SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM UNDERGRADUATE ABSTRACTS - THIRTEENTH ANNUAL 2 019
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CONTENTS 2019 SUMMER RESEARCH Center for Urban Science Junyi Sha ........................................................ 28 Anthony Chua .............................................. 28 Mechanical Engineering NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s Undergraduate and Progress Martin Arbuzov...........................................47 Chinedu Odibeli .......................................... 29 Summer Research Program provides a unique opportunity Yitao Li ............................................................. 3 Anu Raghunathan ....................................47 Savannah Sookchan .................................. 29 for undergraduate students to engage in research over the Marija Trifkovic.............................................. 4 Jeffrey Sun ................................................. 48 AhRam Cho ................................................... 30 Oorja Majgaonkar ....................................... 5 Mariam Elgamal ........................................ 48 course of the summer term. This program offers students Ankit Sharma ................................................ 30 Wangyue (Angie) Zhao ........................... 5 Nishant Aswani ......................................... 49 far more than the traditional classroom experience; it allows Ruhana Amin ................................................ 31 Michael Linares ......................................... 49 them to work alongside faculty mentors and research Chemical and Biomolecular Ziwei (Ava) Zheng ...................................... 31 Ayden Wang .............................................. 50 staff as well as PhD and masters students on cutting-edge Engineering Sampanna Bhattarai ................................51 Computer Science research projects. In addition to the work they do in labs, Allie Karakosta ............................................. 6 Duke Truong ................................................51 and Engineering students attend seminars focused on both academic and Asma Khursheed ........................................ 6 Ziyan An ........................................................52 Charles Chan ................................................. 32 career development. They participate in a poster session in Mrinalini Singh .............................................. 7 Boris Arbuzov ............................................52 Kevin Chen ..................................................... 32 collaboration with the NYU CAS Department of Chemistry’s Dingyi Yang.................................................... 8 Amrutha Ajjarapu .....................................53 Sicong Liu ...................................................... 33 MRSEC Program, in which they present their work to other Ali Hasan ......................................................... 8 Sam Richmond...........................................54 Kristel Fung ................................................... 33 Hyunjoo Kim.................................................. 9 James Marbaix ...........................................55 members of the research cohorts, faculty, staff, peers, and Yuxiang Chai ................................................. 34 Yanmeng Liu ................................................. 9 Peerayos Pongsachai .............................55 other outside attendees. Throughout the program, students Simon Oh ........................................................ 35 Si Yun Park ..................................................... 10 Jeremy Kupupika .....................................56 get to interact with numerous people of different levels from Nhi Pham Le Yen ......................................... 35 Chase Rosenberg ....................................... 11 Marc Sorrentino .........................................57 various areas and fields of study both within and outside of Khaing Su Yin................................................ 35 Tahany Moosa .............................................. 11 Andy Garcia ...............................................57 NYU, promoting an educational experience that advances Tandon’s i2e model of invention, innovation and Karen Zhou..................................................... 35 Azan Brar ....................................................... 12 Vrishin Soman ...........................................58 Weileen Chen ............................................... 36 entrepreneurship. Undergraduate students are afforded the opportunity to conduct this research during a Dylan Aljovic ................................................. 12 Ishtiaque Mahdi..........................................58 Junhan Xu ...................................................... 36 10-week period, aiming to enhance and broaden their knowledge base by applying classroom learning to Andrea Quispe.............................................. 13 Vienna Zhang ............................................... 36 Mechatronics and Robotics solve practical and contemporary problems and to better prepare them for lifelong learning. Rhea-Donna Reyes .................................... 13 Sofiia Barysheva ......................................... 37 Jack Spiegler ..............................................59 Neha Vasudevan ......................................... 14 Selina Zhang ................................................. 37 Tandon’s faculty participation in this program is essential, as is the financial support provided by faculty Jay Kang ......................................................... 14 Technology, Culture and Society mentors and the Tandon School of Engineering. The gifts from several alumni donors have also propelled Bonnie Lin ...................................................... 15 Electrical and Computer Vi Dang ............................................................ 16 Gabriela Avila ............................................ 60 the program’s success. This year marked the 8th year of the Thompson Bartlett Fellowship, in which 10 Engineering Thomas (Sam) Granade ....................... 60 of this summer’s female researchers were graciously supported by Mrs. Dede Bartlett whose father, Mr. Katheryn Kornegay ................................... 16 Thy-Lan Nguyen Gale ............................... 38 Paolla Bruno Dutra ....................................61 William Clarke............................................... 