Prof. James N Warnock (Dept Chair) - School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Georgia
18th September 2018, Tuesday, 12:00‐1:00 pm, ChE Seminar hall
Prof. James N Warnock
Abstract:-
Introduction
Engineering is going through a period of rapid change. In addition to traditional engineering professions, many more new roles for engineers are emerging, including exciting opportunities in bioengineering and nanotechnology. Some students are also taking the skills they learn in their engineering programs and applying them to non-engineering fields. To meet these challenges, the next generation of engineering graduates must be mentally agile, resilient, collaborative, and willing and able to address societal and ethical problems within a global economy. Engineering programs must have leaders and faculty who are aware of the challenges and opportunities, be able to think strategically, and possess the vision, creativity and open mindedness to meet the demands that will be placed upon them.
The College of Engineering at the University of Georgia was founded in 2012 to provide opportunities for families in Georgia and beyond, increase the economic impact of the University of Georgia, and increase the breadth of scholarship at the university. In only six short years we have achieved many of these goals, growing from approximately 450 engineering majors in 2011 to over 2,200 in 2018, engaging with communities and agencies across the state, our nation, and the world, and significantly increasing the size and breadth of our scholarship. Our undergraduate students are already a more diverse population of students than our peers nationally, and we are making an estimated $200 million impact on the economic development of the state through our teaching, research, and service.
The School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering was established in 2016 and is one of three schools in the College of Engineering. The school is building a vibrant academic environment that fosters engineering education in a liberal arts environment and research that addresses critical societal needs with the goal of attaining an international reputation as a thought leader in the industrialization of biology and biological systems. Faculty have acclaimed expertise in bio-based manufacturing, renewable energy and chemicals, sustainable new materials and next-gen advanced therapeutics and medical devices. The School offers undergraduate and graduate engineering degree programs in biochemical engineering and biological engineering and has grown rapidly in the number of students and faculty in recent years.
Abstract:-
Prof. Hitesh Handa
Nitric Oxide Materials- An Approach To Creating More Biocompatible Medical Device Coatings
Blood/material interaction is critical to the success of implantable medical devices, ranging from simple catheters, stents and grafts, to complex extracorporeal artificial organs which are used in thousands of patients every day. There are two major limiting factors to clinical application of blood contacting materials: 1) platelet activation leading to thrombosis, and 2) infection. Despite a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of blood–surface interactions, and decades of bioengineering research effort, the ideal non-thrombogenic prosthetic surface remains an unsolved problem. One approach to improving the hemocompatibility of blood-contacting devices is to develop materials that release nitric oxide (NO), a known potent inhibitor of platelet adhesion/activation and also an antimicrobial agent. Healthy endothelial cells exhibit a NO flux of 0.5-4x10-10 mol cm-2 min-1, and materials that mimic this NO release are expected to have similar anti-thrombotic properties. The potential of incorporating NO donor molecules such as diazeniumdiolates or S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs) into various polymers, and their hemocompatibility and antibacterial properties in short-term (4 h) and long-term (9 d) animal models will be discussed.
Abstract:-
Prof. Mark A. Eiteman
Nutrient Limited Bioprocesses: Getting Bacteria to Direct Carbon to the Desired Product
Metabolic Engineering is a powerful tool to accumulate biochemical products using microbes such as the model organism Escherichia coli. However, merely knocking out or overexpressing genes in order to alter metabolism does not take full advantage of the production capabilities of bacteria. Indeed, the essential contribution made by bioprocess engineers is the ability to design controlled bioprocesses from a broad understanding of biochemistry, physiology and also process operations.
In this presentation I will highlight results from recent projects involving the accumulation of commodity biochemicals based on nutrient limitation. In particular, I will communicate research on the conversion of glucose into three products: lactate, pyruvate, and citramalate. Each one of these bioprocesses involves metabolic engineering approaches to direct the substrate into a target product, coupled with feeding strategies to limit the availability of a different, key nutrient to the cells. Nutrient limitation typically benefits a process in several ways: 1) it allows control of the microbial growth rate; 2) it allows a principal substrate to be converted into a product at a high rate; and, 3) it allows a principal substrate to be converted into a product at a high yield. These benefits will be discussed in the context of each of these processes.