequestration-updates\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/tlw-proxy.gatech.edu\/research\/faculty-and-staff-resources\/sequestration-updates\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Georgia university research community welcomed Francis Collins."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia university research community welcomed Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Thursday, May 30, 2013.\u0026nbsp; On the heels of learning the specifics on how the sequestration will impact the NIH, Collins spent time with administrators and researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, University of Georgia (UGA), and Morehouse School of Medicine. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Timely visit on heels of learning the specifics on how the sequestration will impact the NIH"}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2013-05-31 17:58:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:20","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"215851":{"id":"215851","type":"image","title":"Bob Guldberg and Steve Cross with Francis Collins","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894879","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:59","alt":"Bob Guldberg and Steve Cross with Francis Collins","file":{"fid":"197112","name":"photo_copy_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photo_copy_2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photo_copy_2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2766081,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/photo_copy_2_0.jpg?itok=1LtSPlsh"}},"215861":{"id":"215861","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt presenting to Francis Collins","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894879","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:59","alt":"Todd McDevitt presenting to Francis Collins","file":{"fid":"197113","name":"photo_copy_3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photo_copy_3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photo_copy_3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2048410,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/photo_copy_3_0.jpg?itok=G-1s0NLZ"}}},"media_ids":["215851","215861"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/directorsblog.nih.gov\/exploiting-stem-cell-stickiness-for-sorting\/","title":"Francis Collins Blog"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nih.gov\/","title":"National Institutes of Health"},{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/guldberglab.gatech.edu\/","title":"Guldberg Musculoskeletal Research Lab"},{"url":"http:\/\/mcdevitt.gatech.edu\/","title":"McDevitt Research Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"11629","name":"Robert Guldberg"},{"id":"167317","name":"Steve Cross"},{"id":"760","name":"Todd McDevitt"}],"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:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan Graziano McDevitt\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Efor Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tnagel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETeri A. Nagel, APR\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gov.gatech.edu\/community\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Government \u003Cbr \/\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;Community Relations\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKirk Englehardt\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/research\/evpr\u0022\u003EOffice of the Executive Vice \u003Cbr \/\u003EPresident for Research\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/comm\/\u0022\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"205651":{"#nid":"205651","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Chimdimnma Esimai awarded UNCF-Merck Graduate Science Research Fellowship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChimdimnma \u0022Chi-Chi\u0022 Esimai is to receive the 2013 United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and Merck Company Foundation Graduate Science Research Fellowship.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe fellowship is awarded to help top African American graduate students complete coursework, conduct research, and prepare the dissertation required for a doctoral degree in the biomedically relevant life or physical sciences and engineering.\u0026nbsp; Esimai will receive a fellowship stipend to cover from 12-24 months of fellowship tenure.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEsimai, a pre-doctoral candidate in Georgia Tech\u0027s Bioengineering program, is advised by Andres Garcia, PhD, professor of Mechanical Engineering.\u0026nbsp; She is conducting research in cadherin-based cell-cell adhesive force.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Award given to top African American doctoral students in biomedically relevant life or physical sciences and engineering"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChimdimnma Esimai awarded UNCF-Merck Graduate Science Research Fellowship - Award given to top African American doctoral students in biomedically relevant life or physical sciences and engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Chimdimnma Esimai awarded UNCF-Merck Graduate Science Research Fellowship"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-04-10 11:49:13","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:59","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-04-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-04-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/garcialab.gatech.edu\/index.htm","title":"Garcia lab"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bioengineering.gatech.edu\/","title":"BioEngineering website"}],"groups":[{"id":"65448","name":"Bioengineering Graduate Program"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"63701","name":"Chi-Chi Esimai"},{"id":"63691","name":"Chimdimnma Esimai"}],"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:chris.ruffin@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EChris Ruffin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["chris.ruffin@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"202511":{"#nid":"202511","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH Biotechnology Training Program in Cell and Tissue Engineering (CTEng)","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech CTEng program provides advanced and integrated training for pre-doctoral engineering students in cell and tissue engineering to develop future leaders for the biotechnology industries.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECTEng supports PhD students from participating programs during their 2nd and 3rd years.\u0026nbsp; The training program includes integrative bioengineering courses, interactions with cell and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine faculty at Georgia Tech and Emory University School of Medicine, industrial fellowships and site visits, Graduate Leadership program, journal club and discussion groups, and exposure to clinical applications and industrial perspectives.\u0026nbsp; Graduates of this program will be well-positioned to significantly contribute to biomedical and biotechnological applications.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENOMINATIONS DUE APRIL 5!\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInterested students should contact \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:andres.garcia@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, PhD\u003C\/a\u003E, (CTEng Director) for more information. Nominations for new trainees can only be made by participating faculty.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Accepting nominations through April 5th"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENIH Biotechnology Training Program in Cell and Tissue Engineering (CTEng) - Accepting nominations through April 5th\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"NIH Biotechnology Training Program in Cell and Tissue Engineering (CTEng)"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-03-27 12:26:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:55","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"202531":{"id":"202531","type":"image","title":"Research at Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1449179952","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:59:12","changed":"1475894856","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:36","alt":"Research at Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"196616","name":"al-haddad141_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/al-haddad141_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/al-haddad141_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":98347,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/al-haddad141_0_0.jpg?itok=e7uI6xCV"}}},"media_ids":["202531"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"62671","name":"NIH Biotechnology Training Program in Cell and Tissue Engineering"}],"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:andres.garcia@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAndres Garcia, PhD\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["andres.garcia@me.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"198621":{"#nid":"198621","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Graduate Programs Recognized Nationally","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology graduate programs have earned high marks from U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u2019s annual rankings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute\u2019s College of Engineering is ranked No. 5 and all 11 Engineering programs ranked within the top 10, including industrial engineering (No. 1), biomedical and bioengineering (No. 2), civil (No. 4), aerospace (No. 5), electrical (No. 5), environmental (No. 5) computer (No. 5), mechanical (No. 5), materials (No. 9), chemical (No. 10) and nuclear (No. 10).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech\u2019s continued recognition within the U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report graduate rankings is a reflection of the consistent quality and ongoing success of our graduate programs,\u201d said Georgia Tech President G. P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Scheller College of Business MBA program ranked No. 27, while the part-time evening MBA program also ranked highly at No. 24.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EU.S. News and World Report\u0027s annual rankings have tabbed Georgia Tech\u0027s College of Engineering as the 5th best program in the nation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"U.S. News and World Report ranks the College of Engineering at #5 in the nation."}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2013-03-12 08:07:18","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:48","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.usnews.com\/education\/best-graduate-schools\/articles\/2013\/03\/12\/us-news-releases-2014-best-graduate-schools-rankings","title":"U.S. News World and World Report Rankings"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"516","name":"engineering"},{"id":"834","name":"Rankings"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["nagel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"192401":{"#nid":"192401","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Designer Blood Clots: Artificial Platelets Could Treat Injured Soldiers on the Battlefield","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to healing the terrible wounds of war, success may hinge on the first blood clot \u2013 the one that begins forming on the battlefield right after an injury.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers exploring the complex stream of cellular signals produced by the body in response to a traumatic injury believe the initial response \u2013 formation of a blood clot \u2013 may control subsequent healing. Using that information, they\u2019re developing new biomaterials, including artificial blood platelets laced with regulatory chemicals that could be included in an injector device the size of an iPhone. Soldiers wounded in action could use the device to treat themselves, helping control bleeding, stabilizing the injury and setting the right course for healing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFormation of \u201cdesigner\u201d blood clots from the artificial platelets would be triggered by the same factor that initiates the body\u2019s natural clotting processes. In animal models, the synthetic platelets reduced clotting time by approximately 30 percent, though the materials have not yet been tested in humans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe idea is to have on the battlefield technologies that would deliver a biomaterial capable of finding where the bleeding is happening and augmenting the body\u2019s own clotting processes,\u201d said Thomas Barker, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u201cSimultaneously, the material would help instruct the biochemistry and biophysics of the clot structure that would govern subsequent healing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarker presented information on the research Friday, Feb. 15 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The research has been sponsored in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Center for Advanced Bioengineering for Soldier Survivability at Georgia Tech, and by an American Heart Association postdoctoral fellowship to Ashley Brown, a postdoctoral fellow working on the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter an injury, the most critical need is to stop the bleeding. But as traumatic injuries heal, they often produce significant scarring that is difficult to treat. Georgia Tech researchers are working on both sides of the problem, developing cell signaling techniques that may head off the formation of scars \u2013 as well as techniques for addressing the fibrosis that is often the long-term result. Beyond helping halt the bleeding, the synthetic platelets would deliver regulatory chemicals designed to prevent scarring.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe blood clot actually ends up directing how the entire wound healing process is going to occur,\u201d Barker said. \u201cThe initial clot matrix instructs very specific cellular behaviors which have consequences for the next wave of cells that comes in to do specific jobs, which have consequences for the next wave of cells. If we can modify that initial clot, it can become the three-dimensional matrix needed to build the regenerated or repaired tissue.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe synthetic platelets, made from tiny structures known as hydrogels, could be injected into the bloodstream where they would circulate until activated by the body\u2019s own clotting processes. Once activated, the particles \u2013 which are about one micron in diameter \u2013 would change shape, converting to a thin film that would help seal wounds. To develop these hydrogels, Barker is collaborating with Andrew Lyon, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe bloodstream contains proteins known as fibrinogen that are the precursors for fibrin, the polymer that provides the basic structure for natural blood clots. When they receive the right signals from a protein called thrombin, these precursors polymerize at the site of the bleeding. To prevent unintended activation of their synthetic platelets, the researchers use the same trigger.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers followed a process known as molecular evolution to develop an antibody that could be attached to the hydrogels to cause their form to change when they encounter thrombin-activated fibrin. The resulting antibody has high affinity for the polymerized form of fibrin and low affinity for the precursor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe knew the molecule that we wanted and we knew the domains that were critical for recognition,\u201d Barker said. \u201cThe primary design concept was the ability to recognize an active, forming clot from the soluble, inactive precursor.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe artificial platelets have so far been tested in rats, and separately using \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E simulated endothelial systems in the laboratory of Wilbur Lam, an assistant professor at Emory University in Atlanta. Though the work is a long way from a device that could be used on the battlefield, Barker envisions transitioning the research to a startup company that develop the technology to improve survivability for wounded soldiers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou could have it literally in the pocket of any soldier, who could pop it out when needed,\u201d Barker explained. \u201cAs the needle is extended, you would break the package of freeze-dried particles. The device would then be placed on the abdomen, where the particles would be injected into the bloodstream. They would circulate inactive until they encountered the initiation of clotting.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce the bleeding was stopped, cytokines and anti-inflammatory compounds within the \u201cdesigner\u201d clot could help determine the phenotype that should be adopted by healing cells and regulate their behavior. That would set the stage for the subsequent healing process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help soldiers already suffering from the effects of fibrosis \u2013 the contraction of scarred tissue \u2013 the researchers are developing a polymer to which a natural peptide is attached. The peptide helps regulate the repair process that produces scars and could ultimately help reduce or reverse the effects of fibrosis. The technique has reversed the effects of pulmonary fibrosis in an animal model.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the research focuses on the needs of soldiers injured on the battlefield, many of the technologies could ultimately find civilian use. Because the artificial platelets would only activate when the encounter thrombin-activated fibrin, they could be used by emergency medical technicians treating patients in which internal bleeding is suspected, Barker said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under contract R21EB013743 and by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) under contract W81XWH110306. The conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or the DoD.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Technology Sets Stage for Healing Process"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to healing the terrible wounds of war, success may hinge on the first blood clot \u2013 the one that begins forming on the battlefield right after an injury.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are developing synthetic platelets that could treat injured soldiers on the battlefield."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-02-14 20:18:09","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:37","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-02-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-02-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"192361":{"id":"192361","type":"image","title":"Evolving Molecules2","body":null,"created":"1449179879","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:57:59","changed":"1475894841","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:21","alt":"Evolving Molecules2","file":{"fid":"196313","name":"artificial-platelets61.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/artificial-platelets61_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/artificial-platelets61_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":898969,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/artificial-platelets61_0.jpg?itok=JEkSsl7M"}},"192371":{"id":"192371","type":"image","title":"Evolving Molecules3","body":null,"created":"1449179879","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:57:59","changed":"1475894841","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:21","alt":"Evolving Molecules3","file":{"fid":"196314","name":"artificial-platelets145.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/artificial-platelets145_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/artificial-platelets145_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1071409,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/artificial-platelets145_0.jpg?itok=iJMHOOkT"}},"192351":{"id":"192351","type":"image","title":"Evolving Molecules","body":null,"created":"1449179879","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:57:59","changed":"1475894841","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:21","alt":"Evolving Molecules","file":{"fid":"196312","name":"artificial-platelets8.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/artificial-platelets8_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/artificial-platelets8_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1047306,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/artificial-platelets8_0.jpg?itok=MNh7_0Rs"}},"192381":{"id":"192381","type":"image","title":"Evolving Molecules4","body":null,"created":"1449179879","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:57:59","changed":"1475894841","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:21","alt":"Evolving Molecules4","file":{"fid":"196315","name":"artificial-platelets171.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/artificial-platelets171_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/artificial-platelets171_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1195688,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/artificial-platelets171_0.jpg?itok=JfSMJTJI"}},"192391":{"id":"192391","type":"image","title":"Synthetic platelets","body":null,"created":"1449179879","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:57:59","changed":"1475894841","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:21","alt":"Synthetic platelets","file":{"fid":"196316","name":"artificial-platelets-microgels.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/artificial-platelets-microgels_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/artificial-platelets-microgels_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":132699,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/artificial-platelets-microgels_0.jpg?itok=iswbRI-y"}}},"media_ids":["192361","192371","192351","192381","192391"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1440","name":"blood"},{"id":"14219","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"9317","name":"Fibrin"},{"id":"31441","name":"fibrosis"},{"id":"56151","name":"healing"},{"id":"58521","name":"platelet"},{"id":"14574","name":"Thomas Barker"},{"id":"529","name":"wound"}],"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\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"192341":{"#nid":"192341","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sticky Cells: Cyclic Mechanical Reinforcement Extends Longevity of Bonds Between Cells","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearch carried out by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology and The University of Manchester has revealed new insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures, an essential function in the formation of tissue structures and organs. It\u2019s thought that abnormalities in their ability to do so play an important role in a broad range of disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u2019s findings are outlined in the journal \u003Cem\u003EMolecular Cell\u003C\/em\u003E and describe a surprising new aspect of cell adhesion involving the family of cell adhesion molecules known as integrins, which are found on the surfaces of most cells. The research uncovered a phenomenon termed \u201ccyclic mechanical reinforcement,\u201d in which the length of time during which bonds exist is extended with repeated pulling and release between the integrins and ligands that are part of the extracellular matrix to which the cells attach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Martin Humphries, dean of the faculty of life sciences at the University of Manchester and one of the paper\u2019s co-authors, says the study suggests some new capabilities for cells: \u201cThis paper identifies a new kind of bond that is strengthened by cyclical applications of force, and which appears to be mediated by complex shape changes in integrin receptors. The findings also shed light on a possible mechanism used by cells to sense extracellular topography and to aggregate information through \u2018remembering\u2019 multiple interaction events.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cyclic mechanical reinforcement allows force to prolong the lifetimes of bonds, demonstrating a mechanical regulation of receptor-ligand interactions and identifying a molecular mechanism for strengthening cell adhesion through cyclical forces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany cell functions such as differentiation, growth and the expression of particular genes depend on cell interaction with the ligands of the intracellular matrix,\u201d said Cheng Zhu, a professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University and the study\u2019s corresponding author.\u0026nbsp; \u201cThe cells respond to their environment, which includes many mechanical aspects. This study has extended our understanding of how connections are made and how mechanical forces regulate interactions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was published online by the journal on February 14th. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Wellcome Trust.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECells of the body regulate adhesion in response to both internally- and externally-applied forces. This is particularly important to adhesion mediated by proteins such as integrins that connect the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton \u2013 and provide cells with both mechanical anchorages and the means to initiate signaling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing delicate force measuring equipment, researchers in Zhu\u2019s lab and the laboratory of Andres Garcia \u2013 a professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech \u2013 collaborated to study adhesion between integrin and fibronectin, a protein component of the extracellular matrix. What they found was that cyclic forces applied to the bond switch it from a short lived state \u2013 with lifetimes of about one second \u2013 to a long-lived state that can exist for more than a hundred seconds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cForce can be very important in biology,\u201d said Zhu. \u201cForce has direction, magnitude and duration, so in describing its effects on biological systems, you have to use a more complete language.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhu, Garcia and Georgia Tech graduate students Fang Kong, William Parks and David Dumbauld \u2013 along with postdoctoral fellow Zenhai Li \u2013 used two different mechanical techniques to study the strength of bonds between integrin and fibronectin. One technique measured the bond strengths in purified molecules, while the other studied the effects of them in their native cellular environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have very precise force transducers that allow us to measure force on the scale of pico-newtons,\u201d said Zhu. \u201cWe prepare the samples in such a way that we engage only one bond, then we control the application of force and observe what happens.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers first used an atomic force microscope to bring the integrin molecule together with the fibronectin, then separate the two. Instruments measured the pico-newton forces required to separate the molecules, and found that the duration of the bonds increased with the repetition of the contacts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second technique, known as BFP, involved the use of a fibronectin-bearing glass bead attached to a red blood cell aspirated by a micropipette. Integrin expressed on the micropipette-aspirated cell was pressed into the bead, then pulled away over repeated cycles.Lifetime measurement confirmed that repeated pulling increased the longevity of the bonds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers studied two integrins, part of a family of 24 related molecules that operate in humans. In future work, they hope to determine whether or not the cyclic mechanical reinforcement they observed is a universal property of many cellular adhesion molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also hope to explore how cells use this cyclic mechanical reinforcement. Because many disease processes result from abnormal cellular adhesion mechanisms, a better understanding could provide insights into how cardiovascular disease, cancer and immune system disorders operate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe findings of the paper have deep implications for our understanding of force-regulated signaling,\u201d added Humphries. \u201cThere is abundant biological evidence for profound effects of extracellular tensility and elasticity in controlling processes such as cancer cell proliferation and stem cell differentiation, but the mechanisms whereby this information is transduced across the outer cell membrane are unclear.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under grants AI44902 and GM065918. The conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kong, F., et al., Cyclic Mechanical Reinforcement of Integrin-Ligand Interactions, Molecular Cell (2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.molcel.2013.01.015\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.molcel.2013.01.015\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.molcel.2013.01.015\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study provides insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures, an essential function in the formation of tissue structures and organs. It\u2019s thought that abnormalities in their ability to do so play an important role in a broad range of disorders.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study provides insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-02-14 18:32:37","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:37","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-02-14T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-02-14T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"192301":{"id":"192301","type":"image","title":"Cyclic Mechanical Reinforcement","body":null,"created":"1449179879","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:57:59","changed":"1475894841","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:21","alt":"Cyclic Mechanical Reinforcement","file":{"fid":"196308","name":"cyclic-mechanical22.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cyclic-mechanical22_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cyclic-mechanical22_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1648073,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cyclic-mechanical22_1.jpg?itok=WkoVus-u"}},"192321":{"id":"192321","type":"image","title":"Cyclic Mechanical Reinforcement2","body":null,"created":"1449179879","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:57:59","changed":"1475894841","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:21","alt":"Cyclic Mechanical Reinforcement2","file":{"fid":"196310","name":"cyclic-mechanical130.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cyclic-mechanical130_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cyclic-mechanical130_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1483223,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cyclic-mechanical130_1.jpg?itok=wYULTwTQ"}}},"media_ids":["192301","192321"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"539","name":"Andres Garcia"},{"id":"58461","name":"cell adhesion"},{"id":"58491","name":"cell bonds"},{"id":"9893","name":"Cheng Zhu"},{"id":"14219","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"58451","name":"integrin"},{"id":"167377","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"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\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"190471":{"#nid":"190471","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cycling Improvements Come to Nearby Neighborhoods","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELast week, the Atlanta City Council approved $2.5 million in funding for bicycle projects during the next two years \u2013 many of which will directly border or feed into Georgia Tech\u2019s campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Institute has gone to great lengths to improve our bike facilities on campus, installing hundreds of new bike racks, safer intersection treatments, and miles of new lanes and sharrows,\u201d said Aaron Fowler, campus transportation planner in Parking \u0026amp; Transportation Services. \u201cBut with this allocation of $2.5 million in bike improvements by the City of Atlanta, we get to take a major step in improving our bike connections into campus.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Midtown, bike lanes will be added to the 10th Street bridge refurbishment, between Fowler and Williams Streets, and from Piedmont Avenue to Monroe Drive, connecting to the BeltLine Eastside Trail. Lanes will also be added to Hemphill Avenue in Home Park between 10th and 14th Streets. Improvements will be made to bike lanes already present on West Peachtree, running from 10th Street to North Avenue, and Fifth Street, from Williams Street to Piedmont Avenue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFurther southwest, the city\u2019s first bike boulevard will be created near Atlanta University Center on James P. Brawley Drive, from Jefferson Street to Greensferry Avenue. Downtown, improvements will be made to the Peachtree Street corridor, from Pine Street to Peachtree Center Avenue. Other projects will improve connectivity in Inman Park, Castleberry Hill, Grant Park and other eastside areas. Some projects will use cycle tracks instead of bike lanes, providing more separation from motor vehicle traffic than just a painted lane.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to a 2012 commuter survey conducted by Parking \u0026amp; Transportation Services, 8 percent of the campus community commutes by bike; however, another 24 percent voiced an interest in biking if there were safer, more convenient bike paths available. Some of the slated city projects coincide with items in a proposed Campus Bike Master Plan and work with existing lanes and sharrows on campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese projects will only further our mission in promoting sustainability on campus and will give people the commute alternatives they desire,\u201d said Fowler, who believes this is only the beginning of improved bicycle connectivity for Atlanta in the next few years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe five City of Atlanta projects closest to campus include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFifth Street Bike Lanes ($65,715):\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E This project will upgrade the existing bicycle lanes along Fifth Street that connect the Georgia Tech campus to the Peachtree Street corridor and Midtown residential district, one of the busiest cycling corridors in the city. Scope includes pavement patching, long-lasting thermoplastic pavement marking installation, addition of green pavement markings at key conflict points, installation of enhanced parking\/regulatory signage and bicycle wayfinding signs and the construction of new bicycle treatments at intersections with other designated bicycle connections.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHem\u003Cstrong\u003Ephill Avenue Bike Lanes ($55,019):\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003EThis project will install bicycle lanes along the northern section of Hemphill Avenue from 10th to 14th Streets. An on-street parking modification study will be conducted to determine the feasibility of reducing the roadway to two travel lanes and a single on-street parking lane. Scope includes pavement patching, long-lasting thermoplastic pavement marking installation, addition of green pavement markings at key conflict points, installation of enhanced parking\/regulatory signage and bicycle wayfinding signs and the construction of new bicycle treatments at intersections with other designated bicycle connections.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWest Peachtree\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EStreet Bike Lanes ($62,500):\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003EThis project will upgrade the existing bicycle lane along West Peachtree Street that connects the MARTA North Avenue Station to the Georgia Tech Campus and points north. Scope includes pavement patching, railroad crossing improvements, long-lasting thermoplastic pavement marking installation, addition of green pavement markings at key conflict points, installation of enhanced parking\/regulatory signage and bicycle wayfinding signs and the construction of new bicycle treatments at intersections with other designated bicycle connections.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E10th Street Bridge Refurbishment with Bike Facilities ($125,000):\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003EThis funding will serve as the City of Atlanta\u0027s contribution toward the bicycle component of the Midtown Alliance 10th Street Bridge Improvement Project. This project will improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities, add lights, landscaping and decorative fencing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E10th \u003Cstrong\u003EStreet Cycle Track @ Atlanta BeltLine Intersection ($122,159)\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003C\/strong\u003EThis project will construct a two-way cycle track along the 10th Street corridor, from Charles Allen Drive to Piedmont Avenue to tie into the planned two-way cycle track between Charles Allen Drive and Monroe Drive, connecting the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail to Piedmont Park and Midtown. Due to right-of-way constraints, the section between Myrtle Street and Piedmont Avenue will likely consist of bicycle lanes. The project will be designed to meet the standards of the National Association of City Transportation Officials.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESeveral bicycle projects approved by the City of Atlanta for 2013-14 will improve connectivity to campus.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Several bicycle projects approved by the City of Atlanta for 2013-14 will improve connectivity to campus."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2013-02-07 15:17:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:37","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"161631":{"id":"161631","type":"image","title":"Cycle Atlanta Photo 4","body":null,"created":"1449178908","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:41:48","changed":"1475894796","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:36","alt":"Cycle Atlanta Photo 4","file":{"fid":"195433","name":"cycleatlanta-004.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cycleatlanta-004_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cycleatlanta-004_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3843995,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cycleatlanta-004_0.jpg?itok=v8PmIi5k"}},"190441":{"id":"190441","type":"image","title":"City of Atlanta Funded Bicycle Projects","body":null,"created":"1449179858","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:57:38","changed":"1475894838","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:18","alt":"City of Atlanta Funded Bicycle Projects","file":{"fid":"196258","name":"2013-02-04_table26map_highprioritybicycleprojects_004_0.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2013-02-04_table26map_highprioritybicycleprojects_004_0_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2013-02-04_table26map_highprioritybicycleprojects_004_0_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":190512,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2013-02-04_table26map_highprioritybicycleprojects_004_0_0.jpeg?itok=C_Itjqn8"}},"190451":{"id":"190451","type":"image","title":"City Bike Projects Near Campus","body":null,"created":"1449179858","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:57:38","changed":"1475894838","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:18","alt":"City Bike Projects Near Campus","file":{"fid":"196259","name":"screen_shot_2013-02-07_at_2.01.10_pm.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/screen_shot_2013-02-07_at_2.01.10_pm_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/screen_shot_2013-02-07_at_2.01.10_pm_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":516078,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/screen_shot_2013-02-07_at_2.01.10_pm_0.png?itok=c1Lle7t3"}}},"media_ids":["161631","190441","190451"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps\/ms?ie=UTF8\u0026msa=0\u0026msid=202352003314919542950.0004d505231e9090c3fb2\u0026oe=UTF8","title":"Google Map of All Approved Bike Projects"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.atlantabike.org\/2.5millionforbikeprojects","title":"About the Funding, from the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition"},{"url":"http:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/96ANg","title":"Google Map of Projects Near Georgia Tech"},{"url":"http:\/\/bike.gatech.edu\/","title":"Bike GT"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181","name":"alternative transportation"},{"id":"12691","name":"Bicycle Infrastructure Improvement Committee"},{"id":"778","name":"bicycles"},{"id":"13060","name":"biic"},{"id":"47071","name":"bikes"},{"id":"1134","name":"City of Atlanta"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"15611","name":"parking and transportation services"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"182231":{"#nid":"182231","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Quantifies the Size of Holes Antibacterials Create in Cell Walls to Kill Bacteria","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has initiated a quest for alternatives to conventional antibiotics. One potential alternative is PlyC, a potent enzyme that kills the bacteria that causes strep throat and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. PlyC operates by locking onto the surface of a bacteria cell and chewing a hole in the cell wall large enough for the bacteria\u2019s inner membrane to protrude from the cell, ultimately causing the cell to burst and die.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch has shown that alternative antimicrobials such as PlyC can effectively kill bacteria. However, fundamental questions remain about how bacteria respond to the holes that these therapeutics make in their cell wall and what size holes bacteria can withstand before breaking apart. Answering those questions could improve the effectiveness of current antibacterial drugs and initiate the development of new ones.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Maryland recently conducted a study to try to answer those questions. The researchers created a biophysical model of the response of a Gram-positive bacterium to the formation of a hole in its cell wall. Then they used experimental measurements to validate the theory, which predicted that a hole in the bacteria cell wall larger than 15 to 24 nanometers in diameter would cause the cell to lyse, or burst. These small holes are approximately one-hundredth the diameter of a typical bacterial cell. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur model correctly predicted that the membrane and cell contents of Gram-positive bacteria cells explode out of holes in cell walls that exceed a few dozen nanometers. This critical hole size, validated by experiments, is much larger than the holes Gram-positive bacteria use to transport molecules necessary for their survival, which have been estimated to be less than 7 nanometers in diameter,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ecotheory.biology.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJoshua Weitz\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the School of Biology at Georgia Tech. Weitz also holds an adjunct appointment in the School of Physics at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study was published online on Jan. 9, 2013 in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of the Royal Society Interface\u003C\/em\u003E. The work was supported by the James S. McDonnell Foundation and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommon Gram-positive bacteria that infect humans include \u003Cem\u003EStreptococcus\u003C\/em\u003E, which causes strep throat; \u003Cem\u003EStaphylococcus\u003C\/em\u003E, which causes impetigo; and \u003Cem\u003EClostridium\u003C\/em\u003E, which causes botulism and tetanus. Gram-negative bacteria include \u003Cem\u003EEscherichia\u003C\/em\u003E, which causes urinary tract infections; \u003Cem\u003EVibrio\u003C\/em\u003E, which causes cholera; and \u003Cem\u003ENeisseria\u003C\/em\u003E, which causes gonorrhea.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGram-positive bacteria differ from Gram-negative bacteria in the structure of their cell walls. The cell wall constitutes the outer layer of Gram-positive bacteria, whereas the cell wall lies between the inner and outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and is therefore protected from direct exposure to the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech biology graduate student Gabriel Mitchell, Georgia Tech physics professor Kurt Wiesenfeld and Weitz developed a biophysical theory of the response of a Gram-positive bacterium to the formation of a hole in its cell wall. The model detailed the effect of pressure, bending and stretching forces on the changing configuration of the cell membrane due to a hole. The force associated with bending and stretching pulls the membrane inward, while the pressure from the inside of the cell pushes the membrane outward through the hole.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found that bending forces act to keep the membrane together and push it back inside, but a sufficiently large hole enables the bending forces to be overpowered by the internal pressure forces and the membrane begins to escape out and the cell contents follow,\u201d said Weitz.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe balance between the bending and pressure forces led to the model prediction that holes 15 to 24 nanometers in diameter or larger would cause a bacteria cell to burst. To test the theory, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ibbr.umd.edu\/profiles\/daniel-nelson\u0022\u003EDaniel Nelson\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, used transmission electron microscopy images to measure the size of holes created in lysed \u003Cem\u003EStreptococcus pyogenes\u003C\/em\u003E bacteria cells following PlyC exposure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENelson found holes in the lysed bacteria cells that ranged in diameter from 22 to 180 nanometers, with a mean diameter of 68 nanometers. These experimental measurements agreed with the researchers\u2019 theoretical prediction of critical hole sizes that cause bacterial cell death.