17 George Juul Thompson, was a graduate of the Electrical Engineering program at the Polytechnic Institute Youssef Azzam ............................................ 39 Crystal Chen ................................................61 Christopher Oyuela ................................... 17 of Brooklyn in 1930. Donors’ gifts allow us to engage more student researchers, faculty mentors, and Yash Agarwal ................................................ 39 Cartomou Feseru .....................................62 Alula Haile ...................................................... 18 further strengthen this truly unique summer experience. 2019 marked the 2nd year in which students were Chunxiao Wang ........................................... 40 Haoran Wen ................................................62 Scott Lee ........................................................ 18 given the opportunities to explore the entrepreneurial world of startups by working in the Tandon Future Ariana Cai ....................................................... 40 Ariana Bennett...........................................63 Alekhya Vutukuri ........................................ 19 Shashank Gupta .......................................... 41 Brandon LeMay .........................................63 Labs with partial support of the institute for Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, the IIIE@Tandon, Hanlu Xia ......................................................... 19 Simay Yazicioglu ......................................... 41 Sarah Yetman .............................................63 sponsored by Dr. Kurt Becker. Farida Shaban............................................... 20 Munib Mesinovic ......................................... 42 Michael Zachor ......................................... 64 Navkawal Mattu ........................................... 20 Nurpeiis Baimukan ..................................... 42 Nicole Zhao ................................................ 64 A special thanks also goes to Nicole Johnson, Assistant Dean for Opportunity Programs, who volunteered Fariha Mahjabin............................................ 21 Pooja Patel ...................................................65 her time to mentor the TB Fellows, providing them with additional programming and engagement Zhengxing Wu ............................................. 21 Institute of Innovation, Greta Solomon............................................65 throughout the summer. She remains in contact with these students over time and often brings them Invention, & Entrepreneurship Civil and Urban Engineering Alexander Wing ........................................66 back to engage with younger Fellows. I would also like to acknowledge Sara-Lee Ramsawak, Director Michael Kochera .......................................... 43 Sara Alanis ..................................................... 22 Emily Zhu.......................................................66 of Undergraduate Academics & Global Programs, who has coordinated the Undergraduate Summer Matthew Shen .............................................. 22 Mathematics Research Program and ensured that the program’s daily operations run seamlessly since 2013. Jen Piro, Technology Management Ting Luo........................................................... 23 Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs, joined in on the coordination efforts for the first time Tianyi Zhang ................................................. 44 and Innovation Songyu Du...................................................... 23 Joey Cain ........................................................ 45 this year and assisted with all of the programs enhancements and developments. She also coordinated Shawn Olichwier ......................................... 24 Faisal Karim .................................................67 Jiajie Wu ......................................................... 45 all of this summer’s participant placements. Andrew Hu ..................................................... 24 Dan Shafman ..............................................67 Keyan Zhang.................................................. 45 Eric Gan ........................................................... 25 Summer 2019 marked the 13th year of the program. Since its inception, over 900 students have Yuying Chen .................................................. 46 Undergraduate and Graduate Anel Orazgaliyeva ...................................... 25 Saranath Kannan ........................................ 46 Academics participated, and a large number of faculty members from a variety of departments have contributed. Weiyao Xie ..................................................... 25 Tianyi Zhang ................................................. 46 Alan Lu ...........................................................68 The abstracts published in this year’s volume are representative of the research done over the summer Thomas Wang .............................................. 26 Lujie Zhao ....................................................... 26 Nicole Rebatta ...........................................68 and celebrates the accomplishments of the undergraduate researchers. Congratulations to all of the student researchers who participated in the 2019 Undergraduate Summer Research Program. I look Eli Zhu .............................................................. 26 Eliot Brown..................................................... 27 forward to future summers of more intellectual and scholarly activities. Martin Buceta Bertini ................................ 27 Peter Voltz Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Academics B
