After continually seeing variability in assays using the microfluidic silicon membrane canalicular array (µSiM-CA) and developing a new technique to visualize bacterial division in the µSiM-CA, discussed here, we wanted to improve and stabilize the performance of our assays. Currently,…
Author: Michael Klaczko
He gives his blood to science.
A Move in the Light Direction: Visualizing Staphylococcus aureus Division Across Membranes Within µSiM-CA Devices Using Confocal Microscopy
Recently, several studies on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) have been hindered due to poor performance from assays using the µSiM-Canalicular Array (CA). As discussed here, we attempted to improve assay performance by coating our membranes with fibronectin. This did not…
Posted in NRG
To Bead or not to Bead: Struggling to Detect tRNA Binding to Silica Particles towards Wastewater Genome Extraction
This post describes my second attempt at developing a protocol for viral genome extraction in large volumes of waste water. Like our first attempt, described here, we looked to improve upon the protocol Direct wastewater RNA extraction via the “Milk…
Posted in NRG
Physiological Facade: Fibronectin coating membranes in an attempt to improve the performance of Staphylococcus aureus propagation assays using the µSiM
Parallel with my efforts in the Osteomyelitis project to coat our membranes with polyurethane acrylate, I began working with the Gill lab on improving the performance of our uSiM platform as a propagation assay for Staphylococcus aureus. In the past…
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Flabbergrassted: Persistent Surface Roughness in Polyurethane Acrylate Etches
Since I discovered a dilution of polyurethane acrylate (PUA) which coats well (described here), I have restarted my efforts towards etching the PUA. Described below are my most recent attempts towards creating a PUA coating with a smooth surface with…
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Does the Shoe Fit? Re-evaluating and Re-discovering an Amenable PUA Solution
Since we last discovered our polyurethane acrylate (PUA) has a shelf life (described here) and received a new solution of PUA, we have been trying to replicate the results that we had before. Unfortunately, we have realized that this is…
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The Enemy Within: Optimizing an OLCN PUA Coated Microporous Membrane Mimetic and Exposing an Unlikely Saboteur
The battle for soft membrane coatings wages on as we continue to optimize polyurethane acrylate (PUA) coatings for our osteomyelitis project, whose background is described here and here and initial progress is described here. Since our last update, we have…
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Aliens, Voodoo, or Magic? How does DNA Extraction via Silica Adsorption Actually Work?
The first DNA extraction was done over 150 years ago in 18691. Since then, the process has been refined and expanded to include multiple physical and or chemical methods. For the waste water epidemiology project (described here), we will be…
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Who’s Your Cabby? Analyzing the Roles of Haptotaxis and Durotaxis on Staphylococcus Aureus Invasion of the Osteocyte Lacuna-Canicular Network
As discussed in a previous post of mine, I am currently working on a project to develop an in vitro mimetic of the osteocyte lacuna-canicular network (OLCN) to improve the ability to predict Staphylococcus Aureus invasion and colonization of the…
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No Time To Waste: Developing a Faster Method for Viral Genome Extraction from Waste Water Samples
The premise of this project is built around the ideas that our membranes can: Be used as concentrators for very dilute targets Catch and hold particles for further processing on the membrane Here, we wish to test these ideas for…
Posted in NRG