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the researchers, their theoretical model is the first to consider the effects of cell wall thickness on lysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause lysis events occur most often at thinner points in the cell wall, cell wall thickness may play a role in suppressing lysis by serving as a buffer against the formation of large holes,\u201d said Mitchell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe combination of theory and experiments used in this study provided insights into the effect of defects on a cell\u2019s viability and the mechanisms used by enzymes to disrupt homeostasis and cause bacteria cell death. To further understand the mechanisms behind enzyme-induced lysis, the researchers plan to measure membrane dynamics as a function of hole geometry in the future.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Mitchell GJ, Wiesenfeld K, Nelson DC, Weitz JS, \u201cCritical cell wall hole size for lysis in Gram-positive bacteria,\u201d J R Soc Interface 20120892 (2013): \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1098\/rsif.2012.0892\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1098\/rsif.2012.0892\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1098\/rsif.2012.0892\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Abby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers recently created a biophysical model of the response of a Gram-positive bacterium to the formation of a hole in its cell wall, then used experimental measurements to validate the theory, which predicted that a hole in the bacteria cell wall larger than 15 to 24 nanometers in diameter would cause the cell to lyse, or burst.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study has quantified the size holes made in bacteria by new antibacterial compounds."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-01-09 22:24:52","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:26","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-01-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-01-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"182211":{"id":"182211","type":"image","title":"Bursting a Bacteria Cell Wall","body":null,"created":"1449179062","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:44:22","changed":"1475894828","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:08","alt":"Bursting a Bacteria Cell Wall","file":{"fid":"196061","name":"lysis_cover.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lysis_cover_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lysis_cover_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2717232,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lysis_cover_0.jpg?itok=TsqxqPAL"}},"182221":{"id":"182221","type":"image","title":"Bursting a Bacteria Cell Wall2","body":null,"created":"1449179062","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:44:22","changed":"1475894828","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:08","alt":"Bursting a Bacteria Cell Wall2","file":{"fid":"196062","name":"lysis5a.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lysis5a_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lysis5a_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2439483,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lysis5a_0.jpg?itok=J1cX_maV"}}},"media_ids":["182211","182221"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"54711","name":"antibacterial"},{"id":"7077","name":"bacteria"},{"id":"54701","name":"cell wall"},{"id":"11599","name":"Joshua Weitz"},{"id":"7234","name":"lysis"}],"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\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"176871":{"#nid":"176871","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Bioengineering Graduate Program Accepts Nominations for Annual Awards","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s Bioengineering (BioE) graduate program is accepting nominations for its annual best student paper, best PhD thesis and best advisor awards.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECriteria\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest BioE Student Paper\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAll BioE students are eligible - MUST BE CURRENTLY ENROLLED\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E$1,000 cash and plaque award\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENominated by Advisor - nominations must include a letter of support from advisor discussing impact and significance of the work\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EElectronic copy of paper must accompany nomination\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPaper must be published, in press or accepted in the time frame Jan 1-Dec 31, 2012\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest BioE Ph.D. Thesis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAll BioE students are eligible - DO NOT HAVE TO BE CURRENTLY ENROLLED\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E$1,000 cash and plaque award\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENominated by Advisor\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENominations must include a letter of support from advisor\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EElectronic copy of Ph.D. thesis must accompany nomination\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThesis Certificate of Completion form must be signed by ALL committee members in the time frame Jan 1-Dec 31, 2012\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest BioE Advisor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAll BioE Program Faculty are eligible\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E$500 discretionary funds and plaque\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENominated by graduate student(s) \u2013 SUBMIT AN LETTER EXPLAINING WHY YOU ARE NOMINATING FACULTY MEMBER.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENominations should be submitted to \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:chris.ruffin@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EChris Ruffin\u003C\/a\u003E in the BioE Office. Nominations will be reviewed by the BioE Faculty Advisory Committee and winners will be announced at the BioE Reception on March 8, 2013 (Recruitment Day).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"January 31st deadline for nominations"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGT\u0027s BioE Program accepts nominations for annual awards\u0026nbsp;- January 31st deadline for nominations\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"January 31st deadline for nominations"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2012-12-12 08:43:21","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:22","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-12-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-12-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"120721":{"id":"120721","type":"image","title":"Bioengineering Graduate Students","body":null,"created":"1449178279","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:31:19","changed":"1475894741","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:41","alt":"Bioengineering Graduate Students","file":{"fid":"194373","name":"11c3022-p1-176.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/11c3022-p1-176_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/11c3022-p1-176_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3017792,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/11c3022-p1-176_0.jpg?itok=Cr3d-QlN"}}},"media_ids":["120721"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bioengineering.gatech.edu\/","title":"BioEngineering website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"52891","name":"BioE Program news"},{"id":"52791","name":"GT\u0027s BioE Program accepts nominations for annual awards"}],"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:chris.ruffin@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EChris Ruffin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["chris.ruffin@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"167921":{"#nid":"167921","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Blood Testing Predicts Level of Enzymes that Facilitate Disease Progression","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPredicting how atherosclerosis, osteoporosis or cancer will progress or respond to drugs in individual patients is difficult. In a new study, researchers took another step toward that goal by developing a technique able to predict from a blood sample the amount of cathepsins\u2014protein-degrading enzymes known to accelerate these diseases\u2014a specific person would produce.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis patient-specific information may be helpful in developing personalized approaches to treat these tissue-destructive diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe measured significant variability in the amount of cathepsins produced by blood samples we collected from healthy individuals, which may indicate that a one-size-fits-all approach of administering cathepsin inhibitors may not be the best strategy for all patients with these conditions,\u201d said Manu Platt, an assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study was published online on Oct. 19, 2012 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EIntegrative Biology\u003C\/em\u003E. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Georgia Cancer Coalition, Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the Emory\/Georgia Tech Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlatt and graduate student Keon-Young Park collected blood samples from 14 healthy individuals, removed white blood cells called monocytes from the samples and stimulated those cells with certain molecules so that they would become macrophages or osteoclasts in the laboratory. By doing this, the researchers recreated what happens in the body\u2014monocytes receive these cues from damaged tissue, leave the blood, and become macrophages or osteoclasts, which are known to contribute to tissue changes that occur in atherosclerosis, cancer and osteoporosis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen the researchers developed a model that used patient-varying kinase signals collected from the macrophages or osteoclasts to predict patient-specific activity of four cathepsins: K, L, S and V. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cKinases are enzymes that integrate stimuli from different soluble, cellular and physical cues to generate specific cellular responses,\u201d explained Platt, who is also a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar. \u201cBy using a systems biology approach to link cell differentiation cues and responses through integration of signals at the kinase level, we were able to mathematically predict relative amounts of cathepsin activity and distinguish which blood donors exhibited greater cathepsin activity compared to others.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPredictability for all cathepsins ranged from 90 to 95 percent for both macrophages and osteoclasts, despite a range in the level of each cathepsin among the blood samples tested.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were pleased with the results because our model achieved very high predictability from a simple blood draw and overcame the challenge of incorporating the complex, unknown cues from individual patients\u2019 unique genetic and biochemical backgrounds,\u201d said Platt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Platt, the next step will be to assess the model\u2019s ability to predict cathepsin activity using blood samples from individuals with the diseases of interest: atherosclerosis, osteoporosis or cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur ultimate goal is to create an assay that will inform a clinician whether an individual\u2019s case of cancer or other tissue-destructive disease will be very aggressive from the moment that individual is diagnosed, which will enable the clinician to develop and begin the best personalized treatment plan immediately,\u201d added Platt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWeiwei A. Li, who received her bachelor\u2019s degree from the Coulter Department in 2010, also contributed to this study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch reported in this publication was supported in part by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number UL1TR000454 and the Office of the Director of the NIH under award number 1DP2OD007433. The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigators and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Park, Keon-Young et al., \u201cPatient specific proteolytic activity of monocyte-derived macrophages and osteoclasts predicted with temporal kinase activation states during differentiation,\u201d Integrative Biology (2012): \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1039\/C2IB20197F\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1039\/C2IB20197F\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1039\/C2IB20197F\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; USA\u0026nbsp; 30332-0177\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Abby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are developing a technique for predicting from a simple blood sample the amount of cathepsins\u2014protein-degrading enzymes known to accelerate certain diseases\u2014a specific person would produce. This patient-specific information may be helpful in developing personalized approaches to treat these tissue-destructive diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are developing a technique for predicting the amount of protein-degrading enzymes a specific person would produce."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-11-01 14:12:05","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:06","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-11-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-11-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"167891":{"id":"167891","type":"image","title":"Cathepsin prediction","body":null,"created":"1449178968","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:48","changed":"1475894806","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:46","alt":"Cathepsin prediction","file":{"fid":"195633","name":"cathepsin-prediction41.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cathepsin-prediction41_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cathepsin-prediction41_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1287075,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cathepsin-prediction41_0.jpg?itok=8Dh7au-_"}},"167901":{"id":"167901","type":"image","title":"Cathepsin prediction2","body":null,"created":"1449178968","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:48","changed":"1475894806","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:46","alt":"Cathepsin prediction2","file":{"fid":"195634","name":"cathepsin-prediction96.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cathepsin-prediction96_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cathepsin-prediction96_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1113462,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cathepsin-prediction96_0.jpg?itok=P0KeURw0"}}},"media_ids":["167891","167901"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7270","name":"atherosclerosis"},{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"40431","name":"cathepsin"},{"id":"11533","name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"7735","name":"enzyme"},{"id":"48841","name":"kinase"},{"id":"10832","name":"Manu Platt"},{"id":"48851","name":"osteopororis"}],"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\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"166631":{"#nid":"166631","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Low-Resistance Connections Facilitate Use of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes for Interconnects","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a new method for precisely controlling the deposition of carbon, researchers have demonstrated a technique for connecting multi-walled carbon nanotubes to the metallic pads of integrated circuits without the high interface resistance produced by traditional fabrication techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on electron beam-induced deposition (EBID), the work is believed to be the first to connect multiple shells of a multi-walled carbon nanotube to metal terminals on a semiconducting substrate, which is relevant to integrated circuit fabrication. Using this three-dimensional fabrication technique, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology developed graphitic nanojoints on both ends of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes, which yielded a 10-fold decrease in resistivity in its connection to metal junctions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique could facilitate the integration of carbon nanotubes as interconnects in next-generation integrated circuits that use both silicon and carbon components. The research was supported by the Semiconductor Research Corporation, and in its early stages, by the National Science Foundation. The work was reported online October 4, 2012, by the journal \u003Cem\u003EIEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor the first time, we have established connections to multiple shells of carbon nanotubes with a technique that is amenable to integration with conventional integrated circuit microfabrication processes,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/fedorov\u0022\u003EAndrei Fedorov\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. \u201cConnecting to multiple shells allows us to dramatically reduce the resistance and move to the next level of device performance.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn developing the new technique, the researchers relied on modeling to guide their process parameters. To make it scalable for manufacturing, they also worked toward technologies for isolating and aligning individual carbon nanotubes between the metal terminals on a silicon substrate, and for examining the properties of the resulting structures. The researchers believe the technique could also be used to connect multi-layered graphene to metal contacts, though their published research has so far focused on carbon nanotubes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe low-temperature EBID process takes place in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) system modified for material deposition. The SEM\u2019s vacuum chamber is altered to introduce precursors of the materials that researchers would like to deposit. The electron gun normally used for imaging of nanostructures is instead used to generate low energy secondary electrons when the high energy primary electrons impinge on the substrate at carefully chosen locations. When the secondary electrons interact with hydrocarbon precursor molecules introduced into the SEM chamber, carbon is deposited in desired locations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnique to the EBID process, the deposited carbon makes a strong, chemically-bonded connection to the ends of the carbon nanotubes, unlike the weakly-coupled physical interface made in traditional techniques based on metal evaporation. Prior to deposition, the ends of the nanotubes are opened using an etching process, so the deposited carbon grows into the open end of the nanotube to electronically connect multiple shells. Thermal annealing of the carbon after deposition converts it to a crystalline graphitic form that significantly improves electrical conductivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAtom-by-atom, we can build the connection where the electron beam strikes right near the open end of the carbon nanotubes,\u201d Fedorov explained. \u201cThe highest rate of deposition occurs where the concentration of precursor is high and there are a lot of secondary electrons. This provides a nanoscale sculpturing tool with three-dimensional control for connecting the open ends of carbon nanotubes on any desired substrate.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMulti-walled carbon nanotubes offer the promise of higher information delivery throughput for certain interconnects used in electronic devices. Researchers have envisioned a future generation of hybrid devices based on traditional integrated circuits but using interconnects based on carbon nanotubes. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUntil now, however, resistance at the connections between the carbon structures and conventional silicon electronics has been too high to make the devices practical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe big challenge in this field is to make a connection not just to a single shell of a carbon nanotube,\u201d said Fedorov. \u201cIf only the outer wall of a carbon nanotube is connected, you really don\u2019t gain much because most of the transmission channel is under-utilized or not utilized at all.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique developed by Fedorov and his collaborators produces record low resistivity at the connection between the carbon nanotube and the metal pad. The researchers have measured resistance as low as approximately 100 Ohms \u2013 a factor of ten lower than the best that had been measured with other connection techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis technique gives us many new opportunities to go forward with integrating these carbon nanostructures into conventional devices,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause it is carbon, this interface has an advantage because its properties are similar to those of the carbon nanotubes to which they are providing a connection.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers don\u2019t know exactly how many of the carbon nanotube shells are connected, but based on resistance measurements, they believe at least 10 of the approximately 30 conducting shells are contributing to electrical conduction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, handling carbon nanotubes poses a significant challenge to their use as interconnects. When formed through the electric arc technique, for example, carbon nanotubes are produced as a tangle of structures with varying lengths and properties, some with mechanical defects. Techniques have been developed to separate out single nanotubes, and to open their ends.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFedorov and his collaborators \u2013 current and former graduate students Songkil Kim, Dhaval Kulkarni, Konrad Rykaczewski and Mathias Henry, along with Georgia Tech professor Vladimir Tsukruk \u2013 developed a method for aligning the multi-walled nanotubes across electronic contacts using focused electrical fields in combination with a substrate template created through electron beam lithography. The process has a significantly improved yield of properly aligned carbon nanotubes, with a potential for scalability over a large chip area.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce the nanotubes are placed into their positions, the carbon is deposited using the EBID process, followed by graphitization. The phase transformation in the carbon interface is monitored using Raman spectroscopy to ensure that the material is transformed into its optimal nanocrystalline graphite state.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOnly by making advances in each of these areas can we achieve this technological advance, which is an enabling technology for nanoelectronics based on carbon materials,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is really a critical step for making many different kinds of devices using carbon nanotubes or graphene.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore the new technique can be used on a large scale, researchers will have to improve their technique for aligning carbon nanotubes and develop EBID systems able to deposit connectors on multiple devices simultaneously. Advances in parallel electron beam systems may provide a way to mass-produce the connections, Fedorov said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA major amount of work remains to be done in this area, but we believe this is possible if industry becomes interested,\u201d he noted. \u201cThere are applications where integrating carbon nanotubes into circuits could be very attractive.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Songkil Kim, et.al, Fabrication of an Ultra-Low-Resistance Ohmic Contact to MWCNT-Metal Interconnect Using Graphitic Carbon by Electron Beam Induced Deposition (EBID), IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology (2012). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1109\/TNANO.2012.2220377\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1109\/TNANO.2012.2220377\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1109\/TNANO.2012.2220377\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research has been supported by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) under GRC grant 2008OJ1864.1281 and in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant DMI 0403671. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF or the SRC.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 309\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a new method for precisely controlling the deposition of carbon, researchers have demonstrated a technique for connecting multi-walled carbon nanotubes to the metallic pads of integrated circuits without the high interface resistance produced by traditional fabrication techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new technique for connecting carbon nanotubes could facilitate use of the structures as interconnects."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-10-30 10:31:07","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:06","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-10-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-10-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"166591":{"id":"166591","type":"image","title":"Carbon nanotube interconnects2","body":null,"created":"1449178954","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:34","changed":"1475894804","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:44","alt":"Carbon nanotube interconnects2","file":{"fid":"195586","name":"cnt-interconnects116.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-interconnects116_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-interconnects116_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1199536,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cnt-interconnects116_0.jpg?itok=TM7Ix8ru"}},"166601":{"id":"166601","type":"image","title":"Carbon nanotube interconnects3","body":null,"created":"1449178954","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:34","changed":"1475894804","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:44","alt":"Carbon nanotube interconnects3","file":{"fid":"195587","name":"cnt-interconnects129.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-interconnects129_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-interconnects129_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1037955,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cnt-interconnects129_0.jpg?itok=Ck-_93qA"}},"166621":{"id":"166621","type":"image","title":"Carbon nanotube interconnects4","body":null,"created":"1449178954","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:34","changed":"1475894804","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:44","alt":"Carbon nanotube interconnects4","file":{"fid":"195588","name":"cnt-interconnects139.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-interconnects139_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-interconnects139_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":662243,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cnt-interconnects139_0.jpg?itok=_BHOBS90"}},"166571":{"id":"166571","type":"image","title":"Carbon nanotube interconnects","body":null,"created":"1449178954","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:34","changed":"1475894804","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:44","alt":"Carbon nanotube interconnects","file":{"fid":"195585","name":"cnt-interconnects22.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-interconnects22_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-interconnects22_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1319122,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cnt-interconnects22_0.jpg?itok=uKN-AiGL"}}},"media_ids":["166591","166601","166621","166571"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2781","name":"Andrei Fedorov"},{"id":"610","name":"carbon"},{"id":"5116","name":"carbon nanotube"},{"id":"7339","name":"deposition"},{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"48351","name":"interconnect"},{"id":"167377","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"165671":{"#nid":"165671","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Shows How a Hopping Robot Could Conserve its Energy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study shows that jumping can be much more complicated than it might seem. In research that could extend the range of future rescue and exploration robots, scientists have found that hopping robots could dramatically reduce their power demands by adopting a unique two-part \u201cstutter jump.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETaking a short hop before a big jump could allow spring-based \u201cpogo-stick\u201d robots to reduce their power demands as much as ten-fold. The formula for the two-part jump was discovered by analyzing nearly 20,000 jumps made by a simple laboratory robot under a wide range of conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we time things right, the robot can jump with a tenth of the power required to jump to the same height under other conditions,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/daniel-goldman\u0022\u003EDaniel Goldman\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cIn the stutter jumps, we can move the mass at a lower frequency to get off the ground. We achieve the same takeoff velocity as a conventional jump, but it is developed over a longer period of time with much less power.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported October 26 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EPhysical Review Letters\u003C\/em\u003E. The work was supported by the Army Research Laboratory\u2019s MAST program, the Army Research Office, the National Science Foundation, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the GEM Fellowship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJumping is an important means of locomotion for animals, and could be important to future generations of robots. Jumping has been extensively studied in biological organisms, which use stretched tendons to store energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/crablab.gatech.edu\/pages\/jumpingrobot\/index.html\u0022\u003Eresearch into robot jumping\u003C\/a\u003E began with a goal of learning how hopping robots would interact with complicated surfaces \u2013 such as sand, granular materials or debris from a disaster. Goldman quickly realized he\u2019d need to know more about the physics of jumping to separate the surface issues from the factors controlled by the dynamics of jumping.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInspired by student-directed experiments on the dynamics of hopping in his nonlinear dynamics and chaos class, Goldman asked Jeffrey Aguilar, a graduate student in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, to construct the simplest jumping robot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAguilar built a one-kilogram robot that is composed of a spring beneath a mass capable of moving up and down on a thrust rod. Aguilar used computer controls to vary the starting position of the mass on the rod, the amplitude of the motion, the pattern of movement and the frequency of movement applied by an actuator built into the robot\u2019s mass. A high-speed camera and a contact sensor measured and recorded the height of each jump.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/crablab.gatech.edu\/pages\/jumpingrobot\/Demo.html\u0022\u003EWebsite shows how changes affect jumping\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAguilar and Goldman then collaborated with theorists Professor Kurt Wiesenfeld and Alex Lesov, from the Georgia Tech School of Physics, to explain the results of the experiments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers expected to find that the optimal jumping frequency would be related to the resonant frequency of the spring and mass system, but that turned out not to be true. Detailed evaluation of the jumps showed that frequencies above and below the resonance provided optimal jumping \u2013 and additional analysis revealed what the researchers called the \u201cstutter jump.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe preparatory hop allows the robot to time things such that it can use a lower power to get to the same jump height,\u201d Goldman explained. \u201cYou really don\u2019t have to move the mass rapidly to get a good jump.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe amount of energy that can be stored in batteries can limit the range and duration of robotic missions, so the stutter jump could be helpful for small robots that have limited power. Optimizing the efficiency of jumping could therefore allow the robots to complete longer and more complex missions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut because it requires longer to perform than a simple jump, the two-step jump may not be suitable for all conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you\u2019re a small robot and you want to jump over an obstacle, you could use low power by using the stutter jump even though that would take longer,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cBut if a hazard is threatening, you may need to generate the additional power to make a quick jump to get out of the way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, Goldman and his research team plan to study how complicated surfaces affect jumping. They are currently studying the effects of sand, and will turn to other substrates to develop a better understanding of how exploration or rescue robots can hop through them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoldman\u2019s past work has focused on the lessons learned from the locomotion of biological systems, so the team is also interested in what the robot can teach them about how animals jump. \u201cWhat we have learned here can function as a hypothesis for biological systems, but it may not explain everything,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe simple jumping robot turned out to be a useful system to study, not only because of the interesting behaviors that turned up, but also because the results were counter to what the researchers had expected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn physics, we often study the steady-state solution,\u201d Goldman noted. \u201cIf we wait enough time for the transient phenomena to die off, then we can study what\u2019s left. It turns out that in this system, we really care about the transients.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the Army Research Laboratory under cooperative agreement number W911NF-08-2-004, by the Army Research Office under cooperative agreement W911NF-11-1-0514, and by the National Science Foundation under contract PoLS PHY-1150760. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Army Research Laboratory, the Army Research Office or the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Aguilar, Jeffrey et al., \u201cLift-off dynamics in a simple jumping robot,\u201d Physical Review Letters (2012): \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/prl.aps.org\/abstract\/PRL\/v109\/i17\/e174301\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/prl.aps.org\/abstract\/PRL\/v109\/i17\/e174301\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/prl.aps.org\/abstract\/PRL\/v109\/i17\/e174301\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 309\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30308\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Research Finds \u0022Stutter Jump\u0022 Could Improve Performance"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study shows that jumping can be much more complicated than it might seem. In research that could extend the range of future rescue and exploration robots, scientists have found that hopping robots could dramatically reduce their power demands by adopting a unique two-part \u201cstutter jump.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study could hopping robots accomplish their missions with less energy."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-10-26 15:25:14","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:02","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-10-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-10-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"165621":{"id":"165621","type":"image","title":"Study of Jumping","body":null,"created":"1449178936","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:16","changed":"1475894801","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:41","alt":"Study of Jumping","file":{"fid":"195547","name":"jumping-robot5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jumping-robot5_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jumping-robot5_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1496744,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/jumping-robot5_0.jpg?itok=w6ngPmJZ"}},"165631":{"id":"165631","type":"image","title":"Study of Jumping2","body":null,"created":"1449178936","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:16","changed":"1475894801","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:41","alt":"Study of Jumping2","file":{"fid":"195548","name":"jumping-robot47.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jumping-robot47_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jumping-robot47_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1460592,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/jumping-robot47_0.jpg?itok=oHBvlkpo"}},"165641":{"id":"165641","type":"image","title":"Study of Jumping3","body":null,"created":"1449178936","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:16","changed":"1475894801","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:41","alt":"Study of Jumping3","file":{"fid":"195549","name":"jumping-robot71.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jumping-robot71_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jumping-robot71_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1282340,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/jumping-robot71_0.jpg?itok=Ze3Q6xzh"}},"165661":{"id":"165661","type":"image","title":"Study of Jumping5","body":null,"created":"1449178936","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:16","changed":"1475894801","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:41","alt":"Study of Jumping5","file":{"fid":"195551","name":"jumping-robot143.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jumping-robot143_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jumping-robot143_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":815195,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/jumping-robot143_0.jpg?itok=wZYps8FG"}}},"media_ids":["165621","165631","165641","165661"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"47881","name":"Dan Goldman"},{"id":"7111","name":"dynamics"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"47901","name":"hopping"},{"id":"47891","name":"jump"},{"id":"2023","name":"Jumping"},{"id":"1356","name":"robot"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u0026nbsp; \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"164821":{"#nid":"164821","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GT Chemists Ranked as Best in World","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has some of the best chemists in the world according to rankings published by Thomson Reuters Science Watch. For the past decade, 2000-2010, four professors in Tech\u2019s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry have been recognized as part of the Top 100 on their lists of Chemists and Materials Scientists. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYounan Xia, professor of chemistry with a joint appointment in the Georgia Tech\/Emory Department of Biomedical Engineering, is ranked No. 4 on the Top 100 Materials Scientists list and No. 35 on the Top 100 Chemists list.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMostafa El-Sayed, professor and director of the Laser Dynamics Laboratory, is ranked as No. 17 on the list of Top 100 Chemists. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EProfessor John Reynolds is No. 69 on the list of Top 100 Materials Scientists. He holds a joint appointment with the School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJean-Luc Bredas, professor and co-director of the Center for Computational Molecular Science and Technology, is listed as No. 84 on Top 100 Materials Scientists. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EXia, who came to Tech this spring from Washington University in St. Louis, studies the chemistry of nanomaterials, from making them to using nanomaterials in biomedical research as well as in environmentally friendly technologies such as solar cells and fuel cells. He is currently a Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholar in Nanomedicine and the Brock Family Chair. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEl-Sayed has been at Tech since 1994 and studies the conversion of electronic energy in a wide variety of structures such as semiconductors (quantum dots) and metallic nanostructures. Among his most promising areas of research are using lasers and gold nanorods to detect and fight cancerous tumors under the skin.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn 2007, El-Sayed received the U.S. National Medal of Science by then-President George W. Bush. His citation reads: \u201cfor his seminal and creative contributions to our understanding of the electronic and optical properties of nano-materials and to their applications in nano-catalysis and nano-medicine, for his humanitarian efforts of exchange among countries and for his role in developing the scientific leadership of tomorrow.\u201d The next year, he was listed among the 100 most influential people in the state of Georgia.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEl-Sayed is currently a Regents\u2019 Professor and the Julius Brown Chair.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EReynolds arrived at Tech this spring from the University of Florida. He is widely considered to be an international leader in the field of polymer synthesis and electro-active polymers. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBredas has been a Yellow Jacket since 2003. His work seeks to uncover the chemical and physical properties of novel organic materials and includes research on organic solar cells as well as organic light-emitting diodes for potential use in visual displays and lighting.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBredas is a Regents\u2019 professor and a member of the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics. He is also a GRA Eminent Scholar and holds the GRA-Vasser Woolley Chair in Molecular Design. In addition, he holds an extraordinary professorship at the University of Mons in Belgium and an honorary professorship at the Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has some of the best chemists in the world according to rankings published by Thomson Reuters Science Watch."}],"uid":"27267","created_gmt":"2012-10-24 11:18:37","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:02","author":"Thomas Becher","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-10-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-10-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"164831":{"id":"164831","type":"image","title":"Younan Xia is ranked No. 4 on the Top 100 Materials Scientists list and No. 35 on the Top 100 Chemists list.","body":null,"created":"1449178920","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:00","changed":"1475894801","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:41","alt":"Younan Xia is ranked No. 4 on the Top 100 Materials Scientists list and No. 35 on the Top 100 Chemists list.","file":{"fid":"195507","name":"younan.xia_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/younan.xia__0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/younan.xia__0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":347882,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/younan.xia__0.jpg?itok=U8a5Y2QY"}},"164851":{"id":"164851","type":"image","title":"Mostafa El-Sayed is ranked as No. 17 on the list of Top 100 Chemists.","body":null,"created":"1449178920","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:00","changed":"1475894801","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:41","alt":"Mostafa El-Sayed is ranked as No. 17 on the list of Top 100 Chemists.","file":{"fid":"195508","name":"el.sayed_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/el.sayed__0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/el.sayed__0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":726647,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/el.sayed__0.jpg?itok=J4krpTKq"}},"164871":{"id":"164871","type":"image","title":"John Reynolds is No. 69 on the list of Top 100 Materials Scientists.","body":null,"created":"1449178920","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:00","changed":"1475894801","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:41","alt":"John Reynolds is No. 69 on the list of Top 100 Materials Scientists.","file":{"fid":"195509","name":"johnreynolds.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/johnreynolds_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/johnreynolds_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2138521,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/johnreynolds_0.jpg?itok=QFjr6iCQ"}},"164881":{"id":"164881","type":"image","title":"Jean-Luc Bredas is listed as No. 84 on Top 100 Materials Scientists.","body":null,"created":"1449178920","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:42:00","changed":"1475894801","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:41","alt":"Jean-Luc Bredas is listed as No. 84 on Top 100 Materials Scientists.","file":{"fid":"195510","name":"bredas.