Description
- Abstract:
- Our research works to 1)understand protective mechanisms for improving sunscreens through the study of ultra violet light absorbers and 2) develop a novel detection and amplification technique for infection diseases; specifically influenza sub-typing, HIV mutation detection and viral load quantification. Understanding UV protective mechanisms focuses on environmental health and improving disease diagnostics focuses on microbiological global health. Both seek solutions for engineering problems with global health implications. <br/> Sunscreens must be used as preventative point-of-care (POC) treatment and generating new pathways for safer UV protection products will help everyone globally. We investigate the spatial relationship of sunscreen components to better understand improving sunscreens and textiles through positioning of molecules and we use our gained knowledge of absorber/photostabilizer proximity to assess the photostability of sunscreen nanoparticles and sensitive natural dyes doped large concentrations of antioxidants. This research gives new insights to designing safer, photostable sunscreens and textiles. <br/> Developing new diagnostic technology for infectious diseases is critical in both the developed and developing world. HIV is non-discriminatory; however drug resistance mutation monitoring is much more readily available in the developed world. It is of global importance to help those infected with proper diagnosis so that drug resistant strains do not cause a pandemic. Similarly, influenza is a widespread pathogen in the developed world resulting in approximately 36,000 deaths annually in the Unites States and would benefit from better local containment. Our novel method for RNA detection, Simple Method for Amplifying RNA Targets (SMART), is advantageous over conventional methods of detection, particularly the speed of the assay and practicality in POC settings. We give a stepwise approach to understanding SMART and the important design parameters to consider. SMART is used to 1) detect and quantify synthetic samples of HIV-1 K103N within a wild type HIV-1 population and 2) detect clinical samples of influenza subtypes.<br/>
- Notes:
- Thesis (Ph.D. -- Brown University (2013)
Access Conditions
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- In Copyright
- Restrictions on Use
- Collection is open for research.
Citation
Morabito, Kenneth B.,
"Advancing Point-of-Care Applications through Ultraviolet Protective Mechanisms and Disease Diagnostics"
(2013).
Biomedical Engineering Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.7301/Z0RX99F5
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Biomedical Engineering Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations for the Biomedical Engineering department....