Project Description
We have shown that very weak RF and magnetic fields can both increase and decrease the growth rates of HT1080 fibrosarcoma cancer cells and bacteria. These experiments are coupled with measurements of the changes in reactive oxygen species, ROS and other signaling molecules. Currently the measurements of the molecules hydrogen peroxide, calcium etc. are made using florescent dyes in a plate reader at the end of three or four days. We would like to make these measurements in real time while the cells are growing in the incubator. We propose to build an optic transmission line that will let us supply an input optical signal in the blue or green and extract a florescent signal from the dyes to input to the plate reader. This will let us read the florescent emission from the dyes from a small number of cells in real time. The student will learn some optics, chemistry and biology and other lab skills in handling cells and bacteria.
Special Requirements
Some background in optics, electromagnetics and electronics is desirable as well as an interest in biology and applications of electromagnetic fields to medical problems.
Contact
- Frank Barnes (faculty)
- Mark Hernandez (faculty)
- Hakki Gurhan (graduate student)