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bredas_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bredas_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":194856,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bredas_0.jpeg?itok=19JC-rzG"}}},"media_ids":["164831","164851","164871","164881"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDavid Terraso \u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector of Communications, College of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:david.terraso@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edavid.terraso@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-385-1393\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["david.terraso@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"162671":{"#nid":"162671","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Honored for Efforts to Increase Minorities in Engineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) has presented its annual University Rising Star Award to the Georgia Institute of Technology for its commitment to providing successful outreach and support programs that address the needs of underrepresented minorities in engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s efforts in addressing such needs have traditionally received recognition from various sources. Diverse Issues in Higher Education, for instance, ranks\u0026nbsp; the University No. 1 in multiple categories: engineering bachelor\u2019s degrees awarded to all minority students, engineering doctoral degrees awarded to African Americans, engineering doctoral degrees awarded to Hispanics and engineering doctoral degrees awarded to all minority students. Hispanic Business Magazine also recently named Georgia Tech No. 1 among engineering graduate schools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Georgia Tech, accepted the award during NACME\u2019s Awards Dinner and Celebration, and thanked all of the individuals and departments at Georgia Tech \u2013 from Enrollment Services to the College of Engineering \u2013 dedicated to attracting and supporting underrepresented students as they pursue careers in engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am proud that our efforts to improve diversity span the full spectrum,\u201d Bras said. \u201cWe work with all age groups to cultivate a diverse pipeline by increasing engineering awareness in the K-12 arena and exposing students to real-world, hands-on engineering experiences; we work with high school students; we celebrate our minority students and their accomplishments; and we have programs to promote graduate education \u2013 particularly in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields \u2013 among women and underrepresented minorities.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBras added that Georgia Tech remains committed to its goals of diversity and inclusiveness and to providing the best education to all students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe support and recognition of great organizations like NACME is very much appreciated,\u201d he said. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) presented its annual University Rising Star Award to Tech for its commitment to providing successful outreach and support programs.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering presented its University Rising Star Award to Tech for its commitment to providing successful outreach programs"}],"uid":"27713","created_gmt":"2012-10-16 16:49:19","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:58","author":"Victor Rogers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-10-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-10-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.nacme.org\/","title":"NACME"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"101","name":"Award"},{"id":"516","name":"engineering"},{"id":"4700","name":"minorities"},{"id":"3042","name":"Minority recruitment"},{"id":"46641","name":"NACME"},{"id":"15591","name":"Rafael L. Bras"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EVictor Rogers\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6398\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"159041":{"#nid":"159041","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researcher Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda Recognized as Top Biomaterials Scientist","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAndr\u00e9s J. Garc\u00eda, a faculty member at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been named the 2012 recipient of the Clemson Award for Basic Research from the Society for Biomaterials. \u0026nbsp;This national award is given to an outstanding community member who has demonstrated significant contributions to and understanding of the interaction of materials with tissues within a biological environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I am truly honored by this award and recognition,\u201d said Garc\u00eda, who is a Woodruff Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. \u201cThe Society for Biomaterials has had a huge impact in my scientific and professional career and I am delighted to join past awardees from our community. I am also proud to represent my great colleagues along with past and present trainees from Georgia Tech who have contributed to this recognition.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Society for Biomaterials is the oldest scientific organization in the field of biomaterials and has a mission of encouraging, fostering, promoting and advancing education, and research and development, in biomaterials science. \u0026nbsp;The society has grown to more than 2,000 members since its inception in 1974.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Garc\u00eda is an outstanding recipient of this award,\u0022 said Buddy Ratner, Ph.D., professor of bioengineering and chemical engineering at the University of Washington, who recommended Garc\u00eda for the Clemson award. \u0022His strong commitment to polymeric biomaterials and to the modern biology of healing and regeneration, coupled with a fine intelligence, a charismatic personality and super-charged energy, has propelled his career and technical impact to the top of the discipline.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to this award, the society announced that a pioneering publication by Garc\u00eda was one of twenty-five articles selected as part of a special virtual edition of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EJournal of Biomedical Materials Research\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;celebrating the 100\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E volume of the journal. The criteria for inclusion of a paper in the special issue was the identification of articles that, in their time, were considered novel, original, state-of-the-art, ground-breaking, and opened new areas of biomaterials research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda\u2019s work established the paradigm that cell response to material properties could be mediated by protein adsorption. This research established an experimental framework to analyze adhesive mechanisms\u0026nbsp;controlling cell-surface interactions and provided a general strategy for surface-directed control of adsorbed protein activity to manipulate cell function in biomaterial and biotechnology applications.\u0026nbsp; This finding established a new strategy to direct cellular responses to biomaterials and has broad application to the engineering of materials to elicit specific biological responses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe article, \u201cSurface Chemistry Modulates Fibronectin Conformation and Directs Integrin Binding and Specificity to Control Cell Adhesion,\u201d was co-authored by collaborator David M. Collard, a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech, and by Benjamin G. Keselowsky, who was then a graduate student in the Garc\u00eda laboratory. \u0026nbsp;Keselowsky is now an associate professor at the University of Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda\u2019s research program focuses on engineering biomaterials that promote tissue repair and healing; quantitative analyses of mechanisms regulating cell adhesive forces; and cell-based therapies for regenerative medicine.\u0026nbsp; These integrated cellular engineering strategies have provided new insights into mechanisms regulating cell-material interactions and established new approaches for the rational design of biomaterials and cell-delivery vehicles for regenerative medicine applications, including bone repair, vascularization and inflammation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis laboratory\u2019s research has led to advances across many areas of regenerative medicine including applications related to the bone and cartilage, angiogenesis, neurogenesis, inflammation, and implant integration with tissues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda has co-authored papers in leading biomaterials, tissue engineering, and cell biology journals as well as several patents and invention disclosures. \u0026nbsp;He has received several distinctions throughout his successful career, including the NSF CAREER Award, Arthritis Investigator Award, Georgia Tech\u2019s CETL\/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, Young Investigator Award from the Society for Biomaterials, Petit Institute Above and Beyond Award and Georgia Tech\u2019s Outstanding Interdisciplinary Activities Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently Garc\u00eda serves as chair of the Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program at Georgia Tech. He is also the director of a NIH\/NIGMS biotechnology training grant on cell and tissue engineering.\u0026nbsp; He serves on the editorial boards of leading biomaterial and regenerative medicine journals as well as NIH and NSF review panels. \u0026nbsp;Garc\u00eda has been recognized as a top Latino educator by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and has been elected a Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering by the International Union of Societies of Biomaterials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda joined Georgia Tech as assistant professor in 1998.\u0026nbsp; He received a B.S. in mechanical engineering with honors from Cornell University in 1991. He received M.S.E. in 1992 and Ph.D. in 1996 in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Garc\u00eda honored in two ways by the biomaterials community."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAndr\u00e9s J. Garc\u00eda, a faculty member at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been named the 2012 recipient of the Clemson Award for Basic Research from the Society for Biomaterials. \u0026nbsp;This national award is given to an outstanding community member who has demonstrated significant contributions to and understanding of the interaction of materials with tissues within a biological environment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Garc\u00eda honored in two ways by the biomaterials community."}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2012-10-03 16:35:07","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:54","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"48186":{"id":"48186","type":"image","title":"Andres Garcia and vascularization hydrogels","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"Andres Garcia and vascularization hydrogels","file":{"fid":"101280","name":"tan24921.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tan24921_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tan24921_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":833544,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tan24921_0.jpg?itok=JU24rSM5"}},"71140":{"id":"71140","type":"image","title":"Andres Garcia + David Collard","body":null,"created":"1449177348","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:48","changed":"1475894630","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:50"}},"media_ids":["48186","71140"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"539","name":"Andres Garcia"},{"id":"3024","name":"biomaterials"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"541","name":"Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMegan Graziano McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Communications Director\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"157541":{"#nid":"157541","#data":{"type":"external_news","title":"HOPE helps make GA Tech the best deal in the U.S.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESmart Money Magazine study finds that HOPE scholarship helps to make Georgia Tech the best academic deal in the country\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2012-09-27 12:58:24","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 02:26:00","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","publication_url":"http:\/\/www.11alive.com\/news\/article\/258457\/40\/HOPE-helps-make-GA-Tech-the-best-deal-in-the-US","dateline":{"date":"2012-09-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-09-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"44821","name":"HOPE helps make GA Tech the best deal in the U.S."}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"149331":{"#nid":"149331","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Video - BioEngineering Graduate Program at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new video has been launched for the BioEngineering Graduate program at Georgia Tech. The video showcases BioEngineering program faculty and students from different schools and departments at Georgia Tech and Emory University and highlights the diversity of research projects available within the program. The theme of the video, \u0022BioE is the degree for me!\u0022 emphasizes the creativity and flexibility of the program. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022The program has never had marketing support before,\u0022 stated Megan McDevitt, director of communications and marketing for the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u0022This program is one of Georgia Tech\u0027s best kept secrets, and I look forward to telling the program\u0027s story through various communication channels.\u0022 \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Georgia Tech Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program was established in 1992. Although created twenty years ago, the program reflects Georgia Tech\u0027s strategic vision as it blends traditional academic colleges and units and allows students from very different backgrounds to chart their own path by integrating engineering with life sciences. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGraduate students choose a \u0022home school\/department\u0022 in any one of the four Georgia Tech colleges, however, through the support of the BioEngineering Graduate program, they can then choose to take classes in almost any relevant subject and conduct research with any one of the over \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/program-faculty\u0022\u003E90 participating faculty\u003C\/a\u003E. This allows tremendous diversity and flexibility for classes, research topics and faculty advisors which literally translates into the student creating their perfect path. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022Gone are the days of traditional, prescribed graduate studies. Students need the flexibility to create their own program,\u0022 said Andres Garcia, PhD, director of the program. \u0022If a student comes from a strong engineering background, they can tailor their coursework towards the basic sciences, if they have a strong science background, they can dive into the engineering. The BioEngineering Program also provides the flexibility to do cross-disciplinary training across engineering sub-fields. It is completely up to them.\u0022 \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOver 185 students have graduated from the program working with faculty from the Colleges of Engineering, Computing, Sciences, and Architecture as well as Emory University School of Medicine. The program welcomes its newest class of 21 graduate students.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Ranked 2nd in the nation by US News and World Report"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe BioE Graduate PhD and MS program is a unique and interdisciplinary program ranked 2nd in the nation by US News and World Report. Students apply through one of the 8 participating Georgia Tech home schools or departments and students are free to work with any of the 90+ participating program faculty members from the Colleges of Engineering, Computing, Sciences, and Architecture as well as Emory University School of Medicine. The BioE Graduate Program is one of the most innovative and integrative program available at Georgia Tech, giving the students the flexibility and creativity to pursue interdisciplinary research and create their own future.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ranked 2nd in the nation by US News and World Report"}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2012-08-25 19:17:25","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:43","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-08-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-08-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"149341":{"id":"149341","type":"image","title":"BioEngineering Video Image","body":null,"created":"1449178763","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:39:23","changed":"1475894782","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:22","alt":"BioEngineering Video Image","file":{"fid":"195146","name":"bioe-forme.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bioe-forme_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bioe-forme_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":31101,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bioe-forme_0.jpg?itok=2olwsaXM"}}},"media_ids":["149341"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bioengineering.gatech.edu\/","title":"BioEngineering website"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"569","name":"bioengineering"},{"id":"249","name":"Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"41681","name":"College of Engineering; Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Biosciences; Andres Garcia"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"41691","name":"Han Lu"},{"id":"10961","name":"julie champion"},{"id":"1924","name":"Robert Butera"},{"id":"167602","name":"SCEC Events"},{"id":"760","name":"Todd McDevitt"}],"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:colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpecial Projects\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications, Marketing \u0026amp; Events\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Chris%20Ruffin%20\u0026lt;chris.ruffin@ibb.gatech.edu\u0026gt;\u0022\u003EChris Ruffin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAcademic Advisor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBioEngineering Graduate Program\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"144931":{"#nid":"144931","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Third Class of Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT Trainees Selected","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in Stem Cell Biomanufacturing announced its third class of Ph.D. student trainees. The five new graduate students come from a wide variety of disciplines including the School of Chemical and Biomolecular \u0026nbsp;Engineering, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis grant provides a unique training opportunity for top engineering graduate students looking to understand how to control stem cells into clinically relevant numbers,\u201d stated Todd McDevitt, PhD.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcDevitt, associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering is co-directing the IGERT program with Robert M. Nerem, professor emeritus of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. \u0026nbsp;McDevitt is also director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center which administers this award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecently highlighted by Nature magazine as one of the \u201cout of the box\u201d manufacturing educational programs in the country, the $3 million NSF-funded IGERT was awarded to Georgia Tech in 2010 to educate and train the first generation of Ph.D. students in the translation and commercialization of stem cell technologies for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT program supports new incoming Georgia Tech Ph.D. students for their first two years of graduate school. The program offers a core curriculum in stem cell engineering and bioprocessing coupled with elective tracks in advanced technologies, public policy, ethics or entrepreneurship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe current state of the field of stem cell research offers a unique opportunity for engineers to contribute significantly to the generation of robust, reproducible and scalable methods for phenotypic characterization, propagation, differentiation and bioprocessing of stem cells,\u201d McDevitt added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrainees are afforded opportunities to meet with leading experts in the field who visit as part of the Stem Cell Engineering seminar series, attend the annual stem cell engineering workshop, participate in outreach activities and interact with representatives from leading companies during Georgia Tech\u2019s annual Bio Industry Symposium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT award will support at least 30 graduate students over the 5 years of the award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2012 Trainees \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOlivia Burnsed - Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEfrain Cermeno - Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlbert Cheng - Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJose Garcia - George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEmily Jackson - School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2011 Trainees \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETom Bongiorno \u2013 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERob Dromms \u2013 School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDevon Headen \u2013 Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreg Holst \u2013 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETorri Rinker \u2013 Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShalini Saxena \u2013 School of Material Science \u0026amp; Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJosh Zimmerman \u2013 Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 2010 Trainees\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmy Cheng \u2013 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlison Douglas \u2013 Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Lei \u2013 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDouglas White \u2013 Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJenna Wilson \u2013 Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in Stem Cell Biomanufacturing announced its third class of Ph.D. student trainees."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in Stem Cell Biomanufacturing announced its third class of Ph.D. student trainees.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in Stem Cell Biomanufacturing announced its third class of Ph.D. student trainees."}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2012-08-08 10:07:36","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:40","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-08-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-08-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71676":{"id":"71676","type":"image","title":"IGERT Trainees with NSF Director, Subra Suresh, PhD","body":null,"created":"1449177396","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:36","changed":"1475894642","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:02","alt":"IGERT Trainees with NSF Director, Subra Suresh, PhD","file":{"fid":"193554","name":"nsf_pres_igert_trainees_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nsf_pres_igert_trainees_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nsf_pres_igert_trainees_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7206,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nsf_pres_igert_trainees_0_0.jpg?itok=QXNbopyx"}},"71716":{"id":"71716","type":"image","title":"Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT 2011 Trainee Class","body":null,"created":"1449177396","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:36","changed":"1475894642","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:02","alt":"Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT 2011 Trainee Class","file":{"fid":"193558","name":"igert_group_photo_fall_2011.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/igert_group_photo_fall_2011_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/igert_group_photo_fall_2011_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":116688,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/igert_group_photo_fall_2011_0.jpg?itok=7213Zx-M"}}},"media_ids":["71676","71716"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.stemcelligert.gatech.edu\/","title":"Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT"},{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"10506","name":"IGERT"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"540","name":"Robert M. Nerem"},{"id":"167603","name":"Stem Cell Engineering"},{"id":"760","name":"Todd McDevitt"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Communications Director\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"143541":{"#nid":"143541","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery Announces the 2012-2013 Class of GAANN Fellows.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program provides funds each year for doctoral students conducting research in drug design, development and delivery. \u0026nbsp;These focus areas are intended to broadly encompass topics relevant to pharmaceutical research. The GAANN program is open to eligible graduate students from all Georgia Tech schools and departments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis year\u2019s GAANN fellows were selected from an outstanding pool of applicants, who are carrying out high-impact research addressing a broad range of pharmaceutical needs\u201d said Mark Prausnitz, PhD, Regents\u0027 professor and Love Family professor in Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering and director of CD4, who serves as the principle investigator of the program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new class of fellows represent a diverse group of students from biomedical engineering, chemistry, chemical and biomolecular engineering and materials science and engineering. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile most academic training programs address one particular aspect of pharmaceutical research, at Georgia Tech, we have an integrative approach that brings together scientists and engineers from many disciplines to improve the process of pharmaceutical development that includes drug design, manufacturing and delivery. Through the GAANN training grant, we are training future leaders of pharmaceutical research who understand the complex, interconnected process of bringing a drug from idea to product,\u201d Prausnitz added\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince the program\u2019s inception in 2003, over 130 fellowships have been awarded.\u0026nbsp; Solicitation for the 2013-2013 fellows will take place beginning in April 2013.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 2012-2013 GAANN fellows:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERayaj Ahmed \u2013 Chemistry \u0026amp; Biochemistry\u003Cbr \/\u003ESamantha Au \u2013 Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EW. Chris Edens \u2013 Biomedical Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EHiroyuki Ichikawa \u2013 Chemistry \u0026amp; Biochemistry\u003Cbr \/\u003ERussell Jampol \u2013 Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EYoo Chun Kim \u2013 Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EJonathan Park \u2013 Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EMichelle Razumov \u2013 Chemistry \u0026amp; Biochemistry\u003Cbr \/\u003EMark Spears \u2013 Chemistry \u0026amp; Biochemistry\u003Cbr \/\u003EMaeling Tapp \u2013 Material Science and Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EAubrey Tiernan \u2013 Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlex Weller \u2013 Material Science and Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EJenna Wilson \u2013 Biomedical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Since the program\u2019s inception in 2003, over 130 fellowships have been funded."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program provides funds each year for doctoral students conducting research in drug design, development and delivery. \u0026nbsp;These focus areas are intended to broadly encompass topics relevant to pharmaceutical research. The GAANN program is open to eligible graduate students from all Georgia Tech schools and departments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Since the program\u2019s inception in 2003, over 130 fellowships have been awarded."}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2012-08-01 14:24:32","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:36","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-08-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-08-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"133171":{"id":"133171","type":"image","title":"Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery (CD4)","body":null,"created":"1449178659","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:39","changed":"1475894759","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:59","alt":"Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery (CD4)","file":{"fid":"194733","name":"pills-200pxls.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pills-200pxls_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pills-200pxls_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":37265,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/pills-200pxls_0.jpg?itok=QMOiCbll"}},"144621":{"id":"144621","type":"image","title":"Mark Prausnitz","body":null,"created":"1449178739","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:38:59","changed":"1475894777","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:17","alt":"Mark Prausnitz","file":{"fid":"195043","name":"prausnitz_portrait.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_portrait_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_portrait_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1281822,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/prausnitz_portrait_0.jpeg?itok=rW5WoTMa"}}},"media_ids":["133171","144621"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cd4.gatech.edu\/","title":"CD4 website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"34621","name":"CD4 GAANN Fellows"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMegan Graziano McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMarketing Communications Director\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience (IBB)\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"142011":{"#nid":"142011","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Petit Institute awards seed grants to three interdisciplinary teams","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (Petit Institute) awarded $50,000 to three interdisciplinary teams under its Petit Bioengineering and Bioscience Collaborative Seed Grant program, which was created to support early-stage innovative biotechnology research. Proposals were submitted by teams comprised of two Petit Institute faculty with appointments in different academic colleges. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThe overall quality of the twelve collaborative proposals submitted this year was exceptionally high and we are very excited about the three projects selected for funding. In each case, we are bringing together a scientist and an engineer who have not previously worked together,\u201d said Robert E. Guldberg, PhD, executive director of the Petit Institute. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne team, Andrew Lyon, PhD, professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Wilbur Lam, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, proposed a project which aims to reduce hemorrhage in trauma-related injuries by developing a new targeted drug-delivery system that uses the patient\u0027s own platelets as \u201cnanomachines\u201d to trigger controlled release of drugs and induce clotting at sites of active bleeding. This new \u201csmart\u201d drug delivery system has the potential to overcome the limited specificity and efficacy of current nanoparticle-based systems and could lead to much needed novel treatment strategies for acute bleeding. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrandon Dixon, PhD, assistant professor from George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and Fredrik Vannberg, PhD, assistant professor from the School of Biology are partnering on a project entitled, \u201cNon-invasive NIR imaging towards establishing a role for lymphatic trafficking of exosomes in vivo.\u201d Although exosomes, vesicles 40-100 nanometers in size, were discovered over a decade ago their functional role in vivo is still uncertain. The hope of this project is to combine near-infrared imaging tools developed in the Dixon lab with exosomal biology and transcriptional regulation research from the Vannberg lab to establish lymphatic transport of exosomes as a universal mechanism to promote communication at a distance between cells outside of the lymph node with those in the node. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn addition, Lena Ting, PhD, associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and Randy Trumbower, PT, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Division of Physical Therapy at Emory and the School of Applied Physiology at Georgia Tech, will explore a non-invasive approach to improving motor recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) using a novel breathing intervention. Combining Ting\u2019s expertise in neuromechanics of movement with Trumbower\u2019s expertise in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, they will use state-of-the-art computational methods to test whether acute intermittent hypoxia, or breathing low oxygen levels, induces neural plasticity in the spinal cord, altering muscle coordination in a manner that improves walking function in persons with incomplete SCI. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFunding for the new seed grants comes chiefly from the Petit Institute\u0027s endowment as well as contributions from the College of Sciences and the College of Engineering. Each team will receive $50,000 a year for two years; however, the second year of funding will be contingent on submission of an external collaborative grant proposal. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThis initiative embraces the Petit Institute\u2019s mission, funding cutting-edge research at the interface of bioengineering and the biosciences,\u201d Guldberg added. \u201cWe look forward to seeing the progress made by these teams as they establish preliminary results to apply for large external grant proposals.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"$50,000 seed grants awarded to support early-stage innovative biotechnology research"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E$50,000 seed grants awarded to support early-stage innovative biotechnology research.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"$50,000 seed grants awarded to support early-stage innovative biotechnology research."}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2012-07-23 13:30:51","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:33","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"69773":{"id":"69773","type":"image","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience","body":null,"created":"1449177264","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:14:24","changed":"1475894611","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:31","alt":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience","file":{"fid":"192836","name":"10c3041-p1-266.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10c3041-p1-266_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10c3041-p1-266_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2271177,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/10c3041-p1-266_0.jpg?itok=aplnv5pz"}}},"media_ids":["69773"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"38701","name":"Petit Institute awards seed grants"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E, CMP\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector of Communications and Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"138561":{"#nid":"138561","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Technique to Improve Blood Flow in Children Born with one Functional Ventricle Shows Promise","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo in every thousand babies born in the United States start life with just one functional ventricle, or pumping chamber, instead of the normal two. These babies typically undergo a series of two or three open-heart surgeries, culminating in a \u201ctotal cavopulmonary connection\u201d (TCPC), which is known as the Fontan procedure. During this process, surgeons redirect the circulation to allow oxygen-poor blood to flow from the body directly to the lungs passively, without the benefit of a pumping chamber.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA team of surgeons and university researchers recently reported promising results from a novel surgical connection intended to streamline blood flow between the heart and lungs of such infants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETypically, the final stage of the Fontan procedure is performed by connecting a cylindrical conduit to the pulmonary arteries, forming a \u2018T\u2019 shaped junction. In a pilot study, six patients at Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta received a commercially available Y-shaped conduit for their Fontan procedure instead of the cylindrical conduit to create a smoother transition of the blood flow to the pulmonary arteries. Postoperative imaging data from the patients indicated improved blood flow distribution and similar energy efficiency when compared with computer simulations of two alternative connections the patients could have received instead of a Y-graft.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBased on improved energy characteristics predicted by computer modeling for the Y-shaped conduit, we felt it was time to try it in the clinical realm,\u201d said Kirk Kanter, M.D., chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta and professor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine, who performed the operations. \u201cThe pilot study revealed that surgical implementation of a Y-graft for Fontan procedures is feasible and promising because early outcome was good in these patients.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe surgical procedure and the postoperative outcomes were detailed in two articles recently published online in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EJournal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E(articles available\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jtcvs.2012.05.015\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jtcvs.2012.03.076\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E). The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlso involved in the study were\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAjit Yoganathan\u003C\/a\u003E, Ph.D., Regents\u2019 professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E; W. James Parks, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and radiology at Emory University and Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston; Mark A. Fogel, M.D., director of cardiac magnetic resonance at The Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ic.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech School of Interactive Computing\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ic.gatech.edu\/people\/jarek-rossignac\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJarek Rossignac\u003C\/a\u003E, Ph.D., and Coulter Department graduate student Christopher Haggerty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe TCPC typically creates a four-way intersection. Blood from the upper half of the body enters the intersection from the top and blood from the lower body enters from the bottom. The blood flows collide and mix in the intersection before they are split and redirected 90 degrees toward the left or right pulmonary arteries. The collision of blood from the two veins at the intersection causes inefficient blood flow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the blood flows passively from the body to the lungs without being pumped by the heart, it is assumed that any energy inefficiencies inherent in the construction of the Fontan pathway may translate into diminished life expectancy and quality of life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESubstituting a Y-shaped conduit should avoid the collision of blood in the intersection and enable a smooth and streamlined transition of the blood to the pulmonary arteries, which carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the pilot study, Kanter surgically implanted a commercially available Y-graft, made of a synthetic polymer called polytetrafluoroethylene, in each patient to direct flow from the lower half of the body to the left and right pulmonary arteries. This was a variation of a conduit design, called the Optiflo, which was patented by Yoganathan and colleagues for its ability to efficiently direct an even distribution of blood flow to the left and right pulmonary arteries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter surgery, the researchers acquired magnetic resonance or computed tomography images to evaluate the operative connections. The images allowed Yoganathan and Haggerty to evaluate the hemodynamic outcomes of the surgical procedures for five of the six patients and compare them to the simulated outcomes of two alternative connections the patients could have received instead of a Y-graft.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey used the images to model blood flow through the arteries under resting and exercise conditions. These simulations assessed the robustness of each connection geometry because small inefficiencies under resting conditions may be amplified with higher flows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResults for the patients who received the Y-graft showed balanced distribution of flow to both pulmonary arteries with minimal flow disturbance. The resistance of the vessels to blood flow at the connections varied considerably among patients, but the Y-graft results demonstrated resistance levels similar to the alternative connections in four patients and marked improvement in a fifth patient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found desirable flow distribution characteristics using the Y-graft, but the flow efficiency performance fell short of the outcomes we previously predicted,\u201d said Yoganathan. \u201cThe results suggest that the Y-graft performs as well as the standard procedure with a T-graft even when the Y-graft design is theoretically sub-optimal.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study allowed the researchers to identify ways of refining the surgical technique that should help them improve the theoretical efficiency of the conduit design. Before conducting future clinical trials, the research team plans to address two features of the Y-graft design that limited hemodynamic efficiency in the current study. They plan to introduce curvature to the Y-graft branches and extend the distance between the Y-graft branches to reduce continued interaction and mixing between the two blood streams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch reported in this publication was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award numbers HL67622 and HL098252 and by a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Award from the American Heart Association (AHA) (10PRE372002). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigators and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA team of surgeons and university researchers recently reported promising results from a novel surgical connection intended to streamline blood flow between the heart and lungs of infants born with just one functional ventricle, or pumping chamber, instead of the normal two.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A team of surgeons and university researchers recently reported promising results from a novel surgical connection intended to streamline blood flow between the heart and lungs of infants born with just one functional ventricle, or pumping chamber, i"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-07-03 08:46:13","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:29","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-07-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-07-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"138691":{"id":"138691","type":"image","title":"Fontan procedure Y-graft","body":null,"created":"1449178698","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:38:18","changed":"1475894769","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:09","alt":"Fontan procedure Y-graft","file":{"fid":"194883","name":"fontan_image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fontan_image_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fontan_image_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":191866,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fontan_image_0.jpg?itok=5RRib9l9"}}},"media_ids":["138691"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2582","name":"Ajit Yoganathan"},{"id":"1440","name":"blood"},{"id":"37591","name":"blood flow"},{"id":"7104","name":"cardiovascular"},{"id":"9721","name":"Children\u0027s Healthcare of Atlanta"},{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"11533","name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"2586","name":"Fontan"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E Research News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 404-385-3364\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"134971":{"#nid":"134971","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Startup Secures Department of Defense Funding for Development of Cell Delivery Technology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECell-based therapies have yet to reach their full potential in repairing damaged tissue because of the hostile environment the cells face once injected into the body. A patient\u2019s inflammatory response normally causes the majority of these therapeutic cells to die or migrate away from the area in need of repair.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo address this problem, a startup company based on technology developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology is creating an efficient, safe and repeatable delivery method that protects cells from death and migration from the treatment site. Using microbead technology developed in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.spheringenics.