/news-archive/tag/center-for-advanced-surface-engineering/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Wed, 12 Jun 2019 12:58:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2019/06/12/ua-little-rock-student-wins-awards-for-research-into-treatment-of-pancreatic-cancer-using-nanomedicine/ Wed, 12 Jun 2019 12:58:48 +0000 /news/?p=74528 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student wins awards for research into treatment of pancreatic cancer using nanomedicine]]> A University of Arkansas at Little Rock doctoral student is receiving accolades for her research studying 3D models for the treatment of pancreatic cancer using nanomedicine.聽 Emilie Darrigues, a doctoral student in applied science-chemistry, studies how plasmonic nanoparticles, some designed to deliver medicine targeting cancer cells, interact with cell cultures in a 3D model through her work as a graduate research assistant in the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences. Since the center receives funding through the Arkansas EPSCoR program, the center鈥檚 researchers participated in the Center for Advanced Surface Engineering (CASE) conference, where Darrigues received the first place award in the graduate student poster competition. In addition to the award, Darrigues received a $1,500 travel grant to attend the national EPSCoR conference in South Carolina in October. The Arkansas National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR program is a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary, statewide grant program leveraging $24 million over five years to expand research, workforce development, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational outreach in Arkansas. The Center for Advanced Surface Engineering (CASE), is designed to strengthen research in Arkansas with national significance and major economic development. Darrigues received bachelor鈥檚 degrees in chemistry and rheology/functional materials in France, followed by four years of industrial work in research and development and lean manufacturing. While pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in engineering in France, Darrigues interned at the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences in summer 2013. She was so impressed with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock that she knew she wanted to pursue a doctoral degree here, which she began in 2015. 鈥淵ou have very skilled people here with a lot of knowledge,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have a lot of support that allows me to build a very good research project, but I can also be very independent. I was very happy to discover that with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. I am very lucky to work at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and the nanotechnology center, and I was lucky to find a mentor like Dr. Alexandru Biris (director of the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences). He trains us to be researchers, not just Ph.D. students.鈥� Darrigues also presented her research project, 鈥淚nteraction of Drug pH-Responsive Gold Nanorods in 鈥楤ig鈥� 3D Pancreatic Microtumors Using Fluorescence, Photoacoustic and Photothermal Microscopies,鈥� at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Research and Creative Works Expo on April 18. She received first place in the graduate life sciences category. Darrigues plans to graduate in May 2020. Afterward, she plans to find a postdoctoral research position where she can continue her research using nanoparticles to treat cancer. She is inspired to improve treatment for pancreatic cancer since the disease has low survival rates. According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is considered largely incurable with a five-year survival rate of just 5 percent. 鈥淭he goal of 3D models, spheroids, or organoids mimicking the human body or real cancer tumors is really to try to have an additional ex-vivo step before we go to in-vivo; 3D might support 鈥榩recision medicine鈥� or personalized therapy,”聽Darrigues said. “Our next job will be focused on the functionalization of the nanoparticle to increase its interaction with the 3D cancer system in order to optimize our therapeutic approach to treat efficiently the pancreatic cancer cells.鈥�]]> /news-archive/2018/10/23/nanomaterials-research/ Tue, 23 Oct 2018 18:41:41 +0000 /news/?p=72434 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock researcher receives nearly $50,000 to study effects of nanomaterials on immune systems]]> Dr. Kieng Bao Vang-Dings, research assistant professor at the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, received $49,509 from the Center for Advanced Surface Engineering to study the effects of tunable nanosystems on the human immune system. This study will help scientists understand the immune system鈥檚 response to nanosystems – 聽important knowledge as nanosystems are increasingly used in both medical interventions and everyday products. Tunable nanosystems are tiny materials (measured between 1 to 100 nanometers) that can be manipulated for use in various science and engineering applications, including cancer treatments, regenerative medicine, and neural stem cell differentiation. With this growing prevalence in mind, Vang-Dings will study how one commonly used nanosystem, gold nanoparticles coated with silver, interacts with the immune system. 鈥淭he immune system is the body鈥檚 primary defense against pathogenic microorganisms,鈥� Vang-Dings said. 鈥淚f tunable nanosystems are to be used in biomedical applications, we must fully understand how they can influence the immune system.鈥� Vang-Dings will collaborate with Dr. Alexandru Biris, director and chief scientist of the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. The research team will use surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to monitor the nanomaterials鈥� interaction with primary immune cells for seven days. The team will then assess any surface protein or cytokine changes caused by treatment with the nanosystem. The project was awarded through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission鈥檚 seed grant program, which supports Arkansas researchers in higher education who focus on creating nanomaterials that are useful for various science and engineering applications. Vang-Dings joined 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2015. She received a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology from the University of Minnesota in 2002 and a doctorate in microbiology, immunology, and cancer from the University of Minnesota in 2010. This project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation under award number 1457888. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Contributing Editor Lydia Perry / Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Photo by Benjamin Krain]]>