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Research projects for REU participants include (1) cloning and expression of disease-targeting moieties in the format of antibodies or antibody fragments to improve tissue specificity, (2) engineering precision diagnostics and therapeutics responsive to tissue-specific biochemical cues, and (3) mammalian cell culture-based functional validations of (2). From these research opportunities, the learning outcomes from this project include comprehensive experimental skills ranging from bioinformatics, chemical biology, and molecular engineering. Students will work on a multidisciplinary research group to engage in collaborative research efforts and start building teamwork skills for advanced education. They will also receive training on effective scientific communication through written and oral presentations.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nResearch Goals<\/h3><\/span><\/p>\n
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This project aims to develop a precision-targeted theranostic platform that enhances cancer immunotherapy while enabling real-time, noninvasive monitoring. By integrating tumor microenvironment chemistry, protein engineering, and biosensing strategies, we aim to improve therapeutic efficacy, minimize toxicity, and enable early treatment response assessment, ultimately advancing next-generation theranostics for oncology.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nLearning Goals<\/h3><\/span><\/p>\n
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1. Develop Core Experimental and Analytical Skills<\/span>
\n1.1 Gain hands-on experience in molecular cloning, bioengineering, and precision diagnostic development.<\/span>
\n1.2 Learn high-throughput data analysis techniques, including differential gene expression profiling using publicly available datasets such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and The Human Protein Atlas.<\/span>
\n1.3 Conduct mammalian cell culture-based functional validation of engineered diagnostic and therapeutic tools.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n2. Enhance Multidisciplinary Collaboration and Teamwork
\n2.1 Engage in multidisciplinary research at the intersection of chemical biology, molecular engineering, and biomedical imaging.
\n2.2. Work in a collaborative research environment, fostering teamwork and problem-solving skills essential for advanced education and industry settings.<\/p>\n
3. Strengthen Scientific Communication and Critical Thinking
\n3.1 Develop effective scientific communication skills through written reports, research presentations, and discussions.
\n3.2 Learn to critically evaluate experimental results, troubleshoot research challenges, and propose novel biomedical solutions.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Timeline<\/span><\/h3>\nWeeks 1:<\/strong><\/span> Learning about the project and how to use the relevant equipment in the lab.
\n<\/span>Weeks 2-3:<\/strong><\/span> Design and fabrication of the first liquid film frame, followed by the deployment of film in an aqueous environment. Coupling the optical fiber to the frame.
\n<\/span>Weeks 4-7:<\/strong><\/span> Designing, constructing, and integrating the first thermal elements into the supporting frame, followed by a first proof of concept experiment.
\n<\/span>Week 8-9:<\/strong><\/span> Data acquisition and analysis for different optical, thermal and geometric parameters.
\n<\/span>Weeks 10:<\/strong><\/span> Preparing the final presentation.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mentors Project Description Precision medicine has a transformative impact in managing heterogeneous disorders, including cancer, metabolic, and neurological diseases. At the living interface of precision engineering and health, the Hao laboratory develops molecular and cellular tools to precisely track and control disease biology in intact organisms. The specific research interests include (1) noninvasive disease detection […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19768,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[118],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8198"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19768"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8198"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9847,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8198\/revisions\/9847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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