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpherIngenics\u003C\/a\u003E is producing protective capsules for the delivery of cell-based therapies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by a broad range of Georgia Tech initiatives, the company recently received a two-year $730,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to continue development of the technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen damaged tissue is being repaired by a cell-based therapy, our microbead technology ensures that cells travel to and remain in the targeted area while maintaining continued viability,\u201d said SpherIngenics CEO \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=107\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFranklin Bost\u003C\/a\u003E, who is also a professor in the Coulter Department. \u201cThis technology has the potential to reduce the cost of treatment by eliminating the need for multiple therapeutic procedures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBost and Coulter Department Professors \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=48\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBarbara Boyan\u003C\/a\u003E and Zvi Schwartz founded the company in 2007. They worked with the Georgia Tech Research Corporation to license five patents from Boyan\u2019s lab for technology originally developed in the Georgia Tech\/Emory Center for the Engineering of Living Tissue (GTEC), which was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Then they secured $450,000, which included a Phase I SBIR grant from the U.S. Department of Defense and grants from the Georgia Research Alliance and the Coulter Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring Phase I of the SBIR grant, the researchers confirmed that as many as 250 human adult stem cells could remain viable in culture if they were encapsulated in a 200-micron-diameter bead made of natural algae materials and that they could release factors that enhance tissue regeneration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor the Phase II SBIR grant, we\u2019re going to examine whether delivering microbeads full of stem cells can enhance cartilage repair and regeneration of craniofacial defects in an animal model,\u201d said Boyan, who is the company\u2019s chief scientific officer. Boyan is also the associate dean for research and innovation in the Georgia Tech College of Engineering, the Price Gilbert, Jr. Chair in Tissue Engineering at Georgia Tech, and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company will perform this research in its laboratory space located in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/atdc.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdvanced Technology Development Center\u003C\/a\u003E (ATDC) biosciences incubator.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company\u2019s ultimate goal is to commercialize the microbead technology for use in hospitals and by cell therapy companies. To help reach this goal, a group of students wrote a business plan for SpherIngenics last year through the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/tiger.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETI:GER\u003C\/a\u003E) program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team -- which included Coulter Department doctoral student Christopher Lee, Georgia Tech MBA students Chris Palazzola and Eric Diersen, and Emory University law students Bryan Stewart and Natalie Dana -- won third place in the 2011 Georgia Tech Business Plan Competition. The competition, while largely an education experience, provided students an opportunity to develop their venture ideas and present them to a panel of highly experienced judges in the venture capital, technology transfer and legal fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe TI:GER team\u2019s business plan helped us learn about where the market for our technology is right now and where it is going in the future, which is extremely valuable knowledge as we work toward determining the most promising pathway to market,\u201d said Bost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional members of the company include Anthony Nicolini, the principal investigator on the Phase II SBIR grant, and Joseph Williams, clinical director of craniofacial plastic surgery at Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch reported in this publication was supported by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command under award numbers W81XWH-07-1-0219 and W81XWH-11-C-0071. The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigators and does not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Government.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech startup SpherIngenics is using microbead technology to produce protective capsules for the delivery of cell-based therapies. The technology provides an efficient, safe and repeatable delivery method that protects cells from death and migration from the treatment site.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech cell delivery startup SpherIngenics secures defense funding."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-06-13 08:22:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:22","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-06-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-06-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"134951":{"id":"134951","type":"image","title":"SpherIngenics microbeads","body":null,"created":"1449178671","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:51","changed":"1475894763","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:03","alt":"SpherIngenics microbeads","file":{"fid":"194777","name":"spheringenics_microbeads.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/spheringenics_microbeads_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/spheringenics_microbeads_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":107104,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/spheringenics_microbeads_0.jpg?itok=H9YnVwp1"}}},"media_ids":["134951"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"9548","name":"Barbara Boyan"},{"id":"35801","name":"Cartilage Repair"},{"id":"35791","name":"cell delivery"},{"id":"9534","name":"cell therapy"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"35821","name":"cranial defect regeneration"},{"id":"11533","name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"8246","name":"Department of Defense"},{"id":"12154","name":"Franklin Bost"},{"id":"35781","name":"Microbead"},{"id":"167833","name":"SBIR"},{"id":"169504","name":"spheringenics"},{"id":"166973","name":"startup"},{"id":"167413","name":"Stem Cell"},{"id":"35771","name":"Zvi Schwartz"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E Research News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 404-385-3364\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"134471":{"#nid":"134471","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nerem International Travel Award Winner Announced","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELucas Timmins, PhD, has been awarded the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u2019s (Petit Institute) Robert M. Nerem International Travel Award. Timmins, a post-doctoral fellow in Don Giddens\u2019, PhD, laboratory, will receive $3,000 to travel to the Imperial College of London to learn a unique model of atherosclerosis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom a professional standpoint I am looking forward to expanding my research training and skill-set, which will provide a solid foundation as I begin my independent career in academic research,\u201d said Timmins.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETimmins\u2019 travel to London will enable him to develop computational methods and techniques required to construct computational fluid dynamic models.\u0026nbsp; He will use microtomography and magnetic resonance imaging data to understand biomechanical stimuli in the development of atherosclerosis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Luke will be working with a unique, hemodynamically altered model of atherosclerosis that allows for a multi-scale approach in understanding this disease. \u0026nbsp;Luke\u0027s knowledge of computational fluid dynamics will be a significant benefit to Rob Krams\u0027 research group,\u201d Giddens explained. \u0022In addition, Luke\u0027s visit will strengthen the long-standing professional relationship between my research group and Imperial College London, and serve as a greater benefit in further developing the linkages between bioengineering research in the Petit Institute and Imperial.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Nerem International Travel Award was endowed by Nerem\u2019s colleagues and friends in appreciation of the impact that Nerem has had on many. As the Petit Institute\u2019s founding director, Nerem passionately served the community for 14 years and successfully led the institute to national and international prominence in the fields of bioengineering and bioscience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEveryone who knows Nerem, knows he loves to travel. His travels have brought him to all corners of the world and it is through his travel that he has served as a great champion of Georgia Tech, the Petit Institute and biocommunity as a whole,\u201d stated Robert Guldberg, executive director of the Petit Institute. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeginning in 2005, this award has allowed trainees an opportunity to travel to a wide variety of international research universities and institutes, including the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Japan; the National University of Singapore;\u0026nbsp;University of Twente,The Netherlands; Queensland University of Technology, Australia; and Consorzio Interuniversitario Lombardo per L\u2019Elaborazione Automatica, Milan, Italy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am so proud of this annual award as it affords the opportunity for a trainee to broaden their research experiences by establishing an international collaboration and travel to another university or institution,\u201d Nerem stated. \u201cOpening one\u0027s eyes to new techniques and research facilities will have a profound impact on Timmins\u2019 research and training.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is truly is an honor to receive an award that bears Dr. Nerem\u0027s name given his distinguished dedication to bioengineering research and commitment to mentorship,\u201d said Timmins. \u201cI also want to sincerely thank the friends of Dr. Nerem\u2019s and the Petit Institute for providing such an outstanding opportunity to its graduate students and post-docs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETimmins has co-authored nine well-cited peer reviewed publications, serving as lead author on five. He is co-author on 20 conference abstract proceedings and has given numerous presentations at engineering and clinical professional conferences. Timmins\u0026nbsp;currently serves as an ad-hoc reviewer for over 12 journals and is a member of the Fluid Mechanics and Solid Mechanics Technical Committees of the ASME Bioengineering Division. In addition, Timmins also received an inaugural Whitaker International Fellowship from the Whitaker Program\u0026nbsp;and was awarded an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"An annual award given by the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELucas Timmins, PhD, has been awarded the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u2019s (Petit Institute) Robert M. Nerem International Travel Award. Timmins, a post-doctoral fellow in Don Giddens\u2019, PhD, laboratory, will receive $3,000 to travel to the Imperial College of London to learn a unique model of atherosclerosis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An annual award given by the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2012-06-10 09:47:02","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:22","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"134481":{"id":"134481","type":"image","title":"Lucas Timmins","body":null,"created":"1449178671","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:51","changed":"1475894763","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:03","alt":"Lucas Timmins","file":{"fid":"194766","name":"lucas1.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lucas1_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lucas1_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":885272,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lucas1_0.jpeg?itok=ua2R2gFv"}}},"media_ids":["134481"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/robert-m-nerem","title":"About Robert M. Nerem"},{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/nerem-travel-award","title":"Nerem Interational Travel Award Information"},{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2549","name":"Don Giddens"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"35501","name":"Lucas Timmins"},{"id":"1516","name":"Nerem"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"6500","name":"Petit Institute"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMegan Graziano McDevitt\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMarketing Communications Director\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"134191":{"#nid":"134191","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Two Georgia Tech Leaders Inducted as Fellows of Biomaterials Science and Engineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBarbara Boyan, PhD, Price Gilbert, Jr. Chair in Tissue Engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and associate dean for research and innovation in the College of Engineering and Andr\u00e9s\u0026nbsp;Garc\u00eda, PhD, Woodruff Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, were inducted as Fellows of Biomaterials Science and Engineering at the World Biomaterials Congress this week in Chengdu China.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFellows are appointed based on significant contributions to the biomaterials field as well as national and international recognition of accomplishments documented by a continuous productivity in biomaterials research and are considered role models in the biomaterials science and engineering field.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Fellows program began in1992 after the constituent biomaterials societies of the World Biomaterials Congress recognized the need for public recognition of their members who have gained a status of excellent professional standing and earned high achievements in the biomaterials field. For this reason, the honorary status of \u0022Fellow, Biomaterials Science and Engineering\u0022 (FBSE) was established.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EBoyan and Garc\u00eda have had significant accomplishments throughout their careers which include receiving awards from the Society for Biomaterials, authoring papers in leading biomaterials journals and they both have several biomaterials-related patents and invention disclosures.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EBoyan\u2019s research laboratory focuses on bone and cartilage cell biology and tissue engineering of musculoskeletal tissues. Researchers are investigating signaling pathways involved in implant osseointegration, or the connection between the bone and a material. Specifically, they are exploring how surface properties influence biological processes and pathways such as cell proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis and apoptosis to better understand healing and regeneration.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EBoyan was recently elected to the National Academy of Engineering and other 2012 awards include and the Orthopaedic Research Society Women\u0027s Leadership Forum Award and she was named a fellow of the International Team for Implantology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda\u2019s research activities center on analyses of cell adhesive forces and mechanotransduction, cell-biomaterial interactions and the engineering of biomaterials to control cell delivery and engraftment and tissue repair, including bone repair, therapeutic vascularization, pancreatic islet delivery for the treatment of diabetes, and inflammation and infection. These findings provide fundamental insights into mechanisms regulating cell-material interactions and constitute novel approaches to the engineering of bioactive materials for enhanced tissue repair.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda was awarded the Clemson Award for Basic Research from the Society of Biomaterials and will be presented with that award in New Orleans in October 2012. Garc\u00eda serves on the editorial board of leading biomaterial and regenerative medicine journals as well as National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation review panels.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Barbara Boyan and Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda recognized for contributions to the biomaterials field."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo Georgia Tech Leaders Inducted as Fellows of Biomaterials Science and Engineering -\u0026nbsp;Barbara Boyan and\u0026nbsp;Andr\u00e9s\u0026nbsp;Garc\u00eda recognized for contributions to biomaterials field.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Barbara Boyan and Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda recognized for contributions to the biomaterials field."}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2012-06-06 12:16:39","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:22","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-06-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-06-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"48186":{"id":"48186","type":"image","title":"Andres Garcia and vascularization hydrogels","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"Andres Garcia and vascularization hydrogels","file":{"fid":"101280","name":"tan24921.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tan24921_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tan24921_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":833544,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tan24921_0.jpg?itok=JU24rSM5"}},"109231":{"id":"109231","type":"image","title":"Dr. Barbara Boyan","body":null,"created":"1449178201","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:30:01","changed":"1475894728","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:28","alt":"Dr. Barbara Boyan","file":{"fid":"194040","name":"boyan.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/boyan_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/boyan_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4865995,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/boyan_0.jpg?itok=QPglXo42"}}},"media_ids":["48186","109231"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/garcialab.gatech.edu\/","title":"Garcia lab"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.boyanlab.gatech.edu\/","title":"Boyan \u0026 Schwartz Laboratory"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"539","name":"Andres Garcia"},{"id":"9548","name":"Barbara Boyan"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"35401","name":"Two Georgia Tech Leaders Inducted as Fellows of Biomaterials Science and Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Communications Director\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioegineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["megan.mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"133841":{"#nid":"133841","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mosquitoes Fly in Rain Thanks to Low Mass","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe mosquito is possibly summer\u2019s biggest nuisance. Sprays, pesticides, citronella candles, bug zappers \u2014 nothing seems to totally deter the blood-sucking insect. And neither can rain apparently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven though a single raindrop can weigh 50 times more than a mosquito, the insect is still able to fly through a downpour.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers used high-speed videography to determine how this is possible. They found the mosquito\u2019s strong exoskeleton and low mass render it impervious to falling raindrops.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team, led by Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biology David Hu and his doctoral student Andrew Dickerson, found that mosquitoes receive low impact forces from raindrops because the mass of mosquitoes causes raindrops to lose little momentum upon impact. The results of the research will appear in the June 4 issue of the \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe most surprising part of this project was seeing the robustness this small flyer has in the rain,\u201d Dickerson said. \u201cIf you were to scale up the impact to human size, we would not survive. It would be like standing in the road and getting hit by a car.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat the researchers learned about mosquito flight could be used to enhance the design and features of micro-airborne vehicles, which are increasingly being used by law enforcement and the military in surveillance and search-and-rescue operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo study how mosquitoes fly in the rain, the research team constructed a flight arena consisting of a small acrylic cage covered with mesh to contain the mosquitoes but permit entry of water drops. They used a water jet to simulate rain stream velocity and observed six mosquitoes flying into the stream. All the mosquitoes survived the collision.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe collision force must equal the resistance applied by the insect,\u201d Hu said. \u201cMosquitoes don\u2019t resist at all, but simply go with the flow.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team also filmed free-flying mosquitoes that were subjected to rain drops. They found that upon impact the mosquito is adhered to the front of the drop for up to 20 body lengths. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo survive, the mosquito must eventually separate from the front of the drop,\u201d Hu said. \u201cThe mosquito accomplishes this by using its long legs and wings, whose drag forces act to rotate the mosquito off the point of contact. This is necessary, otherwise the mosquito will be thrown into the ground at the speed of a falling raindrop.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers used high-speed videography to determine the mosquito\u2019s strong exoskeleton and low mass render it impervious to falling raindrops.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Mosquitoes receive low impact forces from raindrops because the mass of mosquitoes causes raindrops to lose little momentum upon impact."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2012-06-04 14:50:06","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:22","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-06-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-06-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"133851":{"id":"133851","type":"image","title":"Mosquitoes Fly in Rain - 1","body":null,"created":"1449178671","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:51","changed":"1475894763","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:03","alt":"Mosquitoes Fly in Rain - 1","file":{"fid":"194750","name":"mosquito1.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mosquito1_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mosquito1_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4289785,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mosquito1_0.jpeg?itok=_4CJzWbp"}},"133861":{"id":"133861","type":"image","title":"Mosquitoes Fly in Rain - 2","body":null,"created":"1449178671","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:51","changed":"1475894763","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:03","alt":"Mosquitoes Fly in Rain - 2","file":{"fid":"194751","name":"mosquito2.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mosquito2_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mosquito2_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3962575,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mosquito2_0.jpeg?itok=0ompg0M5"}},"133871":{"id":"133871","type":"image","title":"Mosquitoes Fly in Rain - 3","body":null,"created":"1449178671","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:51","changed":"1475894763","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:03","alt":"Mosquitoes Fly in Rain - 3","file":{"fid":"194752","name":"mostquito3.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mostquito3_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mostquito3_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3920428,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mostquito3_0.jpeg?itok=aPFYYFWV"}}},"media_ids":["133851","133861","133871"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2012\/05\/25\/1205446109.abstract?sid=f7148cfd-1cac-4395-add4-97f6b7c0aca9","title":"PNAS article"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"35121","name":"Andrew Dickerson"},{"id":"297","name":"David Hu"},{"id":"28981","name":"flying"},{"id":"35131","name":"mosquitoes"},{"id":"35141","name":"rain"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"133081":{"#nid":"133081","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Doctoral Fellowships in Drug Design, Development and Delivery","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery (CD4) invites Georgia Tech doctoral students engaged in research in the area of drug design, development and delivery to apply for fellowships including a stipend and research funds. The stipend levels, advisor\u2019s cost-share requirements, and responsibilities of the fellow are described in detail below. These funds have been made available through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECD4 fellowship awards are expected to be announced by early July 2012 for funding starting Fall semester 2012 and continuing through Summer semester 2013 (i.e., for 12 months). The stipend for this fellowship will be at the standard stipend level of the department in which the fellow is enrolled plus a $3,000 supplement. This stipend will be paid with a combination of funds from the CD4 fellowship program and the fellow\u2019s thesis advisor. The amount provided by the CD4 fellowship program will be determined by the fellow\u2019s financial need level according to federal guidelines administered by the Georgia Tech financial aid office. In the past, financial need levels have varied widely, with a representative value of about $18,000. Thus, the cost-sharing contribution of the thesis advisor cannot be predicted until the fellow\u2019s financial need level is determined. In addition, the CD4 fellowship program will provide $5,000 to support research, travel and educational activities by the fellow, in consultation with his\/her advisor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are four eligibility requirements for a CD4 fellowship: (1) candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, (2) candidates must be pursuing a Ph.D. degree (although they need not have passed the qualifying exam yet), (3) candidates must have significant financial need and (4) research must be on at least one of the program focus areas: (i) drug design, (ii) development of drugs or genes and (iii) delivery of drugs or genes. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDrug design includes creation of new compounds for pharmaceutical applications. Drug development includes synthesis, purification and other aspects of drug production. Drug delivery includes formulations, devices and methods to control drug transport into and within the body. These focus areas are intended to broadly encompass topics relevant to pharmaceutical research. \u0026nbsp;Current CD4 fellows cannot apply for a second consecutive year of support. \u0026nbsp;Students who were CD4 fellows in years prior to the 2011-2012 academic year are eligible. The primary basis for evaluation of CD4 fellowship applications is (i) demonstrated interest and direct activity in pharmaceutical research, as evidenced by prior and planned activities in the field, (ii) academic credentials, as demonstrated by grades, GRE scores, research and other accomplishments, and (iii) recommendation letters. Applications from all eligible candidates are welcome. \u0026nbsp;Women and underrepresented minorities are especially encouraged to apply. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor complete applicant criteria\/program information, contact \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bondy@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDonna Bondy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Application deadline June 18, 2012"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGAANN Fellowships in Drug Design, Development and Delivery - Accepting Applications through June 18, 2012\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Application deadline June 18, 2012"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2012-05-29 14:36:58","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:18","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-05-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-05-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"133171":{"id":"133171","type":"image","title":"Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery (CD4)","body":null,"created":"1449178659","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:39","changed":"1475894759","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:59","alt":"Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery (CD4)","file":{"fid":"194733","name":"pills-200pxls.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pills-200pxls_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pills-200pxls_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":37265,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/pills-200pxls_0.jpg?itok=QMOiCbll"}}},"media_ids":["133171"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.cd4.gatech.edu\/","title":"CD4 website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"34621","name":"CD4 GAANN Fellows"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bondy@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDonna Bondy\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["bondy@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"120661":{"#nid":"120661","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Testimonials from Georgia Tech\u0027s BioEngineering Graduate Students","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe word is out. Hear what the current BioEngineering graduate students are saying about why they chose the program and what their favorite part of the program is. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Georgia Tech Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program was established in 1992. Over 170 students have graduated from the program in a broad spectrum of research by our \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/program-faculty\u0022\u003E90 participating faculty\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;from the Colleges of Engineering, Computing, Sciences, and Architecture as well as Emory University School of Medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe BioE Program is interdisciplinary in that it is not a standalone academic unit like most departments or schools at Georgia Tech. Rather, 8 different academic units from the Colleges of Engineering and Computing make up the program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhy did you choose the BioE program?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022I have always been interested in interdisciplinary research with an immediate impact on the well being of others. The BioE program provides me with an ideal platform to pursue my interest in problem solving while not limiting myself to a particular discipline.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Timothy Kassis, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022You have more choice in classes and could take more real engineering courses.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Adrian Lam, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022Flexible classes, more interesting classes. Ability to work with professor outside of BME.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Apoorva Kalasuramath, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022I needed the BioE Program\u0027s course flexibility to match my interdisciplinary research focus. My research does not fit into one specific discipline, and the BioE Program allowed me to create the graduate experience I wanted mixing ME, BME, APPH, and BIO courses and having a committee members from each of these disciplines.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Julia Henkels, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022I really liked the fact that we are able to choose an advisor from multiple departments. I also liked the fact that the coursework was not restricted to specific classes, but could be tailored to our research areas.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Rachel Simmons, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022The BioEngineering program enabled me to have a solid education in the classical engineering disciplines while allowing me to apply those concepts in my medical research.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Jonathan Suever, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering What has been your favorite part of the BioEngineering Program?\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat has been your favorite part of the BioEngineering Program?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022The interdisciplinary nature of the program where I am continuously challenged. My project involves various areas of the basic sciences in addition to various engineering disciplines. The people in the program are also very accepting and collaboration seems to be a central pivot of the program. There is no shortage of people working together across labs both officially and unofficially.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Timothy Kassis, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022Access to a large number of faculty and picking my own classes.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Ivan Caceres, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022I like the coursework requirements and the flexibility I had in selecting an advisor.\u0022 - Ashley Allen, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering \u0022You get to work with the best in science and engineering, no matter which background you come from.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Rich Hammett, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022The faculty and my fellow BioEs have made this experience for me. My PhD committee has been an invaluable support to my research, and my fellow BioEs have been with me all the way to commiserate, celebrate, or lend a hand. It\u0027s a great community. The people here want to be here, and they want to help you succeed.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Julia Henkels, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022I think my favorite part has ended up being the very collaborative nature of the BioE program. I feel that I more readily have access to people that do not necessarily have the same background as I do.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003E- Rachel Simmons, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Hear what the current BioE graduate students are saying"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETestimonials of Georgia Tech\u0027s BioE Students...Hear what the cuurent BioEngineering graduate students are saying about why they chose the program.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Hear what the current BioE graduate students are saying"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2012-03-29 14:50:21","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:57","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-03-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-03-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"120721":{"id":"120721","type":"image","title":"Bioengineering Graduate Students","body":null,"created":"1449178279","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:31:19","changed":"1475894741","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:41","alt":"Bioengineering Graduate Students","file":{"fid":"194373","name":"11c3022-p1-176.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/11c3022-p1-176_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/11c3022-p1-176_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3017792,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/11c3022-p1-176_0.jpg?itok=Cr3d-QlN"}}},"media_ids":["120721"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bioengineering.gatech.edu\/","title":"BioEngineering website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"28801","name":"Testimonials of GT\u0027s BioE Students"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:chris.ruff@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EChris Ruffin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["chris.ruffin@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"116431":{"#nid":"116431","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BioEngineering Student and Faculty Awards Winners","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThrough the generous support of Dean Gary S. May and the College of Engineering, the BioEngineering Interdisciplinary graduate program is pleased announce the \u003Cstrong\u003Ewinners\u003C\/strong\u003E of the\u0026nbsp; three new BioEngineering Awards for calendar year 2011 as follows:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest BioE Student Paper\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERolando Gittens - Ph.D. Student - Boyan Lab - Award Recipient 2012\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest BioE Ph.D. Thesis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEdward Phelps, Ph.D. - Garcia Lab -\u0026nbsp; Award Recipient 2012\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest BioE Advisor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDr. Melissa Kemp, BMED - Award Recipient 2012\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo honor these recipients, an awards ceremony will be held Fall semester 2012.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"\u0022Rewarding Excellence...\u0022"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Through the generous support of Dean Gary S. May and the College of Engineering, the BioEngineering Interdisciplinary graduate program is pleased announce the creation of three new BioEngineering Awards.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Through the generous support of Dean Gary S. May and the College of Engineering, the BioEngineering Interdisciplinary graduate program is pleased announce the creation of three new BioEngineering Awards."}],"uid":"27547","created_gmt":"2012-03-13 08:20:26","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:52","author":"Chris Ruffin","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"69773":{"id":"69773","type":"image","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience","body":null,"created":"1449177264","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:14:24","changed":"1475894611","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:31","alt":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience","file":{"fid":"192836","name":"10c3041-p1-266.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10c3041-p1-266_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10c3041-p1-266_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2271177,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/10c3041-p1-266_0.jpg?itok=aplnv5pz"}}},"media_ids":["69773"],"groups":[{"id":"65448","name":"Bioengineering Graduate Program"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"569","name":"bioengineering"},{"id":"35431","name":"BioEngineering Awards"},{"id":"14347","name":"Edward Phelps"},{"id":"5084","name":"Melissa Kemp"},{"id":"35441","name":"Rolando Gittens"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMr. Christopher Ruffin\u003Cbr \/\u003EIBB Building, Room 1103\u003Cbr \/\u003E(404)385-6655\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["chris.ruffin@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"121811":{"#nid":"121811","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Boyan Pushes for Reauthorization of Pediatric Medical Device Legislation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBarbara Boyan, the Price Gilbert, Jr. Chair in Tissue Engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory, and director of the Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium, traveled to Washington D.C. recently to support legislation that encourages the development of pediatric medical devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring her visit in February, Boyan met with several congressmen, urging them to reauthorize \u201cThe Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act.\u0022 The law provides grants to fund non-profit pediatric device consortia, such as the Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium. The grants connect scientists and innovators with device manufacturers, providing them financial resources and regulatory guidance needed to advance the development of devices for children.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe funding from the FDA has opened many doors and some of our small companies have been able to secure venture capital funding to pursue these devices,\u201d Boyan said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of three FDA-sponsored consortia awarded last year, the Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium is a partnership between Georgia Tech, Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Atlanta Pediatric Consortium provides assistance with engineering design, prototype development, pre-clinical and clinical studies and commercialization for novel pediatric medical devices. It is currently composed of nine projects, three main projects and six pilot projects, which were incorporated from the first Pediatric Device Competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis consortium has brought excitement to the Atlanta Community and strengthened our research partnerships to develop the future of pediatric medical devices,\u201d Boyan said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPassed in 2007, \u201cThe Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act\u0022 includes important incentives that promote the development of medical devices for children, which currently lags five to 10 years behind those for adults.\u0026nbsp;Significant barriers to pediatric device development exist, including physiological differences in pediatric patients and challenges with recruiting pediatric participants for clinical trial.\u0026nbsp;The law helps to support the creation of more pediatric devices, with 107 device projects developed during the program\u2019s first two years, according to a report by the General Accounting Office.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoyan was accompanied to D.C. by consortium co-directors Kevin Maher, MD, a cardiologist and researcher specializing in pediatrics with appointments at the Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta Sibley Heart Center and Emory University and Wilbur Lam, MD, PhD, a pediatric hematologist\/oncologist and bioengineer with appointments at Emory, the Aflac Cancer Center of Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta and Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act\u0022 provides grants to fund non-profit pediatric device consortia, such as the Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium. Boyan and others in the field are pushing lawmakers to reauthorize the legislation before the end of September.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"\u201cThe Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act\u0022 provides grants to fund non-profit pediatric device consortia, such as the Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2012-04-03 12:19:11","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:56","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"109231":{"id":"109231","type":"image","title":"Dr. Barbara Boyan","body":null,"created":"1449178201","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:30:01","changed":"1475894728","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:28","alt":"Dr. Barbara Boyan","file":{"fid":"194040","name":"boyan.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/boyan_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/boyan_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4865995,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/boyan_0.jpg?itok=QPglXo42"}},"121841":{"id":"121841","type":"image","title":"Dr. Boyan in DC","body":null,"created":"1449178582","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:36:22","changed":"1475894743","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:43","alt":"Dr. Boyan in DC","file":{"fid":"194401","name":"boyan_dc.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/boyan_dc_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/boyan_dc_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1948122,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/boyan_dc_0.jpg?itok=DbvuOQAV"}}},"media_ids":["109231","121841"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/release.html?nid=71150","title":"FDA Launches Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/downloads\/Drugs\/DevelopmentApprovalProcess\/DevelopmentResources\/UCM049870.pdf","title":"The Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=48","title":"Barbara Boyan"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"155","name":"Congressional Testimony"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14684","name":"atlanta pediatric device consortium"},{"id":"9548","name":"Barbara Boyan"},{"id":"29221","name":"pediatric devices"},{"id":"29211","name":"The Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"116491":{"#nid":"116491","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Graduate Programs Earn High Marks In National Rankings","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology graduate programs continue\nto earn high marks from U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u0027s annual rankings. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute\u2019s College of Engineering ranked No. 4 for the\neighth consecutive year and all eleven of the programs within the college are\nranked in the top 10 including industrial engineering (No. 1), biomedical and bioengineering (No.\n2), civil (No. 3), aerospace (No. 4), electrical (No. 5), nuclear (No. 5), environmental\n(No. 6), computer (No. 6), mechanical (No. 6), materials (No. 7) and chemical\n(No. 10).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of Georgia Tech\u2019s graduate\nengineering programs are ranked in the top ten in the nation.\u0026nbsp; We\u2019re proud that our College of Engineering\nis not only one of the best in the U.S., but also the largest, preparing nearly\n3,000 graduates each year,\u201d said Georgia Tech President G. P. \u201cBud\u201d\nPeterson.\u0026nbsp; \u201cWe commend our outstanding\nfaculty, staff and students who helped make this a reality.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech appears on the top 10 list of engineering specialties more than any other ranked institution.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech College of Management full-time MBA program\nranked No. 32, while the Institute\u2019s part-time MBA program ranked No. 28. \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology graduate programs continue\nto earn high marks from U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u0027s annual rankings.