012-Growth of Synechococcus in Varying Nutrient Concentrations

Fossil fuels are the largest contributors to global climate change, accounting for nearly 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions. A green energy solution can be found in autotrophs, which both sequester carbon in their growth and can be made into biodiesel.Chlorella vulgarishas been studied for lipid extraction and production, both of which were made more efficient through means of culturing the algae in different media and by evaluating the biodiesel produced via IR spectroscopies.Synechococcus,a genus of cyanobacteria that grows prolifically in Conesus Lake, may be an even better source of fuel thanC. vulgarisbecause it grows at a rate nearly twice as fast and is known to be a strong carbon sequester. (This species has not yet been specified, but is believed to be of thevulcanococcusspecies.) With increased inputs of Nitrogen and Phosphorus into lakes from agricultural runoff, the growth ofSynechococcuswas tested with added nutrients in BG-11 media.Synechococcusyield will be compared to previous growth studies. Finally, we will compare our results from the added nutrient trials toSynechococcusgrown in other media and algae to determine which produces the most yield, which correlates to more biodiesels

002-Biodiesel Production from Chlorella Vulgaris and Synechococcus

Fossil fuels are the largest contributors to global climate change, accounting for nearly 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions. A green energy solution can be found in autotrophs, which both sequester carbon in their growth and can be made into biodiesel.Chlorella vulgarishas been studied for lipid extraction and production, both of which were made more efficient through means of culturing the algae in different media and by evaluating the biodiesel produced via IR spectroscopies.Synechococcus,a genus of cyanobacteria that grows prolifically in Conesus Lake, may be an even better source of fuel thanC. vulgarisbecause it grows at a rate nearly twice as fast and is known to be a strong carbon sequester. (This species has not yet been specified, but is believed to be of thevulcanococcusspecies.) Growth ofSynechococcuswas observed in a variety of media and it was determined that BG-11 fosters the most prolific growth.Synechococcusphospholipids will be extracted from dead cells and converted into biodiesel using a transesterification process. Finally, we will compare our results fromSynechococcuswith previous studies onC. vulgaristo determine which organism is the better source of biodiesel

SoTL Lab: Undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research in teaching and learning in CSD

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Communication Sciences and Disorders SoTL Lab was designed to provide hands-on research experiences to undergraduate students on a large scale. Student reflections on experiences within the SoTL Lab identify the value of collaboration, development of confidence, and exposure to the entire research process as key outcomes. These experiences foster development of research skills and may lead students to consider academic careers

3D bioprinting – Flow cytometry as analytical strategy for 3D cell structures

The importance of 3D printing technologies increased significantly over the recent years. They are considered to have a huge impact in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, since 3D bioprinting enables the production of cell-laden 3D scaffolds. Transition from academic research to pharmaceutical industry or clinical applications, however, is highly dependent on developing a robust and well-known process, while maintaining critical cell characteristics. Hence, a directed and systematic approach to 3D bioprinting process development is required, which also allows for the monitoring of these cell characteristics. This work presents the development of a flow cytometry-based analytical strategy as a tool for 3D bioprinting research. The development was based on a model process using a commercially available alginate-based bioink, the β-cell line INS-1E, and direct dispensing as 3D bioprinting method. We demonstrated that this set-up enabled viability and proliferation analysis. Additionally, use of an automated sampler facilitated high-throughput screenings. Finally, we showed that each process step, e.g. suspension of cells in bioink or 3D printing, cross-linking of the alginate scaffold after printing, has a crucial impact on INS-1E viability. This reflects the importance of process optimization in 3D bioprinting and the usefulness of the flow cytometry-based analytical strategy described here. The presented strategy has a great potential as a cell characterisation tool for 3D bioprinting and may contribute to a more directed process development