Building Scalable Communities from International Knowledge Networks

Small organizations frequently implement knowledge networks where people use their personal uncoordinated connections to transfer information. Although small knowledge networks may be very effective, they often experience problems as they grow. One way organizations can counteract this is by developing communities of practice. Cycling Without Age (CWA) is an organization that faces issues with knowledge sharing due to a rapidly expanding network. The goal of this project was to help CWA develop a community of practice that allows for more effective knowledge transfer. We investigated CWA’s knowledge network structure and analyzed their social learning group behavior in order to develop a governance structure around the network and implement a new platform

Perfused Tumor-Tissue Model for ​In Vitro ​Invasion Analysis

Cancer is the 9th leading cause of death globally. Cancer is challenging to treat due to metastasis, which starts as tumor cell invasion from the primary tumor into the surrounding tissue. There is an increased need for physiologically relevant models of tumor cell invasion to improve understanding of cancer progression. This project constructed a perfusion bioreactor that supported an in vitro model of cell invasion that can be imaged and evaluated using light microscopy. This design incorporated a syringe pump connected to three individual well units that could be perfused simultaneously. The bioreactor was tested for proof of concept using materials and flow rates representative of the tumor microenvironment, and a MATLAB® program was developed to analyze cell images