Advanced Atomic Force Microscopy for BioMaterials Research

Optical microscopy uses the interactions between light and materials to provide images of the microscopic world. It is widely employed in science to study the behavior and properties of microscopic organisms and cells. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a technique for obtaining images of the surfaces of materials at the atomic to micrometer scales. AFM operates by rastering an ultra-sharp needle across a sample surface and recording the height of the needle at each position. While AFM can provide atomic resolution images of the contours (topography) of a surface, it can also perform extremely sensitive measurements of surface mechanical properties. By fabricating custom AFM probes, the mechanical properties of specific locations of living cells can be studied and manipulated. In addition, high-speed imaging of biological materials can provide images of changes to cellular surfaces in response to chemical or electrical signals. This poster will present examples and applications of advanced AFM capabilities for research in biomaterials available in the Boise State University Surface Science Laboratory

Biocompatability of Magnetostrictive Compounds

Bone loss due to chronic illness, trauma, or microgravity environments requires novel countermeasures. Bioreactors such as Low Intensity vibration (LIV) platforms have been shown to encourage mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiation into bone tissue through mechanical strain. These devices can be costly and require meticulous design. Magnetostrictive compounds which utilize magnetic energy to stimulate similar mechanical strain as the devices previously described, could be 3-D printable materials to directly apply strain to the scaffold. However, the biocompatibility or cytotoxic effects of these compounds have not been explored. Here we tested the biocompatibility of magnetostrictive compounds cobalt ferrite and Terfenol-D. Magnetostrictive compounds in 3-D printed scaffolds could provide cost effective wireless methods for bone tissue engineering eliminating the need for other costly devices

Role of Simulated Microgravity on Mechanically-induced Nuclear Shuttling of of YAP/TAZ in Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Bone deterioration in spaceflight is in part driven by reduced functionality of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) that replace and regenerate musculoskeletal tissues by sensing and responding to environmental cues. In MSCs, mechanotransducers YAP and TAZ play critical roles in regulating growth and differentiation. The functionality of YAP/TAZ signaling requires them to shuttle into the nucleus to activate their target genes. Recent work from our group shows that altered gravity conditions in simulated microgravity (sMG) significantly decreased cell proliferation and compromised nuclear structure. This suggests that loss of form in sMG can compromise YAP/TAZ signaling in MSCs. Therefore, our main motivation is to identify the microgravity-mediated alterations in YAP/TAZ levels, compartmentalization and nuclear shuttling in response to mechanical stimuli. Here we hypothesize that sMG will decrease YAP/TAZ shuttling into nucleus in response to low intensity vibration (LIV, 90Hz, 0.7g) and mechanical strain (0.2Hz, 2%). YAP/TAZ compartmentalization will be compared between sMG treated MSCs and non-sMG controls after either acute single session of LIV or strain using cell fractionation and western blot analysis. Findings from this study will be critical for understanding the effects of spaceflight on MSC growth and differentiation via YAP/TAZ signaling

The Effects of 2D and 3D Graphene Bioscaffolds on Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Stem cells differentiation occurs naturally in a 3D environment with cell response linked to structure. It is not clearly defined how stem cells respond to 3D environments. Graphene is a novel and promising material with conductive and thermal capabilities that make it a potential viable bioscaffold for 2D and 3D structures. The osteogenic differentiation capabilities of murine mesenchymal stem cells (mMSC) were tested with and without mechanical stimulation in a variety of environments: glass, graphene film, collagen gel, and graphene foam. Graphene foam has shown to be a biocompatible micro environment that promotes cell proliferation with pore sizes of approximately 300-500 um. This study examines osteogenesis of mMSC’s in osteogenic media in known 2D and 3D environments (glass and collagen gel) against their graphene analogs (film and foam) while comparing the low-intensity vibration (LIV) against a non-vibrated group. Completion of this study will facilitate future studies in testing the efficacy of electrical compared to mechanical stimulus

The Role of Low Intensity Vibrations on MSC Proliferation and Osteogenesis Under Simulated Microgravity

Astronauts in space undergo accelerated bone loss due to weightlessness, causing early onset osteoporosis and increasing fracture risk. While astronauts adhere to long and rigorous exercise regimens, a “more is better” approach to increase daily exercise may prove challenging for long missions (\u3e1yr), necessitating the identification of combinatory therapies that would improve the salutary outcomes of exercise. As an alternative to exercise, low magnitude high frequency (LMHF) mechanical loading is a treatment often used for patients with osteoporosis. Our group has previously demonstrated LMHF vibrations increases the proliferation and osteogenesis of bone making Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). To test the effects of microgravity in MSCs we have built a simulated microgravity (sMG) system. After three days, sMG decreased cell proliferation by 63.5 % (

Water Adaptive Limber Locomotive Effector (WALL-E)

There are many celestial bodies in the Solar System that have the potential for harboring life such as the moons Europa and Enceladus; these worlds hide away vast oceans under thick layers of ice. The potential for these bodies to contain other lifeforms has piqued the interest of organizations on Earth, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as destinations for future missions. Because of the distances and relatively harsh conditions involved, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) would be sent on the initial missions to explore these worlds. The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has developed a remotely-operated Mini-Arm for use on an ROV. This mini arm would be used to explore the oceans of these distant worlds. However, it is in need of an end effector capable of manipulating objects of interest; this was the task of the Boise State University Microgravity Team. During the course of the 2018-2019 school year, the team designed and fabricated WALL-E as a flexible and dexterous solution to subsurface gripping. The design, degrees of freedom, and simple user interface allow the operator to easily manipulate samples of varying dimensions and geometries, akin to those potentially found on the aforementioned ocean worlds