FACULTY, OTHER MENTORS, CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE AND RESEARCH STAFF AND PROGRESS FACULTY MENTORS OTHER MENTORS AND Improved Iterative Closest Point Algorithm for Center for Mathematics RESEARCH STAFF Registration of Dense Urban Laser Scanning Point Cloud Urban Science Luciano Medina Center for Santiago Torres Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is an effective means to generate accurate, high- and Progress Steven Armanios Urban Science resolution, three dimensional (3D) models of the urban environment. To capture Mechanical Minhazur Bhuyian Debra Laefer and Progress a 3D scene, a TLS scanner must be deployed at multiple stations around the Engineering Yunjie Hu Vu Vo Anh object of interest. Multiple scans are needed since data captured at each station Chemical and Nicholas DiZinno Jun Yuan Brittney O’Neill is often incomplete due to occlusion. The 3D data derived from the separate Biomolecular Nikhil Gupta Joo H. Kim Electrical stations are aligned and combined together to create a complete model of the Engineering Chemical and Dzung Luong and Computer scene through a process called registration. Amongst many existing solutions, Stephen Arnold Biomolecular Engineering Iterative Closest Point (ICP) is one of the most commonly adopted point- Maruizio Porfiri Weiqiang Chen Engineering based registration algorithms. This iterative descent algorithm performs fast, Samrat Acharya Bruce Garetz Mechatronics Chao Ma Fraida Fund fine registration of two overlapping point clouds given that the datasets to be Ryan L. Hartman Linru Xu and Robotics Mustafa Ozkoc registered have a good priori manual alignment already. Thus, this project aims Jin Ryoun Kim Apratim Bajpai Vikram Kapila Zhipeng Fan to further automate ICP-based point cloud registrations by performing a coarse Rastislav Levicky Jie Tong Mei Fu Miguel Modestino registration step prior to the fine ICP registration. The coarse registration is based Technology, Omar Gowayed Devansh Bisla YITAO LI Jin Kim Montclare Yukun Liu on several abstract representations of the complex point cloud, including the Culture and André Taylor Filip Popovic Institute of BS Sustainable Urban surface normal vector distribution and the coordinate histograms of the data. The Ayaskanta Sahu Society Environments 2021 Edward Chau Innovation, Invention, algorithm is developed based on analyses of multiple real TLS datasets collected Alexandra Seidenstein Jonathan Bain Christian Brothers High School Yanxi Yang & Entrepreneurship Memphis, Tennessee, USA around Washington Square and several subway stations in New York City. R. Luke DuBois Vladislav Frenkel Civil and Urban Amy Hurst Yefim Kelmanskiy Faculty Yuxiang Gao Debra Laefer Engineering Kathleen McDermott Daniela Blanco Igor Lev Joseph Chow Beth Noveck Other Mentor(s) Daniel Frey Mechanical Vu Vo Anh Chen Feng Technology Adlai Katzenberg Engineering Li Jin Jaemin Kong NYU Tandon School of Engineering Andrea Silverman Management Kubra Akbas Jason Lipton Cassandra Thiel and Innovation Jordan Birnbaum Priya Katyal Oded Nov Daniel Alberto Kamia Punia Burbano Lombana Computer Undergraduate Jason Rohr William Peng Science and and Graduate Haripriya Kannan Hyun Seok Shin Engineering Ingrid Paredes Academics Roni Barak Ventura Win Burleson Michael Scimeca Xianbo Xu Eugene Callahan Yona Jean-Pierre Steven Farrell Chiara Spinello Justin Cappos Mersal Khwaja Matthieu Nadini Fred Strauss Peng Zhang Torsten Suel Civil and Urban Mert Karakaya Enrico Bertini Engineering Giovani Polverino Brian He Alain Boldini Electrical Mina Lee and Computer Gyugeun Yoon Technology, Engineering Ruoyu Wang Culture and Yury Dvorkin Siyuan Xiang Society Farshad Khorrami Xuchu Xu Tega Brain Shivendra Panwar Xi Xong Fred DeJohn Yao Wang Mwale Chiyenge Anna Choromanska Fiona Dunn Technology Quanyan Zhu Mwanarusi Mwatondo Management Institute of and Innovation Computer Science Innovation, Invention, Mark Cartwright and Engineering Graham Dove & Entrepreneurship Gustavo Almeida Kurt Becker Gustavo de Oliveira Undergraduate Preston Moore and Graduate Robert Ohale Academics Jeremy Rowe Professor Nick DiZinno Ryan Rozbiani Assistant Dean Melinda Parham 3
Graphical User Interface Design for Retrieving Statistical Distribution of Large-Scale Aerial and Viewing Massive Remote Sensing Data Sets Laser Scanning Data Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is a method which uses light pulses Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) remote sensing data are instrumental in to obtain a digital representation of an object, location, or region. Laser a wide range of urban mapping, planning, engagement activities. The current beams emitted from a source are reflected off the targeted surface. The generation of equipment allows multi-pass data sets of 100s of points per coordinates of the points of reflection are determined by a combination square meter generating unprecedented densities and quality. Computing the of the scanner’s position and the return characteristics of the laser beam. statistical distribution of such datasets is a convenient way to gain preliminary Data sets gathered from this technique contain billions of points making understanding of the data and perform a basic quality assurance, as well as their storage, processing, and visualization highly demanding. providing insights for future data storage and post-processing strategies. While manual analysis is easy to perform to derive statistical distributions and Retrieving and visualizing large LiDAR data sets are challenging. Strategies related insights, such approaches are highly limited in their scalability. have been undertaken including gridding and subsequently tiling the data to make it more manageable. However, such strategies introduce In this work, algorithms are devised and implemented to determine discontinuities and/or redundancies at tile boundaries and become the relevant statistics and histograms. The approach is applied to problematic when features beyond the data of a single tile are sought. increasingly larger groups of data determine the scalability barriers with MARIJA TRIFKOVIC To overcome such difficulties, this project focuses on developing a Graphical OORJA MAJGAONKAR respect to time and memory bottlenecks. These insights are then used BS Computer Science 2022 to develop a distributed computing solution based on MapReduce. User Interface (GUI) for LiDAR data retrieval and visualization. The GUI is an BS Computer Science 2021 Mathematical Grammar School American International School Belgrade, Serbia access gateway to a distributed spatio-temporal database system Ariadne in Abu Dhabi 3D. The particular functionality being developed will support selection of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Faculty Debra Laefer a projected two-dimensional region and visualization of all data in three Faculty dimensions, for the selected area. The goal is an efficient GUI for retrieving Debra Laefer Other Mentor(s) Vu Vo Anh and visualizing LiDAR data which avoids processing irrelevant points. Other Mentor(s) NYU Tandon School of Engineering Vu Vo Anh NYU Abu Dhabi Autonomous Occlusion Detection in LiDAR Data Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is a remote sensing method to collect highly accurate and precise shape data of an object or a surface. LiDAR is used