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech graduate programs continue to earn high marks from U.S. News \u0026 World Report."}],"uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2012-03-13 09:03:36","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:52","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"83641":{"id":"83641","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1449178095","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:28:15","changed":"1475894700","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:00"}},"media_ids":["83641"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com\/best-graduate-schools","title":"U.S. News \u0026 World Report"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.coe.gatech.edu\/home","title":"College of Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/mgt.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech College of Management"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2008","name":"College of Management"},{"id":"516","name":"engineering"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"1209","name":"MBA"},{"id":"834","name":"Rankings"},{"id":"1875","name":"U.S. News \u0026 World Report"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mattnagel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"112651":{"#nid":"112651","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Two Georgia Tech Faculty Help to Define Emerging U.S Stem Cell Engineering Field through International Study","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERobert M. Nerem, Ph.D., professor in mechanical engineering and Todd C.\nMcDevitt, Ph.D., director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center at Georgia Tech,\nwere invited by the lead sponsor, Semahat S.\nDemir Ph.D. of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to take part in an\ninternational assessment of the stem cell engineering field.\u0026nbsp; Nerem will\nlead the panel and the findings of this study will result in recommendations to\nthe NSF and other funding agencies on future research directions and\ninvestments, recommendations on global initiatives with international partners\nand public workshops.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe study, which is being conducted by the World Technology Evaluation Center\n(WTEC), aims to assess the current status and the trends of stem cell\nengineering, and compare U.S. research and development programs with those\nabroad.\u0026nbsp; In addition to the NSF, the study is co-sponsored by the National\nInstitutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Standards and\nTechnology (NIST).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u201cTech is fortunate to have two out of the six experts on this panel,\u201d Nerem\nsaid. \u201cIt conveys Georgia Tech\u0027s nascent leadership in this relatively new and\nrapidly growing field and it is a great opportunity to provide input and\nleadership to our funding agencies and help our government understand where\nbest to invest.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nPresident Obama, Congress and numerous states have recognized the value of stem\ncell research. Knowledge of research activities abroad will help to formulate\nand prioritize research directions to support President Obama\u0027s executive order\nfor expanding stem cell research so that it has the greatest potential for\nclinical and commercial applications.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDozens of companies have recently entered the stem cell engineering field in\nsearch of clinical and commercial applications.\u0026nbsp; There is clear impetus\nfor the U.S. to support stem cell research and continue its leadership in the\nbasic sciences for the betterment of humankind.\u0026nbsp; A Congressional Research\nService report on stem cell research, which reviewed the political, moral and\nethical issues of the subject, indicated the strengthening interest and\neconomic commitment for stem cell research in the U.S. and the rest of the\nworld.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis study will use WTEC\u0027s methodology and an expert panel of six to conduct\nsite visits to overseas laboratories where work in stem cell engineering is\ndone. The panelists began their study in November, when they traveled to China\nand Japan, and will continue their evaluation this week in Europe.\u0026nbsp; These\nvisits, combined with the panel\u0027s own research experiences and assessments,\nwill help shape a report.\u0026nbsp; Like the previous WTEC studies on the tissue\nengineering and nanotechnology fields, this effort will act as a guide for U.S.\nresearch investments in this emerging field and will help identify key issues\nof critical importance to program officers. \u2028\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u201cThis is an excellent opportunity to learn what other countries are doing and\nbenchmark against other programs in order to position the U.S. to become\nleaders in stem cell research and development,\u201d said McDevitt, who is also an\nassociate professor in the Wallace H. Counter Department of Biomedical\nEngineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u201cManufacturing, clinical\ntrials and commercializing stem cell-based products, if done strategically, is\nsomething that could boost our nation\u2019s economy.\u201d \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis week the scientists will travel to Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. In addition to Nerem and McDevitt, other panelists include Jeanne\nLoring, Ph.D., The Scripps Institute; Sean Palecek, Ph.D., University of\nWisconsin; David Schaffer, Ph.D., University California at Berkeley; and Peter\nZandstra, Ph.D., University of Toronto.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWTEC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) research institute, which is a spin-off of\nLoyola University Maryland.\u0026nbsp; Since 1989, WTEC has provided such assessment\nstudies in more than 60 fields of R\u0026amp;D under peer-reviewed grants from NSF.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech faculty invited by the National Science Foundation to take part in an international assessment of the Stem Cell Engineering field."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERobert M. Nerem, Ph.D., professor in mechanical engineering and Todd C.\nMcDevitt, Ph.D., director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center at Georgia Tech,\nwere invited by the lead sponsor, Semahat S.\nDemir Ph.D. from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to take part in an\ninternational assessment of the stem cell engineering field.\u0026nbsp; Nerem will\nlead the panel and the findings of this study will result in recommendations to\nthe NSF and other funding agencies on future research directions and\ninvestments, recommendations on global initiatives with international partners\nand public workshops.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech faculty invited by the National Science Foundation to take part in an international assessment of the Stem Cell Engineering field."}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2012-02-27 16:16:04","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:44","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-03-01T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-03-01T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60434":{"id":"60434","type":"image","title":"Robert Nerem \u0026 Todd McDevitt","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894523","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:03","alt":"Robert Nerem \u0026 Todd McDevitt","file":{"fid":"191125","name":"tpb17928.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpb17928_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpb17928_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1599704,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpb17928_0.jpg?itok=qHDHZJYj"}},"70893":{"id":"70893","type":"image","title":"Robert Nerem","body":null,"created":"1449177328","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:28","changed":"1475894625","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:45"},"70131":{"id":"70131","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt","body":null,"created":"1449177288","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:14:48","changed":"1475894616","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:36"}},"media_ids":["60434","70893","70131"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.wtec.org\/SCE\/","title":"Study website"},{"url":"http:\/\/scec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Stem Cell Engineering Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/","title":"National Science Foundation"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nist.gov\/index.html","title":"National Institute of Standards and Technology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"215","name":"manufacturing"},{"id":"362","name":"National Science Foundation"},{"id":"3414","name":"Robert Nerem"},{"id":"167490","name":"SCEC"},{"id":"167603","name":"Stem Cell Engineering"},{"id":"760","name":"Todd McDevitt"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing \u0026amp; Events\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"108701":{"#nid":"108701","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Research: Good for the Heart","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EValentine\u2019s Day evokes images of a stylized heart shape, but for a group of Georgia Institute of Technology researchers, the heart is a complex organ that interests them throughout the year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are developing new ways to diagnose and treat heart problems -- from advanced imaging techniques and guidance for drug therapies to sophisticated surgical procedures. Georgia Tech\u2019s emphasis on translational research accelerates the pace at which new heart-related discoveries are put to use in patient care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving Heart Surgery\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo advance the goal of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, researchers have developed a technology that simplifies and standardizes the technique for opening and closing the beating heart during surgery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApica Cardiovascular, a Georgia Tech and Emory University medical device startup, licensed the technology from the two institutions. The firm recently received a $5.5 million investment to further develop the system, which will make the transapical access and closure procedure required for delivering therapeutic devices to the heart more routine for cardiac surgeons. The goal is to expand the use of surgery techniques that are less invasive and do not require stopping the heart.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith research and development support from the Coulter Foundation Translational Research Program and the Georgia Research Alliance, the company has already completed a series of pre-clinical studies to test the functionality of the device and its biocompatibility. James Greene currently serves as the CEO of the company, which has offices in Galway, Ireland, and in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on this work, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/apica-cardiovascular\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/apica-cardiovascular\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiagnosing Heart Disease\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/degertekin.shtml\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELevent Degertekin\u003C\/a\u003E is designing tiny devices micromachined from silicon that may make diagnosing and treating coronary artery diseases easier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDegertekin, the George W. Woodruff Chair in Mechanical Systems, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/about\/personnel\/bio.php?id=45\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPaul Hasler\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, micromachined intravascular ultrasound imaging arrays with integrated electronics. Placed on catheters inserted into the body, the devices image the arteries of the heart in three dimensions at high resolution using high-frequency ultrasound waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system boasts a more compact design and three-dimensional imaging capability for guiding cardiologists during interventions, such as those for completely blocked arteries. The technology also offers higher resolution than current intravascular ultrasound systems, which help diagnose vulnerable plaque, a leading cause of heart attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunding for this research currently is provided by the National Institutes of Health. To commercialize the technology, the researchers have formed a startup company called SIBUS Medical, which is receiving assistance from \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/venturelab.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EVentureLab\u003C\/a\u003E, a unit of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/a\u003E that nurtures faculty startup companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDetecting and Treating Atherosclerosis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a five-year $14.6 million contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers are developing nanotechnology and biomolecular engineering tools and methodologies for detecting and treating atherosclerosis. The award supports the interdisciplinary Center for Translational Cardiovascular Nanomedicine, which is led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=2\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGang Bao\u003C\/a\u003E, the Robert A. Milton Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtherosclerosis typically occurs in branched or curved regions of arteries where plaques form because of cholesterol build-up. Inflammation can alter the structure of plaques so they become more likely to rupture, potentially causing a blood vessel blockage and leading to heart attack or stroke.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are working to accomplish four goals:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUsing nanoparticle probes to image and characterize atherosclerotic plaques\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDiagnosing cardiovascular disease from a blood sample\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDesigning new methods for delivering anti-atherosclerosis drugs and genes into the body\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDeveloping stem cell based therapies to repair damaged heart tissue\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional researchers from the Coulter Department and from Emory University are also contributing to the project. For more information on this work, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/cardiovascular-nanomedicine-center\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/cardiovascular-nanomedicine-center\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving Drug Dosing Following a Heart Attack\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA research team led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech mechanical engineering\u003C\/a\u003E assistant professor \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/forest.shtml\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECraig Forest\u003C\/a\u003E is designing a device to quickly and accurately personalize a patient\u2019s drug dosage to prevent blood clots that can cause heart attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen someone experiencing heart attack symptoms arrives at an emergency room, he or she typically receives a standard dose of aspirin and\/or clopidogrel to prevent further blood clotting. But that standard dose may not be the best dose for a given individual.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith Forest\u2019s device, a small blood sample is sent through a microchip containing a network of microfabricated capillaries that mimic the branching coronary arteries around the human heart. Because the branches contain flow restrictions of different sizes, the failure of blood to flow through the branches with smaller restrictions indicates that a higher drug dose may be required.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetermining the necessary dose of anti-clotting drugs can be difficult. Too much of the drug may cause the patient to experience gastrointestinal bleeding. Too little drug may allow additional clot formation and set the stage for another heart attack. Forest\u2019s device should help determine the right dosage for each patient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEmory University Department of Emergency Medicine assistant professor Jeremy Ackerman and Georgia Tech Regents\u2019 professor of mechanical engineering \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/ku.shtml\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Ku\u003C\/a\u003E are working with Forest on this project, which is supported by the American Heart Association.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExamining Heart Valve Leakage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn estimated 1.6 million Americans suffer moderate to severe leakage through their tricuspid valve, a complex structure that closes off the heart\u2019s right ventricle from the right atrium. If left untreated, severe leakage can affect an individual\u2019s quality of life and can even lead to death.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch teams led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAjit Yoganathan\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech Regents\u2019 professor and Wallace H. Coulter Distinguished Faculty Chair in Biomedical Engineering, have discovered causes for the tricuspid valve\u2019s leakage and ways to predict the severity of leakage in the valve. These study results could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of the condition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA study published in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1161\/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.003897\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECirculation\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/a\u003Efound that either dilating the tricuspid valve opening or displacing the papillary muscles that control its operation can cause the valve to leak. A combination of the two actions can increase the severity of the leakage, which is called tricuspid regurgitation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStandard clinical procedures that detail when and how tricuspid valve repairs should be performed need to be developed and this study suggests several items that should be considered in developing those protocols, according to the researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn another study published in the journal \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1161\/CIRCIMAGING.111.965707\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECirculation: Cardiovascular Imaging\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers found that the anatomy of the heart\u2019s tricuspid valve can be used to predict the severity of leakage in the valve. Using 3-D echocardiograms from 64 individuals who exhibited assorted grades of tricuspid leakage, the researchers found that pulmonary arterial pressure, the size of the valve opening and papillary muscle position measurements could be used to predict the severity of an individual\u2019s tricuspid regurgitation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study will change the focus and direction of future surgical therapies for tricuspid regurgitation to make them better and more durable, the researchers said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the Coulter Department, Emory University, Children\u2019s Hospital Boston and Mount Sinai Medical Center contributed to these two studies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on this work, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-valve-leakage\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-valve-leakage\/\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-regurgitation\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-regurgitation\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are developing new ways to diagnose and treat heart problems -- from advanced imaging techniques and guidance for drug therapies to sophisticated surgical procedures.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are developing new ways to diagnose and treat heart problems -- from advanced imaging techniques and guidance for drug therapies to sophisticated surgical procedures."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-02-13 09:55:44","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:40","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"64187":{"id":"64187","type":"image","title":"Apica Cardiovascular co-founders","body":null,"created":"1449176735","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:05:35","changed":"1475894564","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:44","alt":"Apica Cardiovascular co-founders","file":{"fid":"191965","name":"tzf68716.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzf68716_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzf68716_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1161006,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tzf68716_0.jpg?itok=JAF5uj-l"}},"61422":{"id":"61422","type":"image","title":"Gang Bao Biomedical Engineering","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Gang Bao Biomedical Engineering","file":{"fid":"191354","name":"txa10075.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":597562,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg?itok=s74eKrMB"}},"108721":{"id":"108721","type":"image","title":"Tricuspid valve - heart research","body":null,"created":"1449178188","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:29:48","changed":"1475894725","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:25","alt":"Tricuspid valve - heart research","file":{"fid":"194024","name":"tricuspid_valve_hires_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tricuspid_valve_hires_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tricuspid_valve_hires_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":308309,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tricuspid_valve_hires_0_0.jpg?itok=Lo5STPzi"}}},"media_ids":["64187","61422","108721"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2582","name":"Ajit Yoganathan"},{"id":"7270","name":"atherosclerosis"},{"id":"23731","name":"blood clotting"},{"id":"7104","name":"cardiovascular"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"12333","name":"Craig Forest"},{"id":"11881","name":"David Ku"},{"id":"11533","name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"2639","name":"Gang Bao"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E Research News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 404-385-3364\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"97711":{"#nid":"97711","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Bio-Graduate Student Group Launches New Website","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \nBioengineering and Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (BBUGS) have launched a \nnew website. The new BBUGS website offers features that will enhance the \ncommunication and interactions among the students and the bio-community. BBUGS \nmembers can now create profiles that will be viewable to the public which allow \nstudents to share their current research and accomplishments with other academic \nand industry organizations within the bioengineering and bioscience fields. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, \nthe new BBUGS website has incorporated a message board whereby BBUGS members can \npost announcements pertaining to job openings, scholarship\/grant availabilities, \nseminars\/workshops or upcoming social activities. The new website design \nincludes new and improved functionality to make navigation throughout the \nwebsite less complicated and more manageable.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBBUGS \nis currently the largest, most diverse, graduate student group on the Georgia \nTech campus and is an interdisciplinary student group, comprised of 8 different \ndepartments, with their home in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \nand Bioscience. Comprised of over 500 members, BBUGS serves as the core student \ngroup for the bioengineering and bioscience community and is open to all Georgia \nTech and Emory University students from bio-related fields. \u0026nbsp;Existing members \nare encouraged to go to the new website and create a profile to stay engaged.\u0026nbsp; \n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech Bio-Graduate Student Group Launches New Website"}],"field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech Bio-Graduate Student Group Launches New Website"}],"uid":"27349","created_gmt":"2012-01-27 11:00:17","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:02","author":"Floyd Wood","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-01-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-01-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"68922":{"id":"68922","type":"image","title":"Bioengineering \u0026 Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (BBUGS)","body":null,"created":"1449177214","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:34","changed":"1475894599","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:19","alt":"Bioengineering \u0026 Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (BBUGS)","file":{"fid":"192686","name":"bugs_on_grass.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bugs_on_grass_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bugs_on_grass_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":376131,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bugs_on_grass_0.png?itok=o0GbGwWn"}}},"media_ids":["68922"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bbugs.gatech.edu\/","title":"http:\/\/www.bbugs.gatech.edu\/"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4943","name":"BBUGS"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:floyd.wood@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EFloyd Wood\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"97011":{"#nid":"97011","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Show How New Viruses Evolve, and in Some Cases, Become Deadly","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn\nthe current issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E,\nresearchers at Michigan State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology\nand the University of Texas at Austin demonstrate how a new virus evolves,\nwhich sheds light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous\nmutations.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\nscientists showed for the first time how the virus called \u201cLambda\u201d evolved to\nfind a new way to attack host cells, an innovation that took four mutations to\naccomplish. This virus infects bacteria, in particular the common \u003Cem\u003EE. coli\u003C\/em\u003E bacterium. Lambda isn\u2019t\ndangerous to humans, but this research demonstrated how viruses evolve complex\nand potentially deadly new traits, said Justin Meyer, MSU graduate student, who\nco-authored the paper with Richard Lenski, MSU Hannah Distinguished Professor\nof Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\nwere surprised at first to see Lambda evolve this new function, this ability to\nattack and enter the cell through a new receptor\u0026shy; \u2013 and it happened so fast,\u201d\nMeyer said. \u201cBut when we re-ran the evolution experiment, we saw the same thing\nhappen over and over.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThis\npaper comes on the heels of news that scientists in the U.S. and the\nNetherlands produced a deadly version of bird flu. Even though bird flu is a\nmere five mutations away from becoming transmissible between humans, it\u2019s\nhighly unlikely the virus could naturally obtain all of the beneficial\nmutations all at once. However, it might evolve sequentially, gaining benefits\none-by-one, if conditions are favorable at each step, he added.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough\nresearch conducted at BEACON, MSU\u2019s National Science Foundation Center for the\nStudy of Evolution in Action, Meyer and his colleagues\u2019 ability to duplicate\nthe results implied that adaptation by natural selection, or survival of the\nfittest, had an important role in the virus\u2019 evolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen\nthe genomes of the adaptable virus were sequenced, they always had four\nmutations in common.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe\nparallelism shown in the evolutionary history of adaptable viruses was striking\nand was far beyond what is expected by chance,\u201d noted paper co-author \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/joshua-weitz\u0022\u003EJoshua Weitz\u003C\/a\u003E, an\nassistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of\nBiology\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn\ncontrast, the viruses that didn\u2019t evolve the new way of entering cells had some\nof the four mutations but never all four together, said Meyer, who holds the\nBarnett Rosenberg Fellowship in MSU\u2019s College of Natural Science.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn\nother words, natural selection promoted the virus\u2019 evolution because the\nmutations helped them use both their old and new attacks,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cThe\nfinding raises questions of whether the five bird flu mutations may also have\nmultiple functions, and could they evolve naturally?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditional\nauthors of the paper include Devin Dobias, former MSU undergraduate (now a\ngraduate student at Washington University in St. Louis); Ryan Quick, MSU\nundergraduate; and Jeff Barrick, a former Lenski lab researcher now on the\nfaculty at the University of Texas at Austin.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFunding\nfor the research was provided in part by the National Science Foundation,\nDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency, James S. McDonnell Foundation and\nBurroughs Wellcome Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported in part by\nthe Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (Award No.\nHR0011-09-1-0055) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The content is\nsolely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not\nnecessarily represent the official views of DARPA or NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations\nContacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Georgia Tech -- Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John\nToon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986); Michigan State University -- Layne Cameron (layne.cameron@ur.msu.edu; 517-353-8819)\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003ELayne Cameron\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the current issue of the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers demonstrate how a new virus evolves, which sheds light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"researchers demonstrate how a new virus evolves, which sheds light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-01-26 15:30:01","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:02","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"96991":{"id":"96991","type":"image","title":"Joshua Weitz","body":null,"created":"1449178133","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:28:53","changed":"1475894709","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:09","alt":"Joshua Weitz","file":{"fid":"193921","name":"weitzr094_hires.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weitzr094_hires_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weitzr094_hires_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":860240,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/weitzr094_hires_0.jpg?itok=24dijiOR"}},"97001":{"id":"97001","type":"image","title":"Joshua Weitz","body":null,"created":"1449178133","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:28:53","changed":"1475894709","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:09","alt":"Joshua Weitz","file":{"fid":"193922","name":"weitzr073_hires.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weitzr073_hires_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weitzr073_hires_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1138693,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/weitzr073_hires_0.jpg?itok=WO9wszhz"}}},"media_ids":["96991","97001"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"3028","name":"evolution"},{"id":"11599","name":"Joshua Weitz"},{"id":"4292","name":"virus"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n404-385-3364\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"85791":{"#nid":"85791","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Julie Champion Receives Grant for Breast Cancer Therapy Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Julie Champion a research grant as part of its Biomaterials Program. Champion, an assistant professor in the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering, will investigate engineering effector protein nanoclusters for breast cancer therapy with the grant, valued at $300,000.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGiven that breast cancer is the most common cancer in U.S. women and the second leading cause of cancer death, many people could benefit from the development of effector nanoclusters,\u201d Champion says. \u201cThis work validates the idea of using bacterial proteins for therapeutic applications and the concept can be expanded for a variety of drug development and delivery needs for other diseases.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA select group of bacterial pathogens secrete proteins called effectors during infection, which enable them to survive and grow in a hostile host. Some of these effectors have the capability to interfere with the same pathways that are altered in breast cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe goal of my research is to use these effector proteins as novel breast cancer therapies,\u201d Champion says. \u201cIn order for these proteins to be used as anticancer drugs, the normal bacterial delivery mechanisms must be replaced by a drug delivery system able to deliver biologically active protein to breast cancer cells.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo engineer this modified drug delivery system, the effector proteins must be linked together into nano-sized clusters that can enter breast cancer cells and then fall apart to allow the individual proteins to act inside the cells. By fabricating effector nanoclusters, Champion will be able to access their ability to restore normal behaviors in breast cancer cells, such as increased apoptotic cell death, decreased proliferation, decreased metastasis, and increased sensitivity to chemotherapeutics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter receiving her PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2007, Champion completed a postdoctoral appointment as a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology. She joined the faculty at Georgia Tech in 2009, where she focuses her research on protein engineering strategies to synthesize novel materials capable of specific interactions with cells or other proteins. The overall goal of her research is to reverse disease through interference with inflammatory pathways or promotion of healing mechanisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis project was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Award No. DMR-1105248). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigators and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChampion will investigate engineering effector protein nanoclusters for novel breast cancer therapies and a variety of other diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Champion will investigate engineering effector protein nanoclusters for novel breast cancer therapies and a variety of other diseases."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2012-01-24 01:58:21","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:57","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-01-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-01-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"85771":{"id":"85771","type":"image","title":"Dr. Julie Champion","body":null,"created":"1449178110","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:28:30","changed":"1475894706","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:06","alt":"Dr. Julie Champion","file":{"fid":"193904","name":"champion3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/champion3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/champion3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1258945,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/champion3_0.jpg?itok=WIE1_K7U"}},"85781":{"id":"85781","type":"image","title":"Dr. Julie Champion","body":null,"created":"1449178110","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:28:30","changed":"1475894706","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:06","alt":"Dr. Julie Champion","file":{"fid":"193905","name":"champion_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/champion_1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/champion_1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":796389,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/champion_1_0.jpg?itok=YuG2ae1J"}}},"media_ids":["85771","85781"],"groups":[{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1450","name":"Biomolecular Engineering"},{"id":"280","name":"Cancer research"},{"id":"1303","name":"chbe"},{"id":"560","name":"chemical engineering"},{"id":"10961","name":"julie champion"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJosie Giles\u003Cbr \/\u003ESchool of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E(404) 385-2299\u003Cbr \/\u003Enews@gatech.edu\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["news@chbe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"78701":{"#nid":"78701","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Searching for Solution in South Africa","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not easy battling HIV on two fronts, let alone on two continents, but with the help of his colleagues in Atlanta and in South Africa that\u2019s exactly what Dr. Manu Platt is doing.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf all goes according to plan the Georgia Tech biomedical engineering professor\u2019s cutting-edge research will give doctors the ability to predict, treat, and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in HIV patients while he also develops a low-cost diagnostic tool that could help monitor patient success with treatment to help stem the spread of HIV in Africa.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt the time not much was known about the connection between HIV and cardiovascular disease; although it was clear that HIV patients were at much higher risk of suffering cardiovascular events than the general population. The risk was even higher for children born with HIV, something that is far too common in countries like South Africa where 10-15% of the population is HIV positive.Dr. Platt, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, began his foray into HIV research as a first-year professor in 2009 when he answered a call for new researchers that was jointly sponsored by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the International AIDS Society (IAS).\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile attending the 2009 IAS conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Cape Town, South Africa, Platt realized that his lab at Georgia Tech was ideally suited for addressing this critical gap in HIV research.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cHere at Georgia Tech we do tissue engineering,\u201d says Platt. \u201cWe\u2019ve been doing it for years and we\u2019ve been doing it very effectively in the cardiovascular arena.\u201d\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cWe can make tissue-engineered arteries with human cells that can be infected by this human virus. We\u2019re also great at having bioreactors that can recreate the human physiological flow environment with shear stress and pressure. We have an excellent test system for HIV-mediated cardiovascular disease. \u201c\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe difficulty is that there is limited access to HIV samples within the United States, and that\u2019s where Platt\u2019s collaboration with Dr. Denise Evans in South Africa comes in. The duo met at the IAS conference in Cape Town and instantly realized that their areas of research dovetailed very nicely. Evans works out of the Helen Joseph Clinic in Johannesburg that sees over 400 HIV positive patients per day, that agree to donate their for research purposes and get reimbursed for travel while awaiting their chance to see the doctor.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKnowing what enzymes are tied to cardiovascular events in HIV negative patients, Platt and his Georgia Tech collaborator, Dr. Rudy Gleason (Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering), travelled to South Africa\u2019s University of Witwatersrand last fall and ran tests on samples drawn from patients at the Helen Joseph Clinic in order to determine if those markers were higher than in the general population.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cWe knew that these enzymes are important to the disease and we had already developed a test to measure them,\u201d said Platt, \u201cbut we had not measured them in HIV patients.\u201d\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlatt and Gleason will continue analyzing their results over the next few months while they also work with their other collaborator, Dr. Roy Sutliff, from the Emory University School of Medicine\u2019s Department of Pulmonology, who specializes in mouse models which have been instrumental in the group\u2019s cardiovascular research. Once they complete their analysis of the results the trio should be able to guide other researchers and drug companies in developing new and more effective ways to treat cardiovascular disease in HIV patients.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut that\u2019s not all. Like many fields of research, Dr. Platt\u2019s work had an unforeseen application. When he was developing tests for the enzymes that cause cardiovascular disease it was suggested to Platt by Dr. Evans that he also look for a few other key markers in the samples drawn from the South African samples. The theory was that by measuring viral load and T-cell counts conclusions could be drawn about how well patients are following their drug regimen since t-T-cell counts should be tied to how regularly they are taking the antiretroviral drug cocktail used by HIV patients in Africa.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe problem is that the drugs have to be taken daily, and a single lapse could cause a patient\u2019s viral load to spike and their T-cell count to drop, greatly endangering their health.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile many patients are very adherent to the drug regimen not all are, and local community groups have been looking for a simple, low-cost bio-marker that would help indicate how adherent a patient has been and how well the antiretroviral cocktail is working. Platt and his colleagues are developing that test and are in the process of adapting it for the field so that it can be easily transported and used by traveling doctors.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cIf it starts to pan out we\u2019ll have a great test to send out in the field to see if people are taking their drugs,\u201d said Platt. \u201cThat\u2019s where the engineering comes in- we\u2019re trying to optimize it to make it even simpler, easier, and inexpensive.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a test that we also use for cancer studies in my lab. We already have a post-doc working on improving the device so it can be put on a cancer clinician\u2019s bench. While they\u2019re doing that it will totally work in parallel with the HIV analysis.\u201d\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003EHIV patients who are undergoing regular drug treatments greatly reduce their risk of transmitting the virus which is why the phrase \u201cTreatment is Prevention\u201d is the mantra in the world of AIDS.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy developing a tool that can help clinicians monitor patient progress Platt is helping to stem the spread of HIV while simultaneously using his cardiovascular research to improve the lives of those already living with the virus.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Research of Manu Platt, PhD, aims to give doctors the ability to predict, treat, and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in HIV patients"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESearching for Solution in South Africa -\u0026nbsp;Research of Manu Platt, PhD, aims to give doctors the ability to predict, treat, and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in HIV patients\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Research of Manu Platt, PhD, aims to give doctors the ability to predict, treat, and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in HIV patients"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2012-01-17 12:28:55","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:57","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"78751":{"id":"78751","type":"image","title":"Manu Platt, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering","body":null,"created":"1449178063","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:43","changed":"1475894693","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:53","alt":"Manu Platt, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering","file":{"fid":"193878","name":"platt_lab_011112.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/platt_lab_011112_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/platt_lab_011112_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1306938,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/platt_lab_011112_0.jpg?itok=MZbaLseg"}}},"media_ids":["78751"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.coe.gatech.edu\/","title":"College of Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/groups.bme.gatech.edu\/groups\/platt\/","title":"Platt lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"10832","name":"Manu Platt"},{"id":"171149","name":"Searching for Solution in South Africa"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology - \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.coe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"76011":{"#nid":"76011","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Startup Receives $4 Million to Develop Drug Delivery Targeted to the Back of the Eye","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETechnology developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University for delivering drugs and other therapeutics to specific locations in the eye provides the foundation for a startup company that has received a $4 million venture capital investment.