BATS

Date/Time:

Oct 15, 2021 - 12:00 PM

Location:

32-155, Hybrid

Hosts:

Bevin Engelward

Speaker:

Title:

Engineering In Vitro Models for Investigating Endometriotic Lesion Vascularization

Abstract:

Lesion vascularization via angiogenesis is a critical early step in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, a debilitating disease that affects one in ten women. However, few tools and physiologically relevant models exist to probe how lesion vascularization occurs in situ. In this research, we present our development of a microfluidic platform that enables integration of patient-derived endometrial cells with 3D perfusable microvasculature, advancing our ability to elucidate the mechanisms and function of vascularization in disease progression.

Speaker:

Title:

Upcycling Plastic Waste with Acinetobacter baylyi

Abstract:

The increasing accumulation of plastic waste today has yet to be remedied by advances in recycling technology. In fact, only 9% of plastics have ever been recycled, and an even fewer percentage have been recycled back to a product of the same value. Here, we present a process to “upcycle” polyethylene waste into a higher value food product by first depolymerizing polyethylene into dicarboxylic acid monomers and then by expressing a food supplement from the non-model host Acinetobacter baylyi, which can utilize these monomers as a carbon source.