Imagine you’re in a self-driving car, and a person suddenly appears in front of it. The car fails to brake—and that person gets hurt. Not because you made a mistake, but because the AI failed to detect that person. Worse, it was confident in its decision and didn’t even slow down. Recent research shows that …
Abstract: Using time-lapse confocal microscopy to record and observe microgliabehavior in living zebrafish embryos, the Mitchell lab investigates themolecular basis of dynamic migration and phagocytic behavior of microgliain the central nervous system. Microglial cells regulate brain development,maintain neuronal networks, and repair neural injuries. Timelapse imagingprovides crucial insight into the behavior of these cells. Other methods, …
Abstract — Remote sensing systems for precision agriculture allow for technology and automation to improve the profitability and sustainability of modern farms. The adoption of these systems in the United States has been slow, due to the high cost of and difficulty using them. The University of Idaho, in collaboration with Laurel Grove Wine Farm …
Abstract — Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are tools that often act as an area where mechanical engineering and computer science partner to further research in the field of industrial automation. The application of industrial automation techniques to precision agriculture is an area of large importance for researchers and farmers, allowing for technology and automation to …
Abstract: Zwitterions are molecules that possess both a negatively and positively charged region, but maintain an overall net charge of zero. Zwitterionic polymer hydrogels possess good hydrophilic and nonfouling properties. The nonfouling property means these materials greatly reduce the amount of nonspecific protein adsorption that can occur on the material. The nonfouling nature of zwitterionic …
Abstract:Cupriavidus necator, a Gram-negative soil bacterium, will be characterized using AC-based dielectrophoretic microwells. A crossover frequency will be found for the bacterium in buffer as well as the bacterium in different metal solutions and different concentrations. Once the crossover frequency has been observed and the process has been repeated to ensure repeatable values, the bacterium …
Stem cells play an important role in regenerative medicine because of their ability to proliferate into various cell types. Current work focuses on murine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiating into tenogenically differentiated cells upon exposure to a growth factor TGFβ2. During the course of their differentiation on treatment, MSCs are observed to exhibit different phenotypical and genotypical changes accounting for their change in electrophysiological make-up, i.e., the capacitance and permittivity of both the cell membrane and its interior. In this study, murine MSCs are characterized using dielectrophoresis (DEP), a non-labeling, non-destructive electrokinetic technique using a crossover frequency method. DEP is known to be able to detect subtle changes within the cell. Studies were performed on both untreated and treated (treated with growth factors differentiating into tenogenically modified MSCs) murine MSCs; the treated MSCs were treated on a time scale of days 1, 3, and 7. The results showed that tenogenically modified MSCs differed significantly in their electrical properties and could be distinguished from the untreated MSCs as early as 3 days into treatment.
By improving current bioremediation techniques for the removal of trichloroethylene from groundwater we can improve efficiency, improve safety, and treat spills closer to the source.