to detect different landscapes or project sites. The data can be collected by aerial sensors mounted on planes or helicopters so that a large area can be covered efficiently from a high elevation. They can also be collected by terrestrial scanners based on the ground or mobile platforms. A common form of LiDAR emits a laser beam towards a surface of interest and measures the time for the reflections to come back to the sensor. However, water reflections, glass refractions, and low albedo surfaces results in laser pulses either being absorbed or reflected in an incorrect position. These missing laser pulse returns can lead to void regions in LiDAR data. The goal of this project is to generate an algorithm that can automatically extract the outline of occlusions caused by water bodies, including rivers, WANGYUE (ANGIE) ZHAO pounds, and roof top puddles. The output generated by this algorithm can be used to help with rooftop maintenance and city maintenance. BS Computer Science 2022 Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy La Cañada Flintridge, California, USA Faculty Debra Laefer Other Mentor(s) Vu Vo Anh NYU Tandon School of Engineering 4 5
CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING Engineering Personalized CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy Spatial Signaling and Mechanical Sensing facilitates Through Leukemia-On-A-Chip Sweat Gland Development B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most common cancer in Sweat glands play an important role in body temperature regulation. Congenital childhood and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children. Adoptive diseases like Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and injuries like major skin CD19 CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) T-cell transfer has emerged as a successful burns, result in damaged sweat glands. Inadequate thermoregulation can lead FDA-approved therapy for B-ALL patients. Despite this, the durability of patient to high body temperature that may also result in death. Currently, we do not remission remains unpredictable largely due to CAR T-cell immunological resistance have any treatments available to repair damaged sweat glands. Our aim is to and insufficient target engraftment from the dynamic, immunosuppressive and understand the underlying mechanisms of sweat gland development and establish protective leukemic bone marrow (BM) niche/microenvironment. Herein, we a reliable ex-vivo regeneration system using bioengineering technologies. engineered a three-dimensional microfluidics-based, “biometric” niche model The structure of a sweat gland consists of a duct that forms in the skin’s (termed “Leukemia-On-A-Chip”) that contains key immune populations and epidermis and grows inwards into the dermis where it differentiates into the essential tumor-immune-stroma intercellular communications. This “Leukemia- coil. Using skin samples from mice footpads, we observed sweat glands at On-A-Chip” platform allows visualization between the interactions of B-ALL different developmental stages and identified that the skin’s varying stiffness leukemia blasts with the bone marrow microenvironments ex vivo. Preliminary environments can impact sweat gland formation by altering its dermal thickness. investigations are necessary before in-depth analysis of the microdevice. ALLIE KARAKOSTA MRINALINI SINGH It was found that the thickness of the dermis decreases with increasing stiffness. Therefore, we have deeply studied the relationship between the genetic-specified BS Chemical and Biomolecular BS Biomolecular Science 2021 The duct of the sweat gland grows longer in stiffer substrates while the coil only B-ALL subtypes and immunophenotype of tumor-associated macrophages, Engineering, MS Chemical Jnanodaya PU College grows in softer substrates. Using this information, we are studying the effect of Engineering 2021 which could be further interrogated to elucidate the immunosuppressive cues Mysuru, India different gene signalling pathways on sweat glands. Taken together, our research Glenbrook South High School in regulating CART-cell therapy. We believe this leukemic BM niche model can Glenview, Illinois, USA Faculty integrates mechanical and biological perspectives of sweat gland formation. be applied to optimize and screen efficient CAR T-cell therapy, which will finally Weiqiang Chen Faculty improve disease-free long-term survival in pediatric and adult B-ALL patient. Weiqiang Chen Other Mentor Jie Tong Other Mentor(s) Chao Ma NYU Tandon School of Engineering NYU Tandon School of Engineering *Honors Fellow Smart Fingerprint: Optical Imaging of Latent Fingerprints through the Detection of Glucose in Human Perspiration Fingerprints consist of patterns of ridges and furrows that is an inverse of the pattern on the fingertip. Fingerprints also consist of natural secretions from the pores in the skin. Using the glucose secreted in the human perspiration a fingerprint pattern can be optically visualized. Moreover, a correlation between the blood glucose levels and the amount of glucose in the secretions from the pores of skin also exists indicating blood glucose levels can be deduced from a fingerprint. Using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gel on a glass substrate as a chip, a pattern of silver nanoplates was created. When incident light was shone onto them, the conduction band electrons oscillated to give a characteristic initial light intensity detected by the camera. When a sample solution containing glucose was loaded onto the channel on the jell, along with the enzyme glucose oxidase a spike ASMA KHURSHEED was observed in the light intensity. Current research is looking for a correlation BS Computer Science 2021 between the glucose concentration and the change in light intensity to detect Faculty different amounts of glucose in the perspiration and hence in the blood. Weiqiang Chen Other Mentor(s) Linru Xu NYU Tandon School of Engineering 6 7
