Graduate NIH Training in Biotechnology
Trainees
Sara Wargo
Project Description
Due to difficulties synthesizing the gradients I have switched projects. The project I am currently working on builds off of my internship experience.
Plasma, the fourth state of matter, is a highly energized gas that is used to modify surfaces in many industrial processes. Industrial plasmas, however, are often hot plasmas with temperatures exceeding 1200 °C. With such extreme temperatures, the use of these plasmas is often limited to metals. Dow Corning Plasma Solutions has developed an atmospheric pressure plasma deposition system which generates a “cold” plasma in the range of 40 – 60 °C. We have been using this system to modify the surface of tissue culture polystyrene.
One specific modification that we have been exploring is the permanent attachment of poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) to tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) dishes. This temperature sensitive polymer has successfully been attached to polystyrene by other surface modification techniques. Its attachment to the surface allows for the removal of cells by changing the surface hydrophobicity with temperature; at temperatures above 32 °C the polymer is hydrophobic and below 32 °C it is hydrophilic. Harvesting cells using cultureware treated in this manner is done simply and without degradative enzymes. In fact, the cells can often be removed intact as cell sheets.
We have had success modifying TCPS dishes with NIPAAm and are looking to further apply this atmospheric plasma depsosition technology to other biological compounds. We are interested in using the plasma stream for surface patterning by using a computer for precise control, thereby enabling us to create surfaces using a desired combination of biologically relevant materials. Further, we are exploring the possibility of using the plasma stream system with cells, looking into both physically spraying the cells and having the cells sprayed by the plasma for various applications.
Courses
Fundamentals of Thermodynamics,
Fundamentals of Reaction Processes,
Mathematical Methods,
Fundamentals of Transport Processes,
Issues in Research and Teaching,
Stem Cells,
Intro to Cell and Molecular Biology (Biotechnology Training Program), Fundamentals of Biochemical Engineering (Biotechnology Training Program), Foundations in Biomedical Sciences (Biotechnology Training Program), Foundations Conference (Biotechnology Training Program), Biomaterials and Biocompatibility (Biotechnology Training Program),
Scientific Ethics (Biotechnology Training Program)
Publications
Journal Articles
Wargo, S.L., Kumar, T.R., & Russell, A.J. Tissue Engineering and the Challenges Within. Cell Transplantation 15, S11-S15 (2006).
Wargo, S.L. & Russell, A.J. Focusing the Deposition Area of Electrospun Fibers using Custom Designed Circuit Boards (Preparing for submission)
Book Chapter
Wargo S.L. & Russell, A.J. Principles of Regenerative Medicine, “Military Needs and Solutions in Regenerative Medicine” in press.
Presentations
Poster Presentation at MIRM Retreat, March 2005
Poster Presentation at ISMETT, International Meeting on Regenerative Medicine (Palermo, Italy)
Poster Presentation at Regenerate, (Atlanta, Georgia) June 2005
Oral Presentation at TESI, (Shanhai, China) October 2005
Seminars
Robert S. Langer, Sc.D.
Institute Professor,
Department of Chemical Engineering,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Topic: Advances in Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering
Jeffrey M. Karp, Ph.D.
Fellow with Dr. Robert Langer, Department of Chemical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Topic: Bone Tissue Engineering – From Stem Cells to Scaffolds
William E. Beschorner, M.D.
President and Chief Scientific Officer
Ximerex, Inc.
Topic: Transplantation of Pig Tissue without Immune Suppression
Advisor
Professor Alan Russell
Director, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
University of Pittsburgh