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Atlanta-based startup, Clearside Biomedical, plans to develop microinjection technology that will use hollow microneedles to precisely target therapeutics within the eye. If the technique proves successful in clinical trials and wins regulatory approval, it could provide an improved method for treating diseases that affect the back of the eye, including age-related macular degeneration. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technology was developed in collaboration between the research groups of Mark Prausnitz, a Regents\u0027 professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Henry Edelhauser, a professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Emory School of Medicine. Research leading to development of the technology was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We expect that targeting drug delivery within the eye will be helpful because we should be able to concentrate drugs at the disease sites where they need to act, and keep them away from other locations,\u0022 said Prausnitz. \u0022This could reduce side effects and possibly also decrease the dose required.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPrior to this development, drugs could be delivered to the retinal tissues at the back of the eye in three indirect ways: (1) injection by hypodermic needle into the eye\u0027s vitreous humor, the gelatinous material that fills the eyeball, (2) eye drops, which are limited in their ability to reach the back of the eye, and (3) pills taken by mouth that expose the whole body to the drug. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technology developed by Georgia Tech and Emory uses a hollow micron-scale needle to inject therapeutics into the suprachoroidal space located between the outer surface of the eye -- known as the sclera -- and the choroid -- a deeper layer that provides nutrients to the rest of the eye. Preclinical research has demonstrated that fluid can flow between the two layers, where it can spread out to the entire eye, including structures such as the retina that are now difficult to reach.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy targeting this suprachoroidal space using microscopic needles, the researchers believe they can reduce trauma to the eye, make drugs more effective and reduce complications. The new delivery method could help advance a new series of drugs being developed to target the retina, choroid and other structures in the back of the eye.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a significant advance in the field of ophthalmology,\u0022 said Edelhauser. \u0022Until now, it has been difficult to target drug delivery to specific locations within the eye. This new microneedle technology enables precise drug targeting to the suprachoroidal space and other locations within the eye.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn research reported in the January 2011 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EPharmaceutical Research\u003C\/em\u003E, the Georgia Tech-Emory team demonstrated for the first time that this technique can be used to deliver nanoparticles and microparticles to specific parts of the eye. In later research, they also showed that microneedle injections into the suprachoroidal space rapidly resulted in concentrations of drugs and particles that could be maintained for several months.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBetween two and three million eye injections are made each year, many of them to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  The researchers believe that the microneedle-based technique could be useful for treating both AMD and glaucoma, as well as other ocular conditions related to diabetes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe $4 million in funding for Clearside Biomedical will come from Hatteras Venture Partners, a venture capital firm based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Hatteras focuses on seed and early-stage investments in companies developing products in biopharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic and related human health areas.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Clearside Biomedical represents an ideal fit for Hatteras Discovery as the platform technology is highly innovative, based on elegant science and the lead product is expected to be in clinical trials in the United States in less than 18 months,\u0022 said Christy Shaffer, Ph.D., venture partner and managing director of the Hatteras Discovery Fund.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the technique has been tested only in animals. The Hatteras funding will allow the company to conduct additional efficacy and safety testing needed to seek regulatory approval. The company\u0027s first product is expected to address macular edema and retinal vein occlusion.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClearside was formed with the assistance of Georgia Tech\u0027s VentureLab program, which helped obtain early-stage seed funding from the Georgia Research Alliance.  Georgia Tech VentureLab also helped the founders connect with the company\u0027s president and CEO, Daniel White, a veteran ophthalmic entrepreneur. Before joining Clearside, White was a co-founder of Alimera Sciences, an Atlanta company that is developing ophthalmic pharmaceuticals. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo researchers from the Prausnitz lab who have been involved in development of the ocular drug delivery technique will also join the company. They are Samirkumar Patel, a postdoctoral researcher and Vladimir Zarnitsyn, a research scientist.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch leading to the development of the technology has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the principal investigators and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH.\n\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\n\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHenry Edelhauser, Samirkumar Patel, Mark Prausnitz, Vladimir Zarnitsyn, Emory University and Georgia Tech have financial interests in Clearside Biomedical and its ocular platform. Edelhauser, Patel, Prausnitz and Zarnitsyn own equity in Clearside and the terms of this arrangement have been reviewed and approved by Emory University or Georgia Tech in accordance with their conflict of interest policies.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Georgia Tech -- John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Emory University -- Holly Korschun (404-727-3990)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:hkorsch@emory.edu\u0022\u003Ehkorsch@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETechnology developed by Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers for delivering drugs and other therapeutics to specific locations in the eye provides the foundation for a startup company that has received a $4 million venture capital investment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New technology may enable doctors to deliver drugs to the back of the eye."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-01-05 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:53","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"76021":{"id":"76021","type":"image","title":"Microneedle for eye injections","body":null,"created":"1449178055","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:35","changed":"1475894688","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:48"},"76031":{"id":"76031","type":"image","title":"Microneedle for eye injection","body":null,"created":"1449178055","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:35","changed":"1475894688","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:48"},"76041":{"id":"76041","type":"image","title":"Microneedle for eye injection","body":null,"created":"1449178055","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:35","changed":"1475894688","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:48"}},"media_ids":["76021","76031","76041"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/prausnitz.php","title":"Mark Prausnitz"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3346","name":"drug delivery"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"16531","name":"microinjection"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"},{"id":"16521","name":"ophthalmology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"75491":{"#nid":"75491","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Four Georgia Tech Faculty Named AAAS Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named four Georgia Tech professors as 2011 Fellows.\u0026nbsp;AAAS is the world\u2019s largest general scientific society, and the election as a Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThree of the new AAAS Fellows at Georgia Tech hail from the College of Engineering and one is on the faculty in the College of Computing. The Fellows were announced today in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E and will be honored at the Fellows Forum, held Feb. 18 at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new AAAS Fellows at Georgia Tech are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAli Adibi,\u003C\/strong\u003E professor of electrical and computer engineering, who was honored for his \u201cdistinguished contributions to the fields of integrated nanophotonics, photonic crystals, and volume holography.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Bader\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor of computational science and engineering in the College of Computing, who earned the distinction for \u201cdistinguished contributions to the field of computational science and engineering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERobert Butera\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor of electrical and computer engineering who also holds a joint appointment in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, was named Fellow \u201cfor advances in computational neuroscience and neurotechnology, promoting engineering through society, editorial, and university leadership, and contributing to STEM policy and educational initiatives.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaul Steffes\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor of electrical and computer engineering, who earned the distinction for \u201ccontributions to the understanding of planetary atmospheres through innovative microwave measurements.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAAAS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson and professional association. AAAS publishes the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E as well as many scientific newsletters, books and reports, and spearheads programs that raise the bar of understanding for science worldwide. The four Georgia Tech faculty members were among 539 Fellows elected by the AAAS Council in November.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named four Georgia Tech professors as 2011 Fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The American Association for the Advancement of Science has named four Georgia Tech professors as 2011 Fellows."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2011-12-23 10:05:41","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:53","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-12-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-12-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"73936":{"id":"73936","type":"image","title":"Ali Adibi","body":null,"created":"1449178028","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:08","changed":"1475894683","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:43"},"50723":{"id":"50723","type":"image","title":"David Bader","body":null,"created":"1449175437","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:57","changed":"1475894471","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:11","alt":"David Bader","file":{"fid":"128822","name":"david-bader.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/david-bader_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/david-bader_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":11717,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/david-bader_1.jpg?itok=ZuDeM7p6"}},"70369":{"id":"70369","type":"image","title":"Robert Butera","body":null,"created":"1449177304","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:04","changed":"1475894618","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:38"},"69139":{"id":"69139","type":"image","title":"Paul Steffes","body":null,"created":"1449177239","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:59","changed":"1475894604","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:24"}},"media_ids":["73936","50723","70369","69139"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.aaas.org\/","title":"American Association for the Advancement of Science"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"16181","name":"AAAS Fellows; Ali Adibi; David Bader; Robert Butera; Paul Steffes; College of Engineering; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; College of Computing;"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"74181":{"#nid":"74181","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Brain Cancer Study Uses Imaging to Gauge Response to Experimental Drug","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWinship Cancer Institute researchers are testing an experimental therapy for glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive form of primary brain cancer. The study uses brain imaging in an effort to detect whether the therapy is having an effect after one week.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe therapy combines vorinostat, an experimental drug, with temozolomide, which is standard treatment for glioblastoma.\n\n\u201cVorinostat is a different type of cancer drug,\u201d says Hyunsuk Shim, PhD, associate professor of radiology at Emory University School of Medicine. \u201cIt\u2019s an epigenetic therapy, and the desired effect is to turn genes that could suppress tumor growth back on. One of the desired effects is to restore normal metabolic behavior to the cancer cells, halting tumor growth.\u201d\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEpigenetics refers to the study of how genes are packaged or modified, carrying additional information beyond the DNA sequence itself. In many tumor cells, genes that prevent runaway growth in normal cells (tumor suppressor genes) are silenced by epigenetic modification. Inhibiting enzymes called histone deacetylases may reverse this silencing, with possible benefits in treating glioblastoma.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EVorinostat may also help temozolomide, which damages tumor DNA, work better by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drug. Vorinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, is approved by the FDA for CTCL (cutaneous T cell lymphoma) but not brain cancer.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn this National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored clinical trial, the researchers are using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to detect changes in brain metabolism brought on by vorinostat. MRS, a form of imaging similar to MRI, allows doctors to monitor the levels of several brain chemicals. The researchers will gauge the levels of inositol and N-acetylaspartate, which are both indicators of healthy brain metabolism.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThis form of therapy may not be effective for all patients, but it is better to figure out as early as possible which patients the drug is working for,\u201d Shim says.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearchers want to develop new imaging tools to monitor how vorinostat is affecting the tumor. The study is designed to gather information that will allow doctors to make a quick decision on whether vorinostat is effective for a given patient without injecting contrast material.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003EShim is collaborating with Jeffrey Olson, MD, professor of neurosurgery, hematology and medical oncology and the co-director of Winship\u2019s brain tumor program, and Xiaoping Hu, PhD, director of Emory\u2019s Biomedical Imaging Technology Center and professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Hu is a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar.\n\nFor more information about the clinical trial, which currently is enrolling patients, contact 404-778-1900.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe study is being supported by the National Cancer Institute.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003EWriter: Quinn Eastman\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center of Emory University is an academic health science and service center focused on missions of teaching, research, health care and public service.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Winship Cancer Institute researchers are testing an experimental therapy for glioblastoma"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrain Cancer Study Uses Imaging to Gauge Response to Experimental Drug\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Winship Cancer Institute researchers are testing an experimental therapy for glioblastoma"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2011-12-15 12:32:08","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:50","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-12-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-12-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"74191":{"id":"74191","type":"image","title":"Tumor cells often produce an excess of lactic acid. MRS brain scans show that lactic acid levels are decreasing as treatment proceeds. This patient is an example of a \u0022good responder.\u0022","body":null,"created":"1449178046","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:26","changed":"1475894686","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:46","alt":"Tumor cells often produce an excess of lactic acid. MRS brain scans show that lactic acid levels are decreasing as treatment proceeds. This patient is an example of a \u0022good responder.\u0022","file":{"fid":"193777","name":"huxiaoping_12.11.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/huxiaoping_12.11_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/huxiaoping_12.11_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":61317,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/huxiaoping_12.11_0.jpg?itok=Ub_pWsk9"}}},"media_ids":["74191"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/shared.web.emory.edu\/whsc\/news\/releases\/2011\/12\/brain-cancer-study-uses-imaging-to-gauge-response-to-experimental-drug.html","title":"Woodruff Health Sciences article"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"15451","name":"Brain Cancer Study Uses Imaging to Gauge Response to Experimental Drug"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"15461","name":"Xiaoping Hu"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:virginia.l.anderson@emory.edu\u0022\u003ELynne Anderson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["virginia.l.anderson@emory.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"74065":{"#nid":"74065","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Endowment Supports New Chair in Biomedical Engineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ERavi Bellamkonda\u0026nbsp;has been named the first Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory. The award, made possible by a generous $1.5 million gift from the Flanagans, was recently approved by the Georgia Board of Regents. The award recognizes Bellamkonda\u2019s scholarship and thought leadership in regenerative medicine, nanotechnology and cancer research, and will support his active research program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBellamkonda directs the Neurological Biomaterials and Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, a part of the Laboratory for Neuroengineering in the joint Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory. He also serves as associate vice president within the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR), directs a T32 training grant called Rational Design of Biomaterials, directs a Graduate Leadership Program for BioE\/BME graduate students and is a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrent research projects in the Neurological Biomaterials and Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory include: developing scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration and interfacing; developing vehicles for contrast agents and receptor-targeted nano-scale drug delivery for the treatment of malignant tumors; and engineering a system for tumor exvasion. He is also leading a research team exploring interfacing technologies that will better integrate external electronics to the nervous system. In addition to the Flanagan endowment, Bellamkonda\u2019s research is funded by grants from NIH, NSF, the Coulter Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Coalition, and Ian\u0027s Friend\u0027s Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ERavi Bellamkonda\u0026nbsp;has been named the first Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Professor Ravi Bellamkonda has been named the first Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2011-12-13 09:55:55","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:50","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.neuro.gatech.edu\/groups\/bellamkonda\/people\/ravi.html","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"15337","name":"Ravi Bellamkonda; Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan; Chair in Biomedical Engineering; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdrianne Proeller, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-2357\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["adrianne.proeller@bme.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"70372":{"#nid":"70372","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH Awards Blueprint Training Grant in Computational Neuroscience","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFaculty at Emory and Georgia Tech are training young scientists in \nhow to use the tools of biomedical computation to solve challenging \nproblems of neuroscience.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA new five-year grant of $1.6 million from the National Institutes of\n Health will create a training center in computational neuroscience, one\n of only five national training centers supported by the NIH through its\n NIH Blueprint training grant program.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe grant is entitled \u201cFrom cells to systems and applications: \ncomputational neuroscience training at Emory and Georgia Tech.\u201d \nPrincipal investigators are Dieter Jaeger, PhD, professor of biology, \nEmory University and Garrett Stanley, PhD, associate professor in the \nWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech \nand Emory University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe NIH Blueprint training grants are particularly innovative in \nthat they combine undergraduate and graduate training programs and \nprovide trainee support at both levels,\u201d says Jaeger. \u201cThis is a mission\n that is highly synergistic with the training mission at Emory and \nGeorgia Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe NIH Blueprint is a framework to enhance cooperative activities \namong 16 NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices that support research on \nthe nervous system.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe core training group will initially consist of 16 faculty members \nfrom departments spanning Emory University School of Medicine \n(physiology, neurology, anesthesiology, biomedical engineering) and \nEmory College of Arts and Sciences (biology, psychology) as well as \nGeorgia Tech (biomedical engineering, electrical engineering)\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis impressive range of faculty and departments provides testimony \nto the highly collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of this field \nof study at Georgia Tech and Emory,\u201d notes Stanley.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe training grant funds students in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.emory.edu\/NEUROSCIENCE\u0022\u003EEmory Neuroscience Program\u003C\/a\u003E and the joint \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/acad.bme.gatech.edu\/graduate\/\u0022\u003EEmory\/Georgia Tech BME PhD program\u003C\/a\u003E, and undergraduates on both campuses.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Faculty at Emory and Georgia Tech are training young scientists in how to use the tools of biomedical computation to solve challenging problems of neuroscience."}],"field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Faculty at Emory and Georgia Tech are training young scientists in how to use the tools of biomedical computation to solve challenging problems of neuroscience."}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2011-09-28 15:56:35","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:14","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62916":{"id":"62916","type":"image","title":"Garrett Stanley","body":null,"created":"1449176409","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:00:09","changed":"1475894549","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:29","alt":"Garrett Stanley","file":{"fid":"191606","name":"tmk35536.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmk35536_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmk35536_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1358092,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tmk35536_0.jpg?itok=Dx7Kh7i6"}}},"media_ids":["62916"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"14462","name":"Garrett Stanley"},{"id":"14463","name":"Rob Butera"},{"id":"1924","name":"Robert Butera"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca title=\u0022Holly Korschun\u0022 href=\u0022mailto:hkorsch@emory.edu\u0022\u003EHolly Korschun\u003C\/a\u003E: 404-727-3990\u003Ca title=\u0022Beverly Clark\u0022 href=\u0022mailto:beverly.clark@emory.edu\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca title=\u0022Beverly Clark\u0022 href=\u0022mailto:beverly.clark@emory.edu\u0022\u003EBeverly Clark\u003C\/a\u003E: 404-712-8780\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"70145":{"#nid":"70145","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Transformative NIH Grant to Support Imaging of Lung Cancer During Surgery","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf a tumor is more visible and easier to distinguish from surrounding tissues, surgeons will be more likely to be able to remove it completely. That\u2019s the rationale behind a new $7 million, five-year \u201ctransformative\u201d grant from the National Institutes of Health to a team of researchers from Emory, Georgia Tech and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe grant is part of the NIH Director\u2019s Awards Program funded by the NIH Common Fund.\n\nShuming Nie, PhD, and his colleagues at the Emory-Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Center for Personalized and Predictive Oncology have been developing fluorescent nanoparticle probes that hone in on cancer cells. The grant will support the team\u2019s continuing work on the nanoparticles and instruments that visualize them for cancer detection during surgery.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe project team includes May Wang, PhD, director of biocomputing and bioinformatics at the Nanotechnology Center and Sunil Singhal, MD, director of the Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratory at the Perelman School of Medicine. Nie is a professor and Wang is associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cAt present, a significant group of patients who undergo surgery leave the operating room without a complete resection due to missed lesions,\u201d Nie says. \u201cOur main goals are to help surgeons distinguish tumor margins, identify diseased lymph nodes and micrometastases, and to determine if the tumor has been completely removed. Having these capabilities can be expected to make a major impact in reducing recurrence rates of lung cancer after surgery.\u201d\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe grant includes plans for tests of the nanoparticles and cancer detection instruments on dogs with naturally occurring lung tumors and a first-in-human clinical trial for patients with lung cancer at the University of Pennsylvania.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe proposed technologies could be broadly applicable to many types of solid tumors. The project includes two types of contrast agents for detecting cancer: a fluorescent dye (indocyanine green, approved for in vivo use by the FDA) conjugated to the protein albumin, and polymer-coated gold particles coupled to a reporter dye and an antibody that binds to tumor cells. The gold in the particles amplifies the signal from the dye through an effect called surface-enhanced Raman scattering.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENie and his colleagues have developed a hand-held device called a SpectroPen that can detect both fluorescence and Raman signals. The SpectroPen combines a near-infrared laser and a detector, and is connected by a fiber optic cable to a spectrometer, computer and video monitor.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPrevious research leading to the current grant was supported by a Grand Opportunities grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the NIH Director\u2019s Office, and by the NCI Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE) at Emory and Georgia Tech.\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe award was one of 17 granted this year through the NIH Director\u2019s Transformative Research Projects Program (T-R01), which was created to challenge the status quo with innovative ideas that have the potential to advance fields and speed the translation of research into improved health for the American public. The first group of Transformative R01 grants was funded in 2009.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother T-RO1 grant, for $2 million over five years, was awarded to Todd McDevitt, PhD, director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center at Georgia Tech and an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, along with Coulter Department Associate Professor Johnna Temenoff, PhD, and Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Professor Robert Guldberg, PhD. The grant will support the development of tissue regeneration therapeutics for traumatic injuries and degenerative diseases.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThe NIH Director\u2019s Award programs reinvigorate the biomedical work force by providing unique opportunities to conduct research that is neither incremental nor conventional,\u201d says James M. Anderson, MD, PhD, director of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, who guides the Common Fund\u2019s High-Risk Research program. \u201cThe awards are intended to catalyze giant leaps forward for any area of biomedical research, allowing investigators to go in entirely new directions.\u201d\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMore information on the Transformative Research Projects Award is at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/commonfund.nih.gov\/T-R01\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/commonfund.nih.gov\/T-R01\u003C\/a\u003E including information on this year\u0027s awardees\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWriter: Quinn Eastman\n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.whsc.emory.edu\/home\/about\/\u0022\u003ERobert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center\u003C\/a\u003E of Emory University is an academic health science and service center focused on missions of teaching, research, health care and public service.\n\nLearn more about Emory\u2019s health sciences: Blog: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/emoryhealthblog.com \u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/emoryhealthblog.com\u003C\/a\u003E Twitter: @emoryhealthsci Web: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/emoryhealthsciences.org\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/emoryhealthsciences.org\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Shuming Nie, PhD, and colleagues at the Emory-Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Center for Personalized and Predictive Oncology receive $7M, five-year award"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf a tumor is more visible and easier to distinguish from surrounding tissues, surgeons will be more likely to be able to remove it completely. That\u2019s the rationale behind a new $7 million, five-year \u201ctransformative\u201d grant from the National Institutes of Health to a team of researchers from Emory, Georgia Tech and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Shuming Nie, PhD, and colleagues at the Emory-Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Center for Personalized and Predictive Oncology receive $7M, five-year award"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2011-09-21 11:38:35","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:09","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-09-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-09-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"70146":{"id":"70146","type":"image","title":"Shuming Nie, PhD","body":null,"created":"1449177288","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:14:48","changed":"1475894616","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:36","alt":"Shuming Nie, PhD","file":{"fid":"192916","name":"shuming_nie195.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/shuming_nie195_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/shuming_nie195_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":78274,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/shuming_nie195_0.jpg?itok=Y7-AKFau"}}},"media_ids":["70146"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"247","name":"Emory"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"168899","name":"Shuming Nie"},{"id":"14382","name":"Transformative NIH Grant to Support Imaging of Lung Cancer During Surgery"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:hkorsch@emory.edu\u0022\u003EHolly Korschun\u003C\/a\u003E - Media Contact\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["hkorsch@emory.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"70130":{"#nid":"70130","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Transformative NIH Grant Will Support Development of Tissue Regeneration Therapeutics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded nearly $2 million to researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University to develop a new class of therapeutics for treating traumatic injuries and degenerative diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe five-year project focuses on developing biomaterials capable of capturing certain molecules from embryonic stem cells and delivering them to wound sites to enhance tissue regeneration in adults. By applying these unique molecules, clinicians may be able to harness the regenerative power of stem cells while avoiding concerns of tumor formation and immune system compatibility associated with most stem cell transplantation approaches.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Pre-clinical and clinical evidence strongly suggests that the biomolecules produced by stem cells significantly impact tissue regeneration independent of differentiation into functionally competent cells,\u0022 said Todd McDevitt, director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center at Georgia Tech and an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0022We want to find out if the signaling molecules responsible for scarless wound healing and functional tissue restoration during early stages of embryological development can be used with adult wounds to produce successful tissue regeneration without scar formation.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to McDevitt, Coulter Department associate professor Johnna Temenoff and Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering professor Robert Guldberg are also investigators on the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERegenerative medicine seeks to restore normal structure and function to tissues compromised by degenerative diseases and traumatic injuries. The contrast between embryonic and adult wound healing suggests that molecules that facilitate tissue regeneration during embryonic development are distinctly different from those of adult tissues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis grant includes plans for engineering biomaterials that can efficiently capture morphogens, which are molecules secreted by embryonic stem cells undergoing differentiation. The study will also evaluate the regenerative activity of molecule-filled biomaterials in animal models of dermal wound healing, hind limb ischemia and bone fractures. Examining the effects of the morphogens on a range of animal wound models will increase the likelihood of success and define any limitations of the technology, such as its use for specific tissues or injuries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Biomaterials have largely been used in an attempt to direct stem cell differentiation or serve as passive cell transplantation vehicles for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering purposes,\u0022 said McDevitt, who is also a Petit Faculty Fellow in the Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech. \u0022The idea of specifically engineering biomaterial properties to capture and deliver complex assemblies of stem cell-derived morphogens without transplanting the cells themselves represents a novel strategy to translate the potency of stem cells into a viable regenerative medicine therapy.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe award was one of 17 granted this year through the NIH Director\u0027s Transformative Research Projects Program (T-R01), which was created to challenge the status quo with innovative ideas that have the potential to advance fields and speed the translation of research into improved health for the American public.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother T-R01 grant was awarded to Coulter Department professor Shuming Nie, associate professor May Wang and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratory director Sunil Singhal. That $7 million, five-year grant will support continuing work by the Emory-Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Center for Personalized and Predictive Oncology team on developing fluorescent nanoparticle probes that hone in on cancer cells and on creating instruments that visualize them for cancer detection during surgery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince its inception in 2009, the NIH Director\u0027s Award Program has funded a total of 406 high-risk research projects, including 79 T-R01 awards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The NIH Director\u0027s Award programs reinvigorate the biomedical work force by providing unique opportunities to conduct research that is neither incremental nor conventional,\u0022 said James M. Anderson, director of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, who guides the NIH Common Fund\u0027s High-Risk Research program. \u0022The awards are intended to catalyze giant leaps forward for any area of biomedical research, allowing investigators to go in entirely new directions.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded nearly $2 million to researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University to develop a new class of therapeutics for treating traumatic injuries and degenerative diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Transformative NIH grant awarded to Georgia Tech and Emory researchers."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2011-09-20 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:09","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-09-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-09-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"70131":{"id":"70131","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt","body":null,"created":"1449177288","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:14:48","changed":"1475894616","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:36"},"70132":{"id":"70132","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt\/Marissa Cooke\/Alyssa Ngangan","body":null,"created":"1449177288","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:14:48","changed":"1475894616","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:36"},"70133":{"id":"70133","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt\/Marissa Cooke\/Alyssa Ngangan","body":null,"created":"1449177288","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:14:48","changed":"1475894616","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:36"}},"media_ids":["70131","70132","70133"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=78","title":"Todd McDevitt"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=84","title":"Johnna Temenoff"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/guldberg.shtml","title":"Robert Guldberg"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/","title":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3024","name":"biomaterials"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"14376","name":"Degenerative Diseases"},{"id":"11533","name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"14370","name":"Johnna Temenoff"},{"id":"14371","name":"morphogen"},{"id":"2076","name":"NIH"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"69135":{"#nid":"69135","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Receives Top Recognition from Princeton Review","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\nPrinceton Review ranked the Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s athletic\nfacilities tops in the nation, according to their annual Best Colleges survey.\nGeorgia Tech edged out the University of Maryland, the United States Military\nAcademy, Wabash College and Ohio State University for the No. 1 distinction. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the fourth consecutive year,\nGeorgia Tech was also one of 16 schools included on the Princeton Review\u2019s Green\nRating Honor Roll, a measure of how environmentally friendly institutions are\non a scale of 60 to 99. The Institute, the only Georgia college included on the\nlist, received the\nhighest possible score (99). \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe annual\ncollege rankings are based on a survey of 122,000 students at 376 top colleges.\nThe 80-question survey asked students about their experiences on topics from\ncareer services to housing. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fourth annual Green Rating\nwas based primarily on institutional data collected during 2010-2011.\u0026nbsp; For example, Georgia Tech has\napproximately 100\nclasses that include significant sustainability components and maintains\nnumerous Institutional environmental sustainability programs ranging from\nrecycling to green cleaning practices.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ESustainability is also a key\ncomponent of the Institute\u2019s Campus Master Plan and Landscape Master Plan. In\nFebruary, the Arbor Day Foundation recognized Georgia Tech as a 2011 Tree\nCampus USA school for the third consecutive year for its dedication to campus\nforestry management and environmental stewardship.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Institute Scores No. 1 Athletic Facilities and Green Honor Roll"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\nPrinceton Review ranked the Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s athletic\nfacilities tops in the nation, according to their annual Best Colleges survey.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Institute Scores No. 1 athletic facilities and Green Honor Roll"}],"uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2011-08-02 16:44:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:09:52","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-08-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-08-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"65314":{"id":"65314","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1449176831","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:07:11","changed":"1475894577","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:57","alt":"Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"193206","name":"08C1004-P40-032.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/08C1004-P40-032.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/08C1004-P40-032.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4451315,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/08C1004-P40-032.jpg?itok=SPIMRHps"}}},"media_ids":["65314"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/greenbuzz.gatech.edu\/","title":"Green Buzz"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.princetonreview.com\/college-rankings.aspx","title":"Princeton Review"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1625","name":"athletics"},{"id":"4523","name":"Campus Recreation Center"},{"id":"3157","name":"Facilities"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"1882","name":"Princeton Review"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mattnagel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"69283":{"#nid":"69283","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Degree Rated Best Investment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe value of a degree from the Georgia\nInstitute of Technology has been reaffirmed in a big way. Georgia Tech is\nnumber one on SmartMoney Magazine\u0027s list of the best 50 colleges based on\nreturn of tuition investment. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe magazine collected median pay figures from two pools of alumni, recent\ngrads and those alums 15 years out from obtaining their degrees. This was\ncompared with the actual cost of tuition. From this information, SmartMoney\ncreated a \u0022Payback Score,\u0022 reflecting an actual return on tuition\ninvestment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA Georgia Tech\neducation is the investment of a lifetime for our graduates,\u201d said Georgia Tech\nPresident G. P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson.\u0026nbsp;\u201cAs innovators and leaders in business,\nindustry and government, Tech alumni are developing solutions to some of\nsociety\u2019s most pressing challenges, which benefit our state and our nation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n\nAccording to the survey, Georgia Tech graduates paid $87,810 in tuition,\nreceiving a median salary of $57,300. Based on this data, the payback score was\ndetermined to be 221.