Crystal alignment during laser-induced nucleation Inhibition of amyloid aggregation of supersaturated solutions using pulsed lasers Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most widespread neurodegenerative Nucleation is the initial step of the formation of a new thermodynamic phase, disease, affecting a significant portion of the world’s population over age, where and has significant economic value. It is often used to produce high-value solid the combined cost of PD is estimated to be nearly $25 billion per year in the United materials, such as laser crystals and pharmaceuticals. Common methods for States alone. The aggregation of a-Synuclein (aS), a 140 residues protein naturally inducing nucleation involves applying external perturbations, such as ultrasound found inside of neurons, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of PD. aS is a primary and mechanical shock. Non-photochemical laser-induced nucleation (NPLIN) component of abnormal neuronal aggregates called Lewy bodies, which are the is a relatively unexplored technique which allows the nucleation process takes hallmarks of PD. As an amyloidogenic protein, aS monomers aggregate to form toxic place at a specific time and location as well as at a much faster rate. Such high soluble oligomers that further develop into fibrils that are rich in b-sheet structure. speed control might lead to a refreshing prospective of crystallization in various There have been many studies on the effect of metal ions on neurodegenerative industries, and more characteristics of this phenomenon are yet to be examined. diseases, primarily focused on their role for redox cycling and initiating oxidation The goal of this project is to explore the alignment of the urea crystal during non- stress. Metal ions, such as Cu2+, act as mediators of neurotoxicity and provide photochemical laser-induced nucleation. Urea is a needle-shaped crystal, which a suitable pharmacological target for the treatment of neurodegenerative is ideal for studying the crystal alignment as it well illustrate its orientation. diseases. In this study, the effect of Cu2+ and resveratrol and AM17 on aS DINGYI YANG The backbone assumption of the project is that during NPLIN the HYUNJOO KIM aggregation has been characterized using Thioflavin T fluorescence, TEM, orientation of the initial crystallite that nucleates is directly related to the native-PAGE, SDS-PAGE and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Resveratrol is BS Chemical & Biomolecular BS Chemical & Biomolecular Science 2021 polarization of the laser. The process of nucleation would be recorded Engineering 2020 a chemical compound naturally found in berries and grapes, and AM17, is an Shenzhen Middle School and the image of the initial crystallite would be analyzed to study the Paul VI Catholic High School ionophoric derivative of resveratrol. Reservatrol is known to act as an anti- Shenzhen, China Fairfax, Virginia, USA correlation between the crystal alignment and laser polarization. amyloidogenic and fibril-destabilizing polyphenol and its derivative, AM17, Faculty Faculty is hypothesized to interact with Cu2+ to enhance this inhibitory effect. Bruce Garetz Jin Ryoun Kim Other Mentor(s) NYU Tandon School of Engineering Omar Gowayed NYU Tandon School of Engineering Catalyzing Suzuki-Miyaura Reactions Using Amyloid Aggregation Cyclodextrin Supported Palladium Complex Many globular proteins are structurally well-ordered and functionally essential to This project aims to evaluate the performance of a cyclodextrin-supported many biological processes such as enzymatic activities, transportation of materials palladium complex (DACH-Pd-β-CD) in catalyzing Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling as well as other uses. Unlike intrinsically disordered proteins such as α-Synuclein reactions in a continuous-flow micro-reactor. A Suzuki-Miyaura reaction uses a and β-Amyloid which are natively-unfolded with their amyloidogenic sequences palladium catalyst to combine organohalides and boronic acids. Using DACH- being relatively more exposed, the hydrophobic and potentially amyloidogenic Pd-β-CD to catalyze these reactions is desirable since it uses environmentally sequences of globular proteins tend to be buried inside as a result of protein folding. friendly solvents, can be reused multiple times, produces excellent yields, and Through an amyloid aggregation prediction algorithm, TANGO, we surveyed has low catalyst loading. All of these qualities show its potential applications various globular proteins for their amyloid aggregation potential, which was also in green chemical synthesis. Previous research has shown that DACH-Pd- experimentally examined. A functional activity of a selected globular protein and β-CD is extremely effective at catalyzing Suzuki reactions in batch systems. its amyloid aggregation propensity under native conditions were examined. This project evaluates its performance in a continuous-flow system. ALI HASAN YANMENG LIU BS Chemical & Biomolecular Science BS Chemical & Biomolecular 2020 Engineering 2021 Middletown High School Chongqing Foreign Language School Middletown, New York, USA Chongqing, China Faculty Faculty Ryan L. Hartman Jin Ryoun Kim Other Mentor(s) Other Mentor(s) Yukun Liu Edward Chau Filip Popovic Yanxi Yang NYU Tandon School of Engineering NYU Tandon School of Engineering *Honors Fellow 8 9
Plasmonic-based Microfluidic Biosensor for Immune Cell Phenotyping During the progression of immune-related diseases, rapid and precise monitoring of the state of the immune system has a crucial role in personalizing a patient’s treatment protocol. By tracking the secretion of cytokines, small proteins secreted by specific cells in the immune system, from frequently sampled human blood, the course of a disease can be monitored. The current gold standard in immunoassay technology is the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or ELISA, which is a plate-based immunoassay that measures the quantity of a specified antigen in a sample. However, ELISA relies on fluorescent labeling, large sample volumes, long-term sample incubation, and time-consuming manipulation processes that make real-time, multiplexed cytokine measurements impossible. Given ELISA’s limitations, immune monitoring for clinical decision-making is made impractical. In recent years, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)- based microfluidic biosensing has gained popularity as a promising approach CHASE ROSENBERG for the real-time refractometric detection of binding events between an antigen BS Chemical & Biomolecular and antibody. LSPR offers a label-free solution to the multiplexed analysis of Engineering 2021 Lenape Valley Regional High School cytokine concentration and even offers potential for sensor miniaturization. Stanhope, New Jersey, USA This project focuses on the development of a highly-sensitive LSPR-based Faculty biosensing interface that, when integrated with a high-throughput microfluidic Weiqiang Chen platform, can measure the concentrations of secreted cytokines in real-time. Other