BMES Research Team is a year-long, advanced wet lab research project. An interdisciplinary team of students work to bridge a gap in knowledge or address an unmet need in fields such as drug delivery, cell and molecular engineering, or regenerative medicine through experimental-focused research. Over the course of a year, students will build and apply skills such as synthesizing new ideas from literature searches, developing experimental protocols, and collecting and analyzing.
Ultimately, the project will culminate in a paper and poster, which will be submitted to competitions and conferences. Ideally, students should have some prior wet lab or research experience coming in. Research Team presents their year-end project at the BMES Technical Projects Symposium in Spring Quarter.
Ultimately, the project will culminate in a paper and poster, which will be submitted to competitions and conferences. Ideally, students should have some prior wet lab or research experience coming in. Research Team presents their year-end project at the BMES Technical Projects Symposium in Spring Quarter.
2025 - 26 Projects
Hypoxia |
Tumor ConfinemenT
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Project Description
We will utilize gene editing and analysis tools, such as CRISPR/Cas9 mediated KO and PCR, to engineer/model therapeutic cells with enhanced resistance to hypoxic, tumor microenvironments. Unlike liquid-cancers, solid tumor cancers exhibit dense extracellular matrices and abnormal vasculature which inhibit the effectiveness of cell-based immunotherapies, like CAR-T cells. As such, we aim to develop strategies to improve cell survival by generating immunotherapy models, creating custom hypoxia chambers, and 3D culture systems. Additionally, we intend to incorporate bioinformatics tools to construct a gene network through a systematic approach. At the intersection of cancer immunology, bioengineering, and molecular biology, we aspire to produce translational knowledge to improve cancer treatments. Estimated Time Commitment We will have a mandatory weekly group meetings on Mondays, 6 - 7 PM. We will also have up to 3 weekly lab sessions (2-3 hours each), and attending at least 2 is mandatory. |
Project Description
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer in men worldwide. Bone is a common target of metastasized prostate cancer, particularly in the vertebral column, pelvis, ribs, long bones, and skull. Metastasized PCa cells detach from the primary tumor, moving through vasculature and bind to bone marrow found in trabecular bone Trabecular bone is a spongy type of bone containing microstructural struts or trabeculae with porous space that is filled with bone marrow and cells in vivo. Metastasized PCa cells are exposed to a myriad of mechanical stimuli due to tumor growth within a confined space, such as the bone microenvironment, which differs greatly from that of the primary tumor. The trabecular bone matrix can be modeled using microwell arrays to understand how 3D-confinement can impact metastatic proliferation within the bone. Microwell plates will be used to model the bone marrow matrix with pores of varying diameters (300um-500um). To model metastasized PCa tumors, metastatic PCa cell lines will be developed into organoids. Estimated Time Commitment We will have a mandatory weekly group meetings on Mondays, 6 - 7 PM. We will also have up to 3 weekly lab sessions (2-4 hours each), and attending at least 1 is mandatory. |
Previous Projects
2024-25Vertical Divider
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2023-24Vertical Divider
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