\u0026nbsp;This score compared with the University of Texas, Austin,\nwhich placed second with a payback score of 194. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFor the complete list, please visit the \u003Ca title=\u0022SmartMoney List\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/www.smartmoney.com\/borrow\/student-loans\/which-colleges-help-their-grads-get-top-salaries-1312402692380\/?link=SM_mag_inside\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESmartMoney\u003C\/a\u003E website\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\n\n\nThe\nvalue of a degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology has been reaffirmed\nin a big way. Georgia Tech is number one on SmartMoney Magazine\u0027s list of\nthe best 50 colleges based on return of tuition investment. \u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is number one on SmartMoney Magazine\u0027s list of the best 50 colleges based on return of tuition investment."}],"uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2011-08-12 08:07:37","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:09:55","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62801":{"id":"62801","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower Web Feature","body":null,"created":"1449176394","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:59:54","changed":"1475894547","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:27","alt":"Tech Tower Web Feature","file":{"fid":"191672","name":"Tech_Tower_WebFeature.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tech_Tower_WebFeature_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tech_Tower_WebFeature_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":149983,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Tech_Tower_WebFeature_0.jpg?itok=jncbZNG2"}}},"media_ids":["62801"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.smartmoney.com\/borrow\/student-loans\/which-colleges-help-their-grads-get-top-salaries-1312402692380\/?link=SM_mag_inside","title":"SmartMoney"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"506","name":"alumni"},{"id":"13985","name":"Base Pay"},{"id":"8563","name":"careers"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"676","name":"graduates"},{"id":"13983","name":"Return on investment"},{"id":"168053","name":"Salary"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mattnagel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"69250":{"#nid":"69250","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Five Georgia Tech Faculty Appointed Regents\u2019 Professors, Researchers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe University System of Georgia Board of Regents today appointed three Georgia Tech faculty members as Regents\u2019 Professors and two as Regents\u2019 Researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe three new Regents\u2019 Professors at Georgia Tech are Mark Prausnitz, professor and director of the Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery in the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering; Seth Marder,\u0026nbsp;professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and founding director of the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics in the colleges of Engineering and Sciences; and Gary Schuster, Vasser Woolley Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo Regents\u2019 Researchers appointed include Gisele Bennett, professor and director of the Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory in the Georgia Tech Research Institute; and Suzanne Eskin, principal research scientist in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are immensely proud of our new Georgia Tech Regents\u2019 Professors and Researchers,\u201d said G. P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson, Georgia Tech\u2019s president.\u0026nbsp; \u201cThey are conducting breakthrough research that is gaining national attention.\u0026nbsp; The fact that we have five Georgia Tech faculty members receiving this honor from the Board of Regents in one year is a reflection of the caliber of scholars we have at Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Regents\u0027 Professorship and Regents\u2019 Researcher title represents the highest academic status bestowed by the University System of Georgia. It is meant to recognize a substantial, significant and ongoing record\u0026nbsp;of scholarly achievement that has earned high national esteem over a sustained period.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz has received international acclaim for his research on biophysical methods of drug delivery, which employ microneedles, ultrasound, lasers, electric fields, heat, convective forces and other physical means to control the transport of drugs, proteins, genes and vaccines into and within the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarder is working on bringing nanotechnology out of the lab and into the marketplace. Using a process known as two-photon absorption, the research groups of Marder and colleague Joseph Perry are developing a broad set of materials for 3D micro- and nanolithography.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchuster is a nationally known scholar and researcher with an extensive list of published articles on topics ranging from biochemistry through physical chemistry, as well as a number of scientific discoveries with commercial applications. He also held top leadership roles at Georgia Tech such as interim president, provost and dean of the College of Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBennett has been praised for the programs she has built around automatic identification technologies using radio frequency identification and container security. Her research activities include the study of optical coherence imaging systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEskin has contributed to research on vascular biology, cardiovascular tissue engineering and gene expression of vascular cells. She studies the comparative effects of mechanical forces accompanying blood flow and pressure on the blood vessel wall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe titles are awarded by the Board of Regents, which governs the University System of Georgia, upon the unanimous recommendation of the president, the chief academic officer, the appropriate academic dean and three other faculty members named by the president, and upon the approval of the chancellor and the committee on academic affairs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Regents\u0027 Professorship and Regents\u2019 Researcher title represents the highest academic status bestowed by the University System of Georgia. It is meant to recognize a substantial, significant and ongoing record\u0026nbsp;of scholarly achievement that has earned high national esteem over a sustained period.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The University System of Georgia Board of Regents today appointed three Georgia Tech faculty members as Regents\u2019 Professors and two as Regents\u2019 Researchers."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2011-08-09 14:23:05","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:09:55","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-08-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-08-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"69253":{"id":"69253","type":"image","title":"Professor Mark Prausnitz","body":null,"created":"1449177239","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:59","changed":"1475894606","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:26","alt":"Professor Mark Prausnitz","file":{"fid":"192743","name":"prausnitz2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1286929,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/prausnitz2_0.jpg?itok=LXbL96Cu"}},"53840":{"id":"53840","type":"image","title":"Professor Seth Marder","body":null,"created":"1449175342","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:22","changed":"1475894406","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:06","alt":"Professor Seth Marder","file":{"fid":"170991","name":"tiz58650.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiz58650_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiz58650_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1150222,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tiz58650_0.jpg?itok=eaL-O43G"}},"40382":{"id":"40382","type":"image","title":"Professor Gary Schuster","body":null,"created":"1449174185","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:23:05","changed":"1475894334","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:38:54"},"69256":{"id":"69256","type":"image","title":"Professor Gisele Bennett","body":null,"created":"1449177252","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:14:12","changed":"1475894606","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:26","alt":"Professor Gisele Bennett","file":{"fid":"193400","name":"bennett_09.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bennett_09_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bennett_09_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":112293,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bennett_09_0.jpg?itok=7eU4n_yL"}},"69251":{"id":"69251","type":"image","title":"Principal Research Scientist Suzanne Eskin","body":null,"created":"1449177239","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:59","changed":"1475894606","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:26","alt":"Principal Research Scientist Suzanne Eskin","file":{"fid":"193399","name":"eskin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/eskin_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/eskin_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":21704,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/eskin_0.jpg?itok=OIOJlGpK"}}},"media_ids":["69253","53840","40382","69256","69251"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/prausnitz.php","title":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.op.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/profile-marder.php","title":"Professor Seth Marder"},{"url":"http:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Schuster\/","title":"Professor Gary Schuster"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=130","title":"Professor Gisele Bennett"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=77","title":"Principal Scientist Suzanne Eskin"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13959","name":"University System of Georgia; Board of Regents; Regents\u0027 Professors; Regents\u0027 Researchers; Mark Prausnitz; Seth Marder; Gary Schuster; Gisele Bennett; Suzanne Eskin"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"68658":{"#nid":"68658","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sulchek Receives 2011 CAREER Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical  Engineering is pleased to announce that \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/sulchek.shtml\u0022\u003EDr. Todd Sulchek\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, has  won a prestigious 2011 Faculty Early Career Award from the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503214\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u0027s\u003C\/a\u003E Biosensing  Program for his proposal titled: \u0022Understanding Multivalent Biological Bonds  for Biosensing Applications.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E  For this project, Dr. Sulchek will be  studying multivalent protein\n adhesion in order to improve how well biosensors  can bind target \nmolecules. He hopes to create methods to watch the binding and  \nunbinding of multiple protein bonds in quick succession and close \nproximity.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E  As part of the CAREER Award outreach component, Dr.  Sulchek will \nwork with local high schools to match biology students with physical  \nscience students into teams, in  order to emphasize the overlapping \nnature of the scientific and engineering  disciplines. The goal is to \nportray  science and engineering in a more exciting and interesting \nlight. Currently, there are two high school students  working in Dr. \nSulchek\u0027s lab this summer, testing out a concept to rapidly  measure \nprotein adhesion. After  knowledge is gained from this trial run \nworking with students, Dr. Sulchek will  organize 10-20 teams in the \nnext year to compete in a  cross-disciplinary science fair. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E  Upon learning about this award, Woodruff  School Chair Dr. Bill \nWepfer said, \u0022Congratulations! Along with your recent NIH R21 award, \nthis is  a tremendous affirmation of your research program.\u0022 Dean of \nEngineering, Dr. Don Giddens said,  \u0022Great news, Todd, and a hearty \ncongratulations!!\u0022 Further hats off came from Georgia Tech\u0027s  \nPresident, Dr. G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson, \u0022Congratulations! Off to a great \nstart!\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n  Dr, Sulchek received both his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees  (Applied \nPhysics) from Stanford University in 2000 and 2006, respectively. He \nearned his B.A. (Physics and Mathematics)  at Johns Hopkins University \nin 1996. Dr.  Sulchek started at Georgia Tech in June 2008 as an \nAssistant Professor. Prior  to his current appointment, he was a staff \nscientist at Lawrence Livermore  National Lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E  Currently, there are twenty-seven Woodruff  School faculty members who have at one time held a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/pubs_broch_careerawards.shtml\u0022\u003ECAREER Award\u003C\/a\u003E.\n In  addition, the Woodruff School has fifteen Ph.D. graduates who have \nwon these awards  and are on the faculty of universities other than \nGeorgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Early Career Awarded to Sulchek from the National Science Foundation\u0027s Biosensing Program"}],"field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Early Career Awarded to Sulchek from the National Science Foundation\u0027s Biosensing Program"}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2011-06-30 20:22:41","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:09:40","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"68659":{"id":"68659","type":"image","title":"Todd Sulchek","body":null,"created":"1449177185","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:05","changed":"1475894597","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:17","alt":"Todd Sulchek","file":{"fid":"192627","name":"sulchek_todd.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sulchek_todd_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sulchek_todd_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2937,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sulchek_todd_1.jpg?itok=XQuULuHs"}}},"media_ids":["68659"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/sulchekBBL","title":"Sulchek Lab Website"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/","title":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"13574","name":"Todd Sulchek"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMelissa D Zbeeb\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector of Communications\n\u003Cbr \/\u003EWoodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\n\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["melissa.zbeeb@me.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"68574":{"#nid":"68574","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Assistant Professor Styczynski Receives DARPA Young Faculty Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMark Styczynski, an\nassistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at\nGeorgia Tech, has received a 2011 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency\nYoung Faculty Award for his research on metabolites, the small molecule\nbuilding blocks necessary for all cellular functions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDARPA presents the Young\nFaculty Award to outstanding junior faculty whose research will enable\nrevolutionary advances in the areas of the physical sciences, engineering, and\nmathematics. The Young Faculty Award program will fund Styczynski\u2019s research\nthrough 2013.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EStyczynski\u2019s work involves\nidentifying millions of allosteric metabolite and protein interactions both\nefficiently and accurately.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMetabolites are one of the\nmost direct, real-time readouts of cellular state that researchers can assay,\u201d Styczynski\nsaid. \u201cBut they also play a significant regulatory role, which is only beginning to be understood on a large scale.\u201d\u2028\u2028\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EPotential applications of Styczynski\u2019s\nresearch fall into the division of DARPA known as the Defense Sciences Office, which\nfocuses on developing technologies that will radically transform battlefield\nmedical care. By cataloging the infinite number of metabolite-protein\ninteractions, his research may lead to the development of a self-regulating\ndrug for soldiers in the field that shuts itself down when no longer needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EStyczynski received his\nPh.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2007. He joined the faculty\nat Georgia Tech in 2009 after a postdoctoral appointment at the\u0026nbsp;Broad\nInstitute, a world-renowned genomic medicine research center located in\nCambridge, Mass.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMark Styczynski, an\nassistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at\nGeorgia Tech, has received a 2011 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency\nYoung Faculty Award for his research on metabolites, the small molecule\nbuilding blocks necessary for all cellular functions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2011-06-27 15:45:51","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:09:40","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-06-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-06-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"68544":{"id":"68544","type":"image","title":"Dr. Mark Styczynski","body":null,"created":"1449177185","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:05","changed":"1475894594","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:14","alt":"Dr. Mark Styczynski","file":{"fid":"192600","name":"styczynski.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/styczynski_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/styczynski_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1311463,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/styczynski_2.jpg?itok=SHUxP8YY"}}},"media_ids":["68544"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/styczynski.php","title":"Dr. Mark Styczynski"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"13531","name":"College of Engineering; School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Mark Stycnski; DARPA Young Faculty Award"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"66544":{"#nid":"66544","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Engineers Control the Environment to Direct Stem Cell Differentiation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStem cell technologies have been proposed for cell-based diagnostics and regenerative medicine therapies. However, being able to make stem cells efficiently develop into a desired cell type -- such as muscle, skin, blood vessels, bone or neurons -- limits the clinical potential of these technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew research presented on June 16, 2011 at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) shows that systematically controlling the local and global environments during stem cell development helps to effectively direct the process of differentiation. In the future, these findings could be used to develop manufacturing procedures for producing large quantities of stem cells for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Stem cells don\u0027t make any decisions in isolation; their decisions are spatially and temporally directed by biochemical and mechanical cues in their environment,\u0022 said Todd McDevitt, director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center at Georgia Tech and an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0022We have designed systems that allow us to tightly control these properties during stem cell differentiation, but also give us the flexibility to introduce a new growth factor or shake the cells a little faster to see how changes like these affect the outcome.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese systems can also be used to compare the suitability of specific stem cell types for a particular use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have developed several platforms that will allow us to conduct head-to-head studies with different kinds of stem cells to determine if one type of stem cell outperforms another type for a certain application,\u0022 said McDevitt, who is also a Petit Faculty Fellow in the Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany laboratory growth methods allow stem cells to aggregate in three-dimensional clumps called \u0022embryoid bodies\u0022 during differentiation. McDevitt and biomedical engineering graduate student Andres Bratt-Leal incorporated biomaterial particles directly within these aggregates during their formation. They introduced microparticles made of gelatin, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) or agarose and tested their impact on the assembly, intercellular communication and morphogenesis of the stem cell aggregates under different conditions by varying the microsphere-to-cell ratio and the size of the microspheres.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that the presence of the biomaterials alone modulated embryoid body differentiation, but did not adversely affect cell viability. Compared to typical delivery methods, providing differentiation factors -- retinoic acid, bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -- via microparticles induced changes in the gene and protein expression patterns of the aggregates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy including tiny magnetic particles into the embryoid bodies during formation, the researchers also found they could use a magnet to spatially control the location of an aggregate and its assembly with other aggregates. The magnetic particles remained entrapped within the aggregates for the duration of the experiments but did not adversely affect cell viability or differentiation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With biomaterial and magnetic microparticles, we are beginning to be able to recreate the types of complex geometric patterns seen during early development, which require multiple cues at the same time and the ability to spatially and temporally control their local presentation,\u0022 noted McDevitt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile microparticles can be used to control differentiation by regulating the local environment, other methods exist to control differentiation through the global environment. Experiments by McDevitt and biomedical engineering graduate student Melissa Kinney have demonstrated that modulating hydrodynamic conditions can dictate the morphology of cell aggregate formation and control the expression of differentiated phenotypic cell markers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Because bioreactors typically impose hydrodynamic forces on cells to cultivate large volumes of cells at high density, our use of hydrodynamics to control cell fate decisions represents a novel, yet simple, principle that could be used in the future for the scalable efficient production of stem cells,\u0022 added McDevitt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnologies capable of being directly integrated into bioprocessing systems will be the best choice for manufacturing large batches of stem cells, he noted. In the future, the development of multi-scale techniques that combine different levels of control -- both local and global -- to regulate stem cell differentiation may help the translation of stem cells into viable clinical therapies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis project is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Award No. CBET 0651739) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R01GM088291). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF or NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew research shows that systematically controlling the local and global environments during stem cell development helps to effectively direct their differentiation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Controlling the environment during stem cell development matters."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2011-06-16 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:53","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"66545":{"id":"66545","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt","body":null,"created":"1449177176","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:12:56","changed":"1475894592","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:12"},"66546":{"id":"66546","type":"image","title":"Magnetic embryoid bodies","body":null,"created":"1449177176","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:12:56","changed":"1475894592","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:12"},"66547":{"id":"66547","type":"image","title":"Shaking stem cells","body":null,"created":"1449177176","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:12:56","changed":"1475894592","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:12"}},"media_ids":["66545","66546","66547"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=78","title":"Todd McDevitt"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/scec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Stem Cell Engineering Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"11533","name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"13436","name":"embryoid bodies"},{"id":"7663","name":"magnetic particles"},{"id":"167413","name":"Stem Cell"},{"id":"171090","name":"Stem Cell Biology"},{"id":"171010","name":"Stem Cell Development"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"66531":{"#nid":"66531","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nature Magazine features GT\u0027s \u0022Out-of-the-box\u0022 Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT program at the Georgia Institute of Technology was mentioned in Nature Magazine on June 9\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E in \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nature.com\/naturejobs\/science\/articles\/10.1038\/nj7350-241a\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGrowing with the flow\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E by Meredith Wadman as one of the few programs providing young researchers with \u201coutside-the-box opportunities\u201d for stem cell research amidst the funding feud.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast year, the appeal to repeal the injunction blocking the NIH from funding research using embryonic stem cells was passed. A second victory for scientists recently occurred when courts ruled that \u201cthe Department of Health and Human Services would not prevent future presidents or Congresses from acting anew to limit government funding for research.\u201d However, there is still some public opposition to using human embryos for research. The NIH will fund $125 million to stem cell research this year alone, but scientists are wary knowing this funding comes without long-term security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe article details programs available to young scientist considering careers in stem-cell research in the US and around the world. Ms. Wadman recommended stem cell PhD programs at Stanford, the Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at New York University School of Medicine, the University of Minnesota, and the Hanover Biomedical Research School in Germany.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe also commented on \u201cthe emerging need for biomanufacturures with stem-cell experitise, as exemplified by a new PhD prgoramme in stem-cell biomanufacturing at the Georgia Institute of Technology, funded by the US National Science Foundation. The programme opened its doors last year and is admitting six students per year. \u201cIf stem cells are going to move out of the lab, there will be lots of need for engineers to produce a large number of identical cells,\u201d says Aaron Levine, assistant professor of public policy at Georgia Tech and researcher involved in the IGERT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT program is headed by co-directors, Todd McDevitt, PhD and Bob Nerem, PhD, and offers enormous promise for researchers to become experts in stem cell biomanufacturing for the development of cell-based therapies, including regenerative medicine, drug discovery and development, cell-based diagnostics, and cancer. With funding for the next 4 years, this IGERT program is transforming the potential of stem cells for PhD scientists and engineers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nature.com\/naturejobs\/science\/articles\/10.1038\/nj7350-241a\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EView Article Here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT featured in Nature Magazine"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Stem Cell Biomanufacturing IGERT program at the Georgia Institute of Technology was mentioned in Nature Magazine on June 9\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E \u0026nbsp;in \u003Cem\u003EGrowing with the flow\u003C\/em\u003E by Meredith Wadman as one of the few programs providing young researchers with \u201coutside-the-box opportunities\u201d for stem cell research amidst the funding feud.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The IGERT program is providing young researchers with \u201coutside-the-box opportunities\u201d for stem cell research amidst the funding feud"}],"uid":"27487","created_gmt":"2011-06-15 11:20:41","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:53","author":"Megan Richards","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-06-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-06-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"66532":{"id":"66532","type":"image","title":"Stem Cells","body":null,"created":"1449177176","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:12:56","changed":"1475894592","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:12","alt":"Stem Cells","file":{"fid":"193318","name":"e3500x.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/e3500x_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/e3500x_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":289298,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/e3500x_0.jpg?itok=V2RyB95-"}}},"media_ids":["66532"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.nature.com\/naturejobs\/2011\/110609\/full\/nj7350-241a.html","title":"Biomedical Research: Growing with the flow"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.stemcelligert.gatech.edu\/about","title":"Stem Cell IGERT website"},{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/center.ibb.gatech.edu\/scec\/hg_news\/66531","title":"SCEC"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"9555","name":"aaron levine"},{"id":"10506","name":"IGERT"},{"id":"3803","name":"nature"},{"id":"167499","name":"Stem Cell Biomanufacturing"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMegan Richards\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["megan.richards@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"66421":{"#nid":"66421","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Professor Lu Receives Prize in Systems Biology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHang Lu, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s\nSchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, has been selected to receive\nthe\u0026nbsp;CSB2 Prize in Systems Biology, which is sponsored by Merrimack\nPharmaceuticals and by the Council for Systems Biology in Boston.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe CSB2 Prize in Systems Biology is awarded\nannually to a young scientist for exceptional contributions to the development\nand implementation of new methods in biomedical research. Lu was selected for\ndevelopment of microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip instruments for manipulating and\nstudying living embryos and nematodes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ELu, who is part of Georgia Tech\u2019s Parker H. Petit\nInstitute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, received her Ph.D. from the\nMassachusetts Institute of Technology in 2003 and served as a postdoc at\nthe\u0026nbsp;Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of California and\nthe Rockefeller University before coming to Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe has received other awards including the\u0026nbsp;DARPA Young Faculty Award,\nthe\u0026nbsp;DuPont Young Professor Award and the\u0026nbsp;National Institutes of\nHealth Mentored Quantitative Research CAREER Development Award. Her research\nlies at the interface of engineering and biology. Lu\u0027s lab engineers\nmicrofluidic devices and BioMEMS (Bio Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) to\nstudy neuroscience, genetics, cancer biology, systems biology, and\nbiotechnology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Council for Systems Biology in Boston\nbuilds local, regional, and national links between academic and industrial\nlaboratories active in the areas of systems and computational biology. CSB2 is\ndedicated to promoting quantitative, systems and synthetic biology in the\nBoston area and beyond by promoting interactions among academic and\npharmaceutical laboratories, organizing international symposia and recognizing\nthe achievements of promising young scientists and engineers.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHang Lu, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, has been selected to receive the\u0026nbsp;CSB2 Prize in Systems Biology, which is sponsored by Merrimack Pharmaceuticals and by the Council for Systems Biology in Boston\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Hang Lu, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, has been selected to receive the CSB2 Prize in Systems Biology."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2011-06-08 10:56:33","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:49","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-06-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-06-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"56261":{"id":"56261","type":"image","title":"Dr. Hang Lu","body":null,"created":"1449175629","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:47:09","changed":"1475894499","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:39","alt":"Dr. Hang Lu","file":{"fid":"190426","name":"tsb11903.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsb11903_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsb11903_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1388514,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tsb11903_0.jpg?itok=18sWpMAf"}}},"media_ids":["56261"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/lu.php","title":"Hang Lu"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"13349","name":"College of Engineering; School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; IBB; Hang Lu"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"66218":{"#nid":"66218","#data":{"type":"news","title":"COE Associate Dean Named ITI Fellow","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBarbara Boyan, Ph.D., professor\u0026nbsp; and Price Gilbert Jr. Chair in Tissue Engineering, has recently been named a Fellow of the International Team for Implantology (ITI). ITI is a unique network that unites professionals around the world from every field of implant dentistry and related tissue regeneration. As an independent academic association, it actively promotes networking and exchange among its membership.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EITI Fellows are recognized for their leadership in international, national or regional activities; record of publication and research in the area of implant dentistry; engagement in dental implant education; and demonstration of innovation and further development in the clinical implant dentistry field. Fellowship is conferred for a period of four years and is reviewed at the end of this period. It is only possible to become an ITI Fellow by nomination.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBoyan, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, has research interests in bone and cartilage cell biology in the fields of orthopaedics, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and oral health, with specific emphasis on the role of sex in determining how cells respond to steroid hormones and to biomaterials used in medical devices. She is past president, American Association for Dental Research; past secretary\/treasurer, Orthopaedic Research Society; member, Board of Directors: ArthroCare, Inc., IsoTis, Inc., and Carticept Medical, Inc.; and founder, OsteoBiologics, Inc.; Orthonics, Inc.; Biomedical Development Corporation; and Spherigenics, Inc.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBarbara Boyan, Ph.D., professor\u0026nbsp; and Price Gilbert Jr. Chair in Tissue Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Barbara Boyan, Ph.D., professor\u00a0 and Price Gilbert Jr. Chair in Tissue Engineering"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2011-05-18 10:07:52","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:45","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"66219":{"id":"66219","type":"image","title":"Barbara Boyan, PhD, Professor and Price Gilbert Jr. Chair in Tissue Engineering","body":null,"created":"1449176931","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:08:51","changed":"1475894589","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:09","alt":"Barbara Boyan, PhD, Professor and Price Gilbert Jr. Chair in Tissue Engineering","file":{"fid":"192499","name":"barbaraboyan.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/barbaraboyan_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/barbaraboyan_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":42556,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/barbaraboyan_0.jpg?itok=zTRqNhJ5"}}},"media_ids":["66219"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/content\/coe-associate-dean-named-iti-fellow","title":"COE article"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"9548","name":"Barbara Boyan"},{"id":"13174","name":"COE Associate Dean Named ITI Fellow"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"66035":{"#nid":"66035","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Hosts Workshop on Stem Cell Engineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Stem Cell Engineering Center is hosting a half-day workshop on May 9, 2011 at the Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u0026nbsp;Seventy-five scientists and trainees from seven different departments at Georgia Tech, Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine and the University of Georgia are convening to discuss research from various fields relating to stem cell engineering. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAligned with the mission of the Stem Cell Engineering Center, the purpose of this workshop is to cultivate teams of researchers from the basic sciences to address key hurdles and technological challenges currently impeding the development of stem cell therapeutics and diagnostics. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStem cells, or unspecialized cells, hold tremendous promise as a biological resource for regenerative medicine therapies, pharmaceutical discovery and development, and cell-based diagnostic assays. Transforming the potential of stem cells into viable biomedical technologies and commercial applications is dependent on developing efficient, robust, non-destructive and scalable strategies to control, assay and manufacture stem cells and stem cell-derived products. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of the unique challenges posed by stem cell research could be addressed by applying innovative technological advances occurring in adjacent disciplines for similar purposes, but different applications. Presentations during the workshop will include talks on differentiation technologies, bioanalytical techniques, multi-scale phenotypic analysis and stem cell biomanufacturing. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech hosts half-day workshop on stem cell engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The goal of workshop is to build inter-institutional partnerships and collaborations"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2011-05-09 13:13:30","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:41","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-05-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-05-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"66036":{"id":"66036","type":"image","title":"Stem cell bioprocessing","body":null,"created":"1449176916","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:08:36","changed":"1475894585","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:05","alt":"Stem cell bioprocessing","file":{"fid":"192455","name":"stem_cell_image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stem_cell_image_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stem_cell_image_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":9078,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/stem_cell_image_0.jpg?itok=qac1y6g7"}}},"media_ids":["66036"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/scec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Stem Cell Engineering Center"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13085","name":"Georgia Tech hosting workshop on stem cell engineering"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"760","name":"Todd McDevitt"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"65119":{"#nid":"65119","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bird Embryo Provides Unique Insights into Developmental Phenomena","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAvian embryos could join the list of model organisms used to study a specific type of cell migration called epiboly, thanks to the results of a study published this month in the journal \u003Cem\u003EDevelopmental Dynamics\u003C\/em\u003E. The new study provides insights into the mechanisms of epiboly, a developmental process involving mass movement of cells as a sheet, which is linked with medical conditions that include wound healing and cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study, published online on March 15, explains how epithelial cells expand as a sheet and migrate to engulf the entire avian egg yolk as it grows. It also reveals the presence of certain molecules during this process that have not been previously reported in other major developmental models, including Xenopus frogs and zebrafish.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022These molecules and mechanisms of early development in the avian embryo may demonstrate evolutionary differences across species in the collective movement of epithelial cells and motivate additional studies of avian embryo development,\u0022 said Evan Zamir, an assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMatt Futterman, who worked on the project as a graduate student at Georgia Tech, and mechanical engineering professor Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda also contributed to this study. The research was funded by Zamir\u0027s new faculty support from Georgia Tech and by a grant to Garc\u00eda from the National Institutes of Health.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the study, the researchers conducted immunofluorescence and high-resolution confocal microscopy experiments to examine the spatial distribution and expression of five proteins -- vimentin, cytokeratin, \u03b2-catenin, E-cadherin and laminin -- as cells moved to wrap the yolk sac of quail embryos during development.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe results showed that during this process, four of the proteins -- vimentin, cytokeratin, \u03b2-catenin and E-cadherin -- appeared in the cells located at the free edge of the migrating cell sheet. Finding dense interconnected networks of both vimentin and cytokeratin in the edge cells surprised the researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Since cytokeratin is generally associated with the epithelial phenotype and vimentin is generally associated with the mesenchymal phenotype, it\u0027s rare to see them expressed in the same cells, but this does occur in metastasizing tumor cells,\u0022 said Zamir.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECells expressing the mesenchymal phenotype are typically found in connective tissues -- such as bone, cartilage, and the lymphatic and circulatory systems -- whereas cells of the epithelial phenotype are found in cavities and glands and on surfaces throughout the body.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis finding provides evidence that epithelial cells normally attached to a membrane surface underwent biochemical changes that enabled them to assume a mesenchymal cell phenotype, which enhanced their migratory capacity. This process, called partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, has many similarities to the initiation of tumor cell metastasis and wound healing.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince this epithelial and mesenchymal expression pattern in the edge cells has not previously been reported in Xenopus or zebrafish, it may be unique to the avian embryo. This discovery would make the avian embryo a valuable model for studying tumor cell migration and wound healing.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to detailing protein expression in the quail embryo during development, the researchers also determined the origin of the new cells required at the migrating edge to cover the growing yolk. During development, the radius of the quail yolk doubles every day for the first few days, representing a hundreds-fold increase in the egg yolk surface area. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022For each individual cell that has to cover the egg yolk as it grows, the migration around the yolk is extraordinary, because it\u0027s such a large territory -- it would be like an ant walking across the earth,\u0022 explained Zamir.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELooking more closely at the edge cells, the researchers found strong evidence that expansion of the edge cell population was due exclusively to cells relocating from an interior region to the edge as the embryo expanded. The cells located at the free edge generated the bulk of the traction force necessary for expansion and towed the cells within the interior of the epithelium.