Mentor(s) Linru Xu NYU Tandon School of Engineering *Honors Fellow Unravelling Immune Cell Mechanobiology Nucleation of glycyl-glycine dipeptide through Force Measurement using optical tweezers Macrophages are essential to the immune system and perform various defensive Optical tweezing is a method that uses laser trapping due to radiation pressure functions in the body such as phagocytosis of bacteria, and are crucial to generated by a tightly focused laser beam. It is a useful method of trapping and inflammation and healing. These macrophages present themselves in different manipulating micrometer and nanometer sized particles in solution without phenotypes which arise from the differentiation of macrophages through mechanical contact. Previous research using the optical tweezing method with various chemical and metabolic signalling pathways. We study the phenotypical glycine (a peptide) and heavy water (deuterium oxide) has been conducted and differences of RAW 264.7 and Bone Marrow Derived Macrophages (BMDM), which shows crystallization upon tightly focusing a continuous wave (CW) laser at the are murine macrophages. Macrophages have shown to be mechanosensitive, air/solution interface. However, a dipeptide has yet to be studied. Glycyl-glycine as they perform differently under different physical environments. Hence, we is the dipeptide of glycine and is the simplest dipeptide. A continuous wave (CW) study the differences between the various phenotypes by using home-made laser will be used in this experiment to observe crystallization and nucleation of a micropillars to measure differences in cell forces. Micropillars are force sensors gly-gly solution after tightly focusing the beam at the air/solution interface. Both that are made using polydimethylsiloxane gel in the lab. The deflections on these saturated and supersaturated solutions of gly-gly will be nucleated to compare pillars caused by cell movement can be measured and the cell force can then be the results to those of glycine. Crystal structures will be determined using XRD. calculated by taking into account the stiffness and size of those pillars. Differences SI YUN PARK TAHANY MOOSA in macrophage phenotypes are also studied using various immunostaining BS Chemical & Biomolecular techniques in order to visualize the various genes expressed in each phenotype. BS Biomolecular Science 2021 Engineering 2021 The Bronx High School of Science Nanyang Junior College New York, New York, USA Singapore, Singapore Faculty Faculty Bruce Garetz Weiqiang Chen Other Mentor(s) Other Mentor Omar Gowayed Apratim Bajpai NYU Tandon School of Engineering NYU Tandon School of Engineering *Thompson Bartlett Fellow 10 11
AZAN BRAR Understanding and Optimizing Organic Electrosynthesis Photocatalytic Hydrogel Reactors for Removal Not Pictured of Hexamethylenediamine with Membrane Electrode of Organic Contaminants from Aqueous Solution BS Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, MS Chemical Assemblies (MEA’s) In this study, a technology to remove and degrade contaminants from wastewater Engineering 2020 Nylon 6,6 is a widely used synthetic polymer found in textiles, plastics, and is presented. A photocatalytic hydrogel was created to overcome reactor design The Doon School automotive parts. Its main precursor, hexanediamine (HMDA), is industrially limitations in existing light-driven treatment methods. It is made of titanium Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India produced by hydrogenating adiponitrile (ADN). This is done in unsafe dioxide (TiO2) as a photocatalytic nanoparticle, acrylic acid, hydroxyethyl Faculty Miguel Modestino processes requiring not only high pressure but also temperature. The methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and DMPA molded to form a electrohydrogenation of ADN to HMDA has a wide potential to provide safer channel with an inlet and outlet, allowing continuous processing of wastewater. Other Mentor(s) Daniela Blanco and more efficient production routes for this important Nylon precursor. Methylene blue was employed as a model contaminant. The properties of this However, several challenges need to be addressed, including mass and charge continuous flow reactor allow for the diffusion of organic molecules through NYU Tandon School for Engineering transport limitation as well as problems with low energy efficiencies. the reactor walls and degradation of those molecules by encapsulated photocatalytic particles. The removal of contaminants is determined by the MEA’s are innovative reactor configurations that eliminate the use of inorganic diffusion (previously studied) and the UV-driven degradation of contaminants. electrolytes and metal plate electrodes while avoiding the undesired mix Since the degradation rate depends on UV light, TiO2, and methylene blue of product streams and reducing mass and ionic transport limitations. concentration, the amount of TiO2 in the hydrogel was changed in order to This research studies the formulation of how to setup catalyst inks and the ANDREA QUISPE further understand its effect. To quantify the effect of direct photolysis, without fabrication of the MEA’s and their potential use for the electrohydrogenation BS Chemical & Biomolecular the effects of contaminant absorption and degradation, impermeable PDMS was of ADN to HMDA. Studies on the effect of operating cell conditions and Engineering 2021 John P. Stevens High School used as a flow reactor. Finally, a solution containing a real organic contaminant, ink formulation are carried out to develop a better understanding of the Edison, New Jersey, USA Norfloxacin, was used to asses device performance in more relevant conditions. limitations of the system which will help optimize its performance levels. Faculty Miguel Modestino Other Mentor(s) Adlai Katzenberg NYU Tandon School for Engineering *Thompson Bartlett Fellow Analysis of Silica Microsphere Fabrication for use in Investigating the Influence of Solvent for the Use of Whispering-Gallery Mode Biosensing an Activated Aluminum Alloy for Birch-like Reductions Since the late 20th century, the idea of label-free biosensing through the use There is a growing need in the chemical industry for alternative pathways to of whispering-gallery mode (WGM) biosensors has allowed for the resonant novel chemical reactions used for organic synthesis, as they often require detection of various biomolecules. When a microsphere is placed onto the toxic reagents and dangerous environmental conditions. For instance, the surface of a shaved optical fiber—with a laser tuned into the fiber—, resonant Birch Reduction is useful in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries due modes with corresponding resonant peaks were formed due to light coupled to its novel mechanism that reduces stable conjugated aromatic systems, like into the microsphere by frustrated total internal reflection (TIR), forming a benzene, into unconjugated systems. However, its most common procedure circumnavigating wave known as the WGM. The near-field light-matter interaction requires sodium metal and liquid ammonia, which are considered dangerous allows for the detection of said biomolecules via a resonance wavelength shift. reagents due to their reactivity and toxicity. Prior research has shown that Birch reductions can be performed without ammonia using silicon-stabilized sodium Generating optimal resonant peaks is the most critical factor in determining the particulates. Inspired by successful alternative pathways to the Birch Reduction, overall functionality of a microsphere. Factors such as the size and sphericity this work explores the reducing capabilities of an activated aluminum powder determine whether an integer number of wavelengths is fitted inside the on varying functional groups including alcohols and carboxylic acids, and microsphere, which is required in order to produce WGM resonance. We will analyze on unsaturated and conjugated systems. Variations in reaction duration and DYLAN ALJOVIC how manufacturing of the microspheres affect their physical properties and their RHEA-DONNA REYES proton source for the tested reductions were also studied. The demonstration BS Chemical & Biomolecular functionality during biosensing. These properties include the quality factor (Q)— BS Chemical & Biomolecular of successful reductions with Al particles would constitute the first recorded use Engineering 2021 which determines the sharpness of peaks—, the separation and depth of the resonant Engineering & Chemistry 2020 Indian Hills High School James S. Rickards High School of aluminum-based heterogeneous organic reductions, opening opportunities modes, and the sensitivity of the resonances to binding of biomolecules, with the Oakland, New Jersey, USA Tallahassee, Florida, USA for the development of novel and safe pathways for organic transformations. ultimate goal of discovering the optimal specifications needed for biosensing. Faculty Faculty Rastislav Levicky Miguel Modestino Stephen Arnold Other Mentor(s) Other Mentor(s) Daniela Blanco Vladislav Frenkel Yuxiang Gao NYU 3 + 2 NYU Tandon School of Engineering *Thompson Bartlett Fellow 12 13
Conductivity Effects of Methanesulfonic Acid Exploring the Effect of pH on Protein-Engineered on a Cerium Redox Flow Battery Coiled-Coil Hydrogels As fossil fuels verge on the edge of depletion, renewable energy sources, like solar Self-assembling biomaterials have proven to be useful in various fields including and wind, are suitable replacements to fossil fuels— with limitations. For instance, drug delivery, gene delivery, and tissue engineering. More recently, self-assembled solar power can only be utilized until sunset. In order to supply energy around the hydrogels exhibiting thermoresponsive sol-gel behavior have been gaining clock, energy storage devices are essential. Factors considered when evaluating traction as carriers of small hydrophobic molecules. Our lab has previously a grid scale energy storage device include high energy density, affordability, designed Q, which is an engineered variant of the coiled-coil domain of cartilage scalability, and lengthy cycle life. One of the main forms of energy storage, oligomeric matrix protein (COMPcc). The surface charge of the parent protein lithium-ion batteries, excels in some aspects, but is not scalable or affordable. An was re-distributed by swapping the N- and C-termini of COMPcc, allowing for upcoming form of energy storage, redox flow batteries, fulfills much of the criteria lateral fiber assembly. Here, we demonstrate that Q nanofibers can undergo mentioned, like having a lengthy cycle life and being scalable. A redox flow battery physical entanglement to form hydrogels at low temperature. Additionally, is an electrochemical cell where redox species dissolved in electrolytes react at we are examining the effect of pH on the self-assembly and gelation of Q. electrodes, with the two sides separated by a membrane. This study concentrates The secondary structure, fiber assembly and gelation properties of Q will be on optimizing a promising flow battery that uses Ce(III)/Ce(IV) and H2 as the redox characterized through the use of circular dichroism spectroscopy, transmission pair, methanesulfonic acid as the electrolyte, Nafion 117 as the membrane. One of electron microscopy and rheology, respectively. Future studies will focus on NEHA VASUDEVAN BONNIE LIN the factors affecting the system’s performance is the proton conductivity of the investigating the encapsulation and release of a small hydrophobic molecule. BS Chemical & Biomolecular membrane. This will be studied under different environments using techniques BS Biomolecular Science 2021 Engineering 2022 Suffern High School West Windsor-Plainsboro such as electrochemical impedance, FTIR, and solution uptake experiments. Suffern, New York, USA High School North Faculty Plainsboro, New Jersey, USA Jin Kim Montclare Faculty Other Mentor Miguel Modestino Priya Katyal Other Mentor(s) NYU Tandon School of Engineering Daniel Frey NYU Tandon School of Engineering *Thompson Bartlett Fellow Self-Assembling Protein Biomaterials for Ocular Drug Delivery Photochromic ligands, such as diethylamine-azobenzene-quaternary-ammonium (DENAQ) bearing an azobenzene moiety, have been shown to treat degenerative blinding diseases caused by the progressive loss of rod and cone photoreceptors. DENAQ photoisomerizes from trans to cis in picosecond upon exposure to visible light and impacts the biological activity of transmembrane channels of the retinal ganglion cells. DENAQ can restore light sensitivity on voltage gated ion channels in retinas, but needs to be re-administered consistently. To enable this drug to persist longer in retinas, we introduce a protein engineered biomaterial, Q, in which its design is based on the coiled-coil domain of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMPcc). Using DNA recombinant technology, we have designed Q so that the homopentamer has an optimal surface charge distribution that contributes to its ability to self- assemble into nanofibers at pH 4 and further assemble into microfibers upon binding to small hydrophobic molecules. We have demonstrated that Q successfully JAY KANG binds DENAQ into the hydrophobic pore to produce microfibers of 19.23 ± 7.01 BS Biomolecular Science, MS μm size, protecting DENAQ. The impact of DENAQ on the protein conformation Biotechnology 2021 Francis Lewis High School is evaluated via circular dichroism spectroscopy. Sustained release of DENAQ Fresh Meadows , New York, USA from Q fibers will be studied for its potential application in photopharmacology. Faculty Jin Kim Montclare Other Mentor(s) Kamia Punia NYU Tandon School of Engineering 14 15