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022These experiments confirm that edge cell proliferation is not the primary mechanism for expansion of the edge cell population,\u0022 noted Zamir. \u0022And our observation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the edge cells explains how these epithelial cells might be changing phenotype to become migratory in this rapidly expanding sheet.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo determine if this study\u0027s findings are indeed unique to the avian embryo, Zamir plans to conduct further studies to characterize protein expression and cell migration in Xenopus and zebrafish.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Study Investigates Process Involved in Cancer and Wound Healing"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAvian embryos could become model organisms used to study a specific type of cell migration called epiboly, a developmental process involving mass movement of cells as a sheet that is linked with medical conditions that include wound healing and cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Bird embryos provide insights into cancer and wound healing."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2011-03-23 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:26","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-03-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-03-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"65120":{"id":"65120","type":"image","title":"Quail eggs","body":null,"created":"1449176801","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:41","changed":"1475894574","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:54","alt":"Quail eggs","file":{"fid":"192170","name":"trq14296.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trq14296_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trq14296_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":36918,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/trq14296_0.jpg?itok=5yg6dnbv"}},"65121":{"id":"65121","type":"image","title":"vimentin expression","body":null,"created":"1449176801","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:41","changed":"1475894574","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:54","alt":"vimentin expression","file":{"fid":"192171","name":"ttm10064.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttm10064_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttm10064_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":412574,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ttm10064_0.jpg?itok=wGHoaqqb"}},"65122":{"id":"65122","type":"image","title":"BrDU cell proliferation","body":null,"created":"1449176801","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:41","changed":"1475894574","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:54","alt":"BrDU cell proliferation","file":{"fid":"192172","name":"tqj10240.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqj10240_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqj10240_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":811391,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tqj10240_0.jpg?itok=V0B1dG8e"}}},"media_ids":["65120","65121","65122"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/dvdy.22607","title":"Developmental Dynamics paper"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/zamir.shtml","title":"Evan Zamir"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/garcia.shtml","title":"Andres Garcia"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/","title":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"539","name":"Andres Garcia"},{"id":"4619","name":"avian"},{"id":"12460","name":"avian embryo"},{"id":"12467","name":"b-catenin"},{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"12466","name":"cytokeratin"},{"id":"351","name":"development"},{"id":"12471","name":"Developmental Biology"},{"id":"12468","name":"e-cadherin"},{"id":"9228","name":"embryo"},{"id":"12472","name":"Embryo Development"},{"id":"12464","name":"epiboly"},{"id":"12459","name":"Evan Zamir"},{"id":"12469","name":"Laminin"},{"id":"10364","name":"Metastasis"},{"id":"12461","name":"Quail"},{"id":"12462","name":"quail embryo"},{"id":"167377","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"12470","name":"tumor cell migration"},{"id":"12465","name":"vimentin"},{"id":"12463","name":"Wound Healing"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"64716":{"#nid":"64716","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Predict Age of T Cells to Improve Cancer Treatment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EManipulation of cells by a new microfluidic device may help clinicians improve a promising cancer therapy that harnesses the body\u0027s own immune cells to fight such diseases as metastatic melanoma, non-Hodgkin\u0027s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and neuroblastoma.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe therapy, known as adoptive T cell transfer, has shown encouraging results in clinical trials. This treatment involves removing disease-fighting immune cells called T cells from a cancer patient, multiplying them in the laboratory and then infusing them back into the patient\u0027s body to attack the cancer. The effectiveness of this therapy, however, is limited by the finite lifespan of T cells -- after many divisions, these cells become unresponsive and inactive.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech and Emory University have addressed this limitation by developing a microfluidic device for sample handling that allows a statistical model to be generated to evaluate cell responsiveness and accurately predict cell \u0022age\u0022 and quality. Being able to assess the age and responsiveness of T cells -- and therefore transfer only young functional cells back into a cancer patient\u0027s body -- offers the potential to improve the therapeutic outcome of several cancers.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The statistical model, enabled by the data generated with the microfluidic device, revealed an optimal combination of extracellular and intracellular proteins that accurately predict T cell age,\u0022 said Melissa Kemp, an assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0022Knowing this information will help facilitate the clinical development of appropriate T cell expansion and selection protocols.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDetails on the microfluidic device and statistical model were published in the March issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EMolecular \u0026amp; Cellular Proteomics\u003C\/em\u003E. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Georgia Cancer Coalition, and Georgia Tech Integrative Biosystems Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, clinicians measure T cell age by using multiple assays that rely on measurements from large cell populations. The measurements determine if cells are exhibiting functions known to appear at different stages in the life cycle of a T cell.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Since no one measurement is a perfect predictor, it is advantageous to concurrently sample multiple proteins at different time points, which we can do with our microfluidic device,\u0022 explained Kemp, who is also a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Professor. \u0022The wealth of information we get from our device for a small number of cells far exceeds a single measurement from a population the same size by another assay type.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor their study, Kemp, electrical engineering graduate student Catherine Rivet and biomedical engineering undergraduate student Abby Hill analyzed CD8+ T cells from healthy blood donors. They acquired information from 25 static biomarkers and 48 dynamic signaling measurements and found a combination of phenotypic markers and protein signaling dynamics -- including Lck, ERK, CD28 and CD27 -- to be the most useful in predicting cellular age.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo obtain biomarker and dynamic signaling event measurements, the researchers ran the donor T cells through a microfluidic device designed in collaboration with Hang Lu, an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering. After stimulating the cells, the device divided them into different channels corresponding to eight different time points, ranging from 30 seconds to seven minutes. Then they were divided again into populations that were chemically treated to halt the biochemical reactions at snapshots in time to build up a picture of the signaling events that occurred as the T cells responded to antigen.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022While donor-to-donor variability is a confounding factor in these types of experiments, the technological platform minimized the experimental data variance and allowed stimulation time to be precisely controlled,\u0022 said Lu.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the donor T cell data, the researchers developed a model to assess which biomarkers or dynamical signaling events best predicted the quality of T cell function. The model found the most informative data in predicting cellular age to be the initial changes in signaling dynamics.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Although a combination of biomarker and dynamic signaling data provided the optimal model, our results suggest that signaling information alone can predict cellular age almost as well as the entire dataset,\u0022 noted Kemp. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the future, Kemp plans to use this approach of combining multiple cell-based experiments on a microfluidic chip to integrate single-cell information with population-averaged techniques, such as multiplexed immunoassays or mass spectrometry.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis project is supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)(Grant No. R21CA134299). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are accurately predicting T cell age and quality in order to improve the effectiveness of the cancer therapy known as adoptive T cell transfer, which is currently limited by the cells\u0027 finite lifespan.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Predicting age of T cells could improve cancer therapy"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2011-03-02 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:18","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"64717":{"id":"64717","type":"image","title":"Catherine Rivet, Abby Hill and Melissa Kemp","body":null,"created":"1449176765","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:05","changed":"1475894569","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:49","alt":"Catherine Rivet, Abby Hill and Melissa Kemp","file":{"fid":"192077","name":"tti74257.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tti74257_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tti74257_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1333865,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tti74257_0.jpg?itok=nSPAxpo2"}},"64718":{"id":"64718","type":"image","title":"Melissa Kemp","body":null,"created":"1449176765","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:05","changed":"1475894569","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:49","alt":"Melissa Kemp","file":{"fid":"192078","name":"tbp74257.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbp74257_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbp74257_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1153544,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tbp74257_0.jpg?itok=BuQsupTC"}},"64719":{"id":"64719","type":"image","title":"Microfluidic device","body":null,"created":"1449176765","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:05","changed":"1475894569","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:49","alt":"Microfluidic device","file":{"fid":"192079","name":"tfd74257.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfd74257_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfd74257_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1055020,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfd74257_0.jpg?itok=-JlNwrZ7"}}},"media_ids":["64717","64718","64719"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=97","title":"Melissa Kemp"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/lu.php","title":"Hang Lu"},{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1074\/mcp.M110.003921","title":"Molecular \u0026 Cellular Proteomics paper"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"12210","name":"Adoptive Immunotherapy"},{"id":"12211","name":"adoptive t cell transfer"},{"id":"7214","name":"biomarker"},{"id":"249","name":"Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"1704","name":"chemical \u0026 biomolecular engineering"},{"id":"12214","name":"Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"898","name":"Hang Lu"},{"id":"4514","name":"immunotherapy"},{"id":"5084","name":"Melissa Kemp"},{"id":"12212","name":"Metastatic Melanoma"},{"id":"12216","name":"Microfluidic Device"},{"id":"12215","name":"Neuroblastoma"},{"id":"12213","name":"non-Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma"},{"id":"9047","name":"T cell"},{"id":"12217","name":"t cell age"},{"id":"12218","name":"T cell Assays"},{"id":"12209","name":"t cell therapy"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"100521":{"#nid":"100521","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Discovery May Lead to Turning Back the Clock on Ovarian Cancer","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECancer researchers have discovered that a type of regulatory RNA may be effective in fighting ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer isn\u0027t typically discovered until it\u00e2\u0080\u0099s in the advanced stages, where it is already spreading to other organs and is very difficult to fight with chemotherapy. This new discovery may allow physicians to turn back the clock of the tumor\u0027s life cycle to a phase where traditional chemotherapy can better do its job.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScientists at the Ovarian Cancer Institute Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found in initial tests that a regulatory RNA called miR-429 may be successful in inducing metastatic or spreading cancer cells to convert back to a less metastatic, non-invasive form. The research appears online in the journal Gynecologic Oncology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Primary tumors are rarely fatal,\u0022 said John F. McDonald, director of the Integrated Cancer Research Center in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Biology and chief research scientist at the Ovarian Cancer Institute. \u0022Most cancer patients succumb because the cancer metastasizes, and current chemotherapies are not designed to kill metastasizing cancer cells.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E Cancer cells exist in two forms: epithelial cancer cells and mesenchymal cancer cells.  The primary tumor is mostly comprised of rapidly dividing epithelial cancer cells that are \u00e2\u0080\u009csticky\u00e2\u0080\u009d so they stay together, they\u00e2\u0080\u0099re not mobile and generally not invasive. Cells at the edge of tumors often change into mesenchymal cancer cells; they lose their adhesiveness and become highly mobile and invasive, allowing the cancer to spread, or metastasize, to other areas of the body.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E In the new trial, McDonald\u0027s lab used two ovarian cancer cell lines, one with epithelial characteristics, like primary tumor cells, and the other with mesenchymal traits, like metastasizing cancer cells. They used miR-429, one of a family of microRNAs previously implicated in epithelial to mesencymal changes in other cancers, to see if it could turn the mesenchymal cancer cells back into epithelial cancer cells. They found that miR-429 was highly successful in helping cells turn back the clock.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We found that when we introduced miR-429 into the highly metastatic ovarian cancer cells, they became less invasive, less migratory and more like the cancer cells associated with primary tumors,\u0022 said McDonald.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrently the McDonald lab is testing to see if cells that have been treated with miR-429 to change from mesenchymal to epithelial cancer cells are more susceptible to chemotherapy than metastasizing cells that haven\u0027t undergone this change.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are hopeful that we have found an effective way to drive metastasizing ovarian cancer cells back to their primary cancer stage where they can be more effectively treated with existing chemotherapies.\u0022 added McDonald.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Cancer researchers have discovered that a type of regulatory RNA may be effective in fighting ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer isn\u0027t typically discovered until it\u00e2\u0080\u0099s in the advanced stages, where it is already spreading to other organs and is very difficult to fight with chemotherapy. This new discovery may allow physicians to turn back the clock of the tumor\u0027s life cycle to a phase where traditional chemotherapy can better do its job.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Discovery May Lead to Turning Back the Clock on Ovarian Cancer"}],"uid":"27245","created_gmt":"2011-03-02 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:09","author":"Troy Hilley","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"100531":{"id":"100531","type":"image","title":"Control Cells","body":null,"created":"1449178159","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:29:19","changed":"1475894717","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:17"}},"media_ids":["100531"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"},{"url":"http:\/\/ovariancancerinstitute.org\/","title":"Ovarian Cancer Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/john-mcdonald","title":"John McDonald"}],"groups":[{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["david.terraso@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"64518":{"#nid":"64518","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Vaccine Development: Virus-Mimicking Nanoparticles Can Stimulate Long Lasting Immunity","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVaccine scientists say their \u0022Holy Grail\u0022 is to stimulate immunity that lasts for a lifetime. Live viral vaccines such as the smallpox or yellow fever vaccines provide immune protection that lasts several decades, but despite their success, scientists have remained in the dark as to how they induce such long lasting immunity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearchers at Emory University and Georgia Tech have designed tiny nanoparticles that resemble viruses in size and immunological composition and induce lifelong immunity in mice. They designed the particles to mimic the immune-stimulating effects of one of the most successful vaccines ever developed \u2014 the yellow fever vaccine. The particles, made of biodegradable polymers, have components that activate two different parts of the innate immune system and can be used interchangeably with material from many different bacteria or viruses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe results are described in this week\u0027s issue of Nature. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E These results address a long-standing puzzle in vaccinology: how do successful vaccines induce long lasting immunity?  said senior author Bali Pulendran, Charles Howard Candler professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and a researcher at Yerkes National Primate Research Center.\u0026nbsp; These particles could provide an instant way to stretch scarce supplies when access to viral material is limited, such as pandemic flu or during an emerging infection. In addition, there are many diseases, such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and dengue, that still lack effective vaccines, where we anticipate that this type of immunity enhancer could play a role.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne injection of the live viral yellow fever vaccine, developed in the 1930s by Nobel Prize winner Max Theiler, can protect against disease-causing forms of the virus for decades. Pulendran and his colleagues in the Emory Vaccine Center have been investigating how humans respond to the yellow fever vaccine, in the hopes of imitating it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESeveral years ago, they established that the yellow fever vaccine stimulated multiple Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the innate immune system. TLRs are present in insects as well as mammals, birds and fish. They are molecules expressed by cells that can sense bits of viruses, bacteria and parasites and can activate the immune system. Pulendran\u0027s group demonstrated that the immune system sensed the yellow fever vaccine via multiple TLRs, and that this was required for the immunity induced by the vaccine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E TLRs are like the sixth sense in our bodies, because they have an exquisite capacity to sense viruses and bacteria, and convey this information to stimulate the immune response, explained Pulendran. We found that to get the best immune response, you need to hit more than one kind of Toll-like receptor. Our aim was to create a synthetic particle that accomplishes this task.\u003Cbr \/\u003EEmory postdoctoral fellow Sudhir Pai Kasturi worked with Niren Murthy, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, to create tiny particles studded with molecules that turn on Toll-like receptors.\u003Cbr \/\u003E Given the ability of these nanoparticles to tune T and B cell responses, I anticipate they will be the focus of numerous vaccine developments in the future, said Murthy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of the particles components is MPL (monophosphoryl lipid A), a component of bacterial cell walls, and the other is imiquimod, a chemical that mimics the effects of viral RNA. The particles are made of PLGA \u2014 poly(lactic acid)-co-(glycolic acid) \u2014 a synthetic polymer used for biodegradable grafts and sutures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAll three components are FDA-approved for human use individually. For several decades, the only FDA-approved vaccine additive was alum, until a cervical cancer vaccine containing MPL was approved in 2009. Because of immune system differences between mice and monkeys, the scientists replaced imiquimod with the related chemical resiquimod for monkey experiments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn mice, the particles can stimulate production of antibodies to proteins from flu virus or anthrax bacteria several orders of magnitude more effectively than alum, the authors found. In addition, the immune cells persist in lymph nodes for at least 18 months, almost the lifetime of a mouse. In experiments with monkeys, nanoparticles with viral protein could induce robust responses greater than five times the response induced by a dose of the same viral protein given by itself, without the nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30308\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Emory University \u2014 Holly Korschun (hkorsch@emory.edu; 404-727-3990);\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech \u2014 Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364)\u003Cbr \/\u003EWriter: Quinn Eastman\/Emory University\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Emory University and Georgia Tech have designed tiny \nnanoparticles that resemble viruses in size and immunological \ncomposition and induce lifelong immunity in mice.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2011-02-24 11:27:17","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:15","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"64519":{"id":"64519","type":"image","title":"Blue shows resting B cells. Red shows activated B cells that are being \u0022trained\u0022 to produce high-quality antibodies. Green shows specialized antibody-producing cells.","body":null,"created":"1449176735","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:05:35","changed":"1475894523","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:03","alt":"Blue shows resting B cells. Red shows activated B cells that are being \u0022trained\u0022 to produce high-quality antibodies. Green shows specialized antibody-producing cells.","file":{"fid":"192007","name":"NaturePaperImage_hires.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NaturePaperImage_hires_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NaturePaperImage_hires_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1830736,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/NaturePaperImage_hires_0.jpg?itok=qap86XtF"}}},"media_ids":["64519"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/microneedles-flu-vaccine\/","title":"Microneedles: Flu Vaccine in Painless Skin Patches under Development at Emory and Georgia Tech with $11.5 Million in NIH Grants"},{"url":"http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/molecular-imaging-yields-information-on-childhood-respiratory-virus-may-lead-to-earlier-diagnosis\/","title":"Molecular imaging yields information on childhood respiratory virus, may lead to earlier diagnosis"},{"url":"http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/flu-immunization-vaccine\/","title":"Flu Immunization: Vaccine Given with Microneedle Patches Proves Effective"},{"url":"http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/gold-nanoparticles\/","title":"Power of Gold: Nanoparticles May Enhance Circulating Tumor Cell Detection"},{"url":"http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/nih-microneedle-flu-immunization\/","title":"Microneedle Flu Immunization: NIH Awards $10 Million to Advance Technology for Painless, Self-Administration of Vaccine"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/groups\/murthylab\/murthylab\/HOME.html","title":"Murthy Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"3803","name":"nature"},{"id":"245","name":"Niren Murthy"},{"id":"12055","name":"Vaccine Development: Virus-Mimicking Nanoparticles Can Stimulate Long Lasting Immunity"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"75841":{"#nid":"75841","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Eberhard Voit Elected to AIMBE College of Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBiomedical Engineering Professor Eberhard Voit, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), Class of 2012. He was chosen for the honor: \u0022For outstanding contributions to the development of computational systems biology and the use of model-based problem-solving in biomedical engineering.\u0022 \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EVoit holds the David D. Flanagan Chair in Biological Systems in The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. He is a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Associate Director of the Integrative BioSystems Institute. \u003Cbr \/\u003E \n\n\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere were 107 individuals elected to the College, who will be inducted at a ceremony at AIMBE\u2019s Annual Event on February 20 in Washington, D.C.  The inductees, who were nominated by their peers, were screened by committees of Fellows within their specialty and were finally elected by the full College as the official College of Fellows Class of 2012. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers in the country.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Voit to be inducted at annual ceremony in Washington DC in February 2012"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEberhard Voit Elected of AIMBE College of Fellows\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"For outstanding contributions to the development of computational systems biology and the use of model-based problem-solving in biomedical engineering"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2012-01-04 11:27:21","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:53","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-01-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-01-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"75851":{"id":"75851","type":"image","title":"Eberhard Voit - David D. Flanagan Chair in Biological Systems in The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech \u0026 Emory University, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, Assoc. Director, Integrative BioSystems Institute","body":null,"created":"1449178055","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:35","changed":"1475894688","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:48","alt":"Eberhard Voit - David D. Flanagan Chair in Biological Systems in The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech \u0026 Emory University, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, Assoc. Director, Integrative BioSystems Institute","file":{"fid":"193819","name":"voit.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/voit.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/voit.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8661,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/voit.jpg?itok=YPQ953Xi"}}},"media_ids":["75851"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.aaas.org\/","title":"American Association for the Advancement of Science"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"16371","name":"AIMBE Fellow"},{"id":"251","name":"Eberhard Voit"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"858","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:adrianne.proeller@bme.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAdrianne Proeller\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPR Strategist\/Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical\u003Cbr \/\u003E Engineering at Georgia Tech \u0026amp; Emory\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:adrianne.proeller@bme.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["adrianne.proeller@bme.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"62746":{"#nid":"62746","#data":{"type":"news","title":"$1.48 M Awarded for Single Molecule Probes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPhillip Santangelo, assistant professor in the Coulter Department, has received an R01 NIH\/National Institute for General Medicine Sciences award to develop single molecule sensitive probes for the study of virus replication, assembly and budding. The $1.48 million project will focus on the human respiratory syncytial (hRSV) virus. hRSV is recognized as the most important viral agent of serious pediatric respiratory tract disease. Worldwide, acute respiratory tract disease is the leading cause of mortality due to infectious disease, and hRSV remains one of the pathogens deemed most important for vaccine and antiviral development. He will collaborate with James E. Crowe, Jr., MD, The Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, and Pediatrics and The Vanderbilt Vaccine Center; Vanderbilt University Medical Center for the 5-year study.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Phillip Santangelo, assistant professor in the Coulter Department, has received an R01 NIH\/National Institute for General Medicine Sciences award to develop single molecule sensitive probes for the study of virus replication, assembly and budding.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"$1.48 M Awarded for Single Molecule Probes"}],"uid":"27349","created_gmt":"2010-09-30 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:46","author":"Floyd Wood","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-09-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-09-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62747":{"id":"62747","type":"image","title":"Prof. Santangelo","body":null,"created":"1449176394","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:59:54","changed":"1475894547","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:27","alt":"Prof. Santangelo","file":{"fid":"191556","name":"thk51351.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thk51351_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thk51351_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7081,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thk51351_0.jpg?itok=2jgZLmKz"}}},"media_ids":["62747"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1612","name":"BME"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"2076","name":"NIH"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAdrianne Proeller\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=aproeller3\u0022\u003EContact Adrianne Proeller\u003C\/a\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["adrianne.proeller@bme.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60675":{"#nid":"60675","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NSF Awards Stem Cell Bio-Manufacturing Research and Edu. Program to GT","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $3 million to the Georgia Institute of Technology to fund a unique research program on stem cell bio-manufacturing. The program is specifically focused on developing engineering methods for stem cell production, in order to meet the anticipated demand for stem cells. The award comes through the NSF\u0027s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Program, which supports innovation in graduate education in fields that cross academic disciplines and have broad societal impact.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile stem cell research is on the verge of broadly impacting many elements of the medical field - regenerative medicine, drug discovery and development, cell-based diagnostics and cancer - the bio-process engineering that will be required to manufacture sufficient quantities of functional stem cells for these diagnostic and therapeutic purposes has not been rigorously explored.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Successfully integrating knowledge of stem cell biology with bioprocess engineering and process development into single individuals is the challenging goal of this program,\u0022 said Todd McDevitt, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University and a Petit Faculty Fellow in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences at Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMcDevitt is leading the IGERT with Robert M. Nerem, professor emeritus of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Nerem is also director of the Georgia Tech\/Emory Center (GTEC) for Regenerative Medicine, which will administer this award.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. students funded by Georgia Tech\u0027s stem cell bio-manufacturing IGERT will receive interdisciplinary educational training in the biology, engineering, enabling technologies, commercialization and public policy related to stem cells. Their research efforts will focus on developing innovative engineering approaches to bridge the gap between basic discoveries made in stem cell biology and therapeutic stem cell-based technologies.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This program provides a unique opportunity for engineers to generate standardized and quantitative methods for stem cell isolation, characterization, propagation and differentiation,\u0022 said Nerem. \u0022These techniques must be developed in a scalable manner to efficiently produce sufficient numbers of stem cells and derivatives in accessible formats in order to yield a spectrum of novel therapeutic and diagnostic applications of stem cells.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech program is centered around three main research thrusts, which focus on several critical technologies that must be developed to enable the application and use of stem cell-based products:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* Creating reproducible, controlled and scalable methods to expand and differentiate stem cells with defined phenotypes and epigenetic states.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n* Developing reliable, rapid and quantifiable methods to characterize the composition and function of stem cells to be generated.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n* Designing low-cost systems capable of producing large populations of defined stem cells and derivatives.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStudents in the program will be able to take advantage of the core facilities provided by the new Stem Cell Engineering Center at Georgia Tech, which is directed by McDevitt. Technologies developed by the students supported through this IGERT will be rapidly integrated into academic and industrial stem cell practices and cell-based products.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe award will support 30 new Ph.D. students over the next five years and brings together more than two dozen faculty members from Georgia Tech, Emory University, the University of Georgia and the Morehouse School of Medicine. In addition, plans are being made for students to participate in international research collaborations with the National University of Ireland at Galway, Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge and the University of Toronto.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We anticipate this program will produce the future leaders and innovators in the field of stem cell bio-manufacturing who will contribute significantly at the interface of stem cell engineering, biology and therapy,\u0022 added McDevitt.\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Biomedical engineering associate professor Todd McDevitt is co-leading Georgia Tech\u0027s new research program on stem cell bio-manufacturing, which is specifically focused on developing engineering methods for stem cell production in order to meet the anticipated demand for stem cells.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"NSF Awards Stem Cell Bio-Manufacturing Research and Edu. Program"}],"uid":"27349","created_gmt":"2010-08-16 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:19","author":"Floyd Wood","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-08-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-08-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60676":{"id":"60676","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt","body":null,"created":"1449176281","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:01","changed":"1475894528","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:08","alt":"Todd McDevitt","file":{"fid":"191188","name":"tjb64868.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjb64868_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjb64868_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":36421,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjb64868_0.jpg?itok=aJ1zxIjr"}}},"media_ids":["60676"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1612","name":"BME"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"10506","name":"IGERT"},{"id":"6217","name":"McDevitt"},{"id":"363","name":"NSF"},{"id":"171009","name":"stem cell bio-manufacturing"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60385":{"#nid":"60385","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH EUREKA Award Will Enable Design of New Brain Tumor Treatment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has received a EUREKA grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to design a new way to treat invasive brain tumors by capturing the migrating cells that spread the disease. The EUREKA -- Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration -- program helps scientists test new, unconventional ideas or tackle major methodological or technical challenges. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team plans to develop a system that will excavate brain tumor cells by directing them away from their location in the interior of the brain to a more external location where they can be removed or killed. Nanofiber-based polymer thin films coated with biochemical cues will be aligned in the brain to provide a corridor for tumor cells to follow to a gel-based \u2018sink\u2019 where they will be captured and safely removed or encouraged to die through chemical signaling. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe this is the first attempt to exploit the invasive, migrating properties of brain tumors by engineering a path for the tumors to move away from the primary site to a location where treatment can occur,\u201d said lead investigator Ravi Bellamkonda, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECollaborating with Bellamkonda on this project are Tobey MacDonald, director of the pediatric neuro-oncology program at the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine; and Barun Brahma, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta. The initial partnership between the researchers began with seed funding from the Georgia Cancer Coalition and Ian\u2019s Friends Foundation. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe National Cancer Institute is providing more than $1 million for the EUREKA grant. For the project, Bellamkonda, MacDonald and Brahma are focusing on treating medulloblastomas -- highly malignant brain tumors that account for more than 20 percent of pediatric brain tumors. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMedulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor we see in children, but unfortunately the five-year survival rates for children with this cancer only range from 50 to 70 percent and the majority of survivors have a significantly reduced quality of life as a result of treatment-related toxicities,\u201d said MacDonald, who is also a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar. \u201cAn increasing number of survivors are also at risk for developing secondary malignancies as a result of the treatment we now administer. Clearly we have to do a much better job at treating these tumors; however, improving survival while reducing the toxic effects of treatment will require a highly innovative approach.\u201d\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedulloblastoma treatment currently involves surgery followed by radiation therapy to the entire brain and spine and up to one year of intensive intravenous chemotherapy. However, radiation is often delayed or omitted altogether in young children due to its debilitating long-term side effects on the developing central nervous system. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese changes to the timing of radiation administration can adversely impact survival. And while surgery is a mainstay of treatment, it too can cause a significant loss of cognitive and neurological function due to the critical areas of the brain that may be involved by the tumor\u2019s spread but require an extensive surgical area to remove as much of the tumor as possible.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis EUREKA grant aims to address the urgent need to develop therapies to safely treat invasive medulloblastomas in children.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur plan is to deliver the tumor to the drug -- by directing tumor cells to a specially engineered gel that can be removed or designed to kill the cells -- rather than the current strategy of delivering the drug to the tumor, which is problematic due to the irregular vasculature and poor diffusivity of the tumor tissue,\u201d explained Bellamkonda, who is also a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers plan to design a polymer thin film system that will include topographical and biochemical cues similar to those that guide the initial brain tumor invasion. The thin films will be rolled up and deployed with minimally invasive catheters. Because neural tissue will not be suctioned and the films are very thin, there should be minimal tissue and tumor disruption.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe films will also be non-toxic to the patient because they will be engineered with biocompatible, stable polymers. In previous studies, the polymers have been implanted in the nervous systems of small animals for more than 16 weeks with no adverse tissue reactions. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis research represents a radical approach to treating invasive tumors that is based on the universal properties and mechanics of cell motility and the migration characteristic of metastasis, regardless of the molecular and genetic origins of the tumor,\u201d added Bellamkonda. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf successful, this approach would identify a new and innovative way to treat pediatric medulloblastomas and has the potential to open a new avenue for the treatment of other invasive solid tumors, such as brain stem tumors. These cancers are incurable because they are located in an inoperable region and\/or they are resistant or inaccessible to the delivery of chemotherapy agents.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364; \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986; \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"$1M grant awarded to Coulter Department professor Ravi Bellamkonda"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has received a EUREKA grant from the National Cancer Institute to design a new way to treat invasive brain tumors by capturing the migrating cells that spread the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"NIH grant awarded to Coulter Department professor Ravi Bellamkonda."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2010-08-10 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:15","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60386":{"id":"60386","type":"image","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894523","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:03","alt":"Ravi Bellamkonda","file":{"fid":"191114","name":"tej47110.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tej47110_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tej47110_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":969293,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tej47110_0.jpg?itok=wkBZMW9d"}},"60387":{"id":"60387","type":"image","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894523","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:03","alt":"Ravi Bellamkonda","file":{"fid":"191115","name":"tft47110.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tft47110_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tft47110_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":939228,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tft47110_0.jpg?itok=kMYzO3Gv"}},"60388":{"id":"60388","type":"image","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894523","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:03","alt":"Ravi Bellamkonda","file":{"fid":"191116","name":"tbc47110.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbc47110_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbc47110_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1538338,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tbc47110_0.jpg?itok=_tFY6oi7"}}},"media_ids":["60386","60387","60388"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=59","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10365","name":"Brain Tumor"},{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"8084","name":"Cancer treatment"},{"id":"10366","name":"Medulloblastoma"},{"id":"10364","name":"Metastasis"},{"id":"10367","name":"Pediatric Brain Tumor"},{"id":"10368","name":"polymer films"},{"id":"1442","name":"tumor"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}