Micropatterned, Highly Conductive, Solution- Synthesis of Novel Two-Dimensional Graphene-like Processed MXene Foils Nanomaterials for Catalysis and Energy Applications Two-dimensional Titanium Carbide (MXene) has gained increasing attention Recent studies have shown that commonly used industrial catalysts have the in research this past decade, demonstrating outstanding performance potential to be improved through colloidal synthetic methods and doping to in electrochemical energy storage and other applications. MXenes, produce a low-cost, highly active hybrid material. Current industrial processing synthesized by hydrofluoric acid etching from precursor MAX phase, is methods are expensive and are imprecise at targeting harmful chemicals that generally processed using vacuum-assisted filtration or spin-casting into are produced in refining processes. Working in the nanoscale is promising since transparent conducting films, supercapacitor electrodes, and high-strength we are able to create a more active catalyst with more control over the end composites. In this work, MXene films are fabricated by drop-casting onto result, giving rise to the possibility of fine tuning catalysts to selective industrial polystyrene; this hydrophobic substrate causes MXene-MXene interactions processes. The key to unlocking the full potential of these hybrid materials to be stronger than MXene-substrate interactions, producing foil-like films lies in maximizing the available active surface area to influence important that can be removed from the substrate. Sheet resistance, thickness, and reactions to occur such as hydrodeoxygenation, hydrodenitrogenation, and thus conductivity, depend greatly on concentration of MXene dispersion. At hydrodesulfurization. With the potential to produce powerful catalysts at a fraction concentration of 3 mgmL-1, film thickness is 4.2 µm, and conductivity is 26,500 of the cost, our group has targeted molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and has been Scm-1, surpassing standard measurement for MXene film conductivity. working on producing single nanosheets of MoS2 through colloidal synthesis VI DANG with Cobalt and Nickel as our tested dopants. Our approach has been to create BS Chemical & Biomolecular Despite numerous studies on MXene free-standing films, not much attention is said nanosheets through colloidal synthesis and to characterize our samples via Engineering 2020 directed at patterning films due to limited versatility of vacuum filtration methods. New Milford, Connecticut, USA X-Ray Diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy and Linear Sweep Voltammetry For this project, we design and prepare micro-structured polystyrene substrates in hopes of producing cost-effective, consistent, and alternative catalysts that Faculty with highest microscale resolution possible, resulting in films that exhibit mirror- André Taylor could optimize current processing methods in chemical manufacturing. images of substrate structures. Using this technique, we can envision introducing Other Mentor(s) a new approach in MXene micropatterned film synthesis that is scalable and allows Jason Lipton greater accessibility and throughput for preparing MXene-based materials in a NYU Tandon School of Engineering diverse range of applications. Quantifying the Transition from Pristine to LiTFSI- doped Spiro-OMeTAD using Space-Charge-Limited Current Measurements Though perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have reached efficiencies comparable to silicon solar cells, these have only occurred with lab-scale devices. To further improve performance, researchers must understand the different layers in PSCs. Spiro-OMeTAD is an organic semiconductor used as a hole-transport layer due to its non-reactivity and relatively high conductivity when doped with a lithium salt, LiTFSI. While Spiro-OMeTAD has been thoroughly characterized in its pristine state, LiTFSI-doped Spiro-OMeTAD is not well understood. Spiro-OMeTAD has been characterized with space-charge-limited current measurements to determine WILLIAM CLARKE CHRISTOPHER OYUELA its charge-carrier mobility and doping density—its data often fitted with over- simplified analytical models. When LiTFSI is added, both charge-carrier density BS Chemical Engineering 2021 BS Mechanical Engineering 2021 Oakton High School Eastlake High School and the apparent mobility increase. This seems contradictory as the mobility Vienna, Virgina, USA Chula Vista, California, USA of semiconductors usually decrease as doping increase, a possible artefact KATHERYN KORNEGAY Faculty Faculty from fitting with simple analytical models. Using a drift-diffusion model, we will Ayaskanta Sahu Ayaskanta Sahu BS Physics 2020 characterize the transition between different doped states in Spiro-OMeTAD and Other Mentor(s) Other Mentor(s) Faculty investigate the effect on its mobility and charge-carrier density. Ultimately our Steven Farrell Steven Farrell André Taylor Mersal Khwaja goal is to compare results found from using the drift-diffusion model with other Mersal Khwaja Other Mentor(s) simple models to determine whether both mobility and charge-carrier density truly Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State San Diego State University Jaemin Kong University Jason Rohr increase as the semiconductor is doped and how this relates to PSCs performance. Pomona College 16 17
CsPbCl3 nanoparticles as x-ray scintillators High-Performance Solution Processable Silver Selenide for early stage cancer detection Thin Films for Optoelectronic Applications Cesium Lead Chloride nanocrystals (CsPbCl3) with perovskite crystal structure Thin-film optoelectronic devices fabricated from colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) have shown high conversion efficiency (80%) in converting ultraviolet photons represent a promising avenue to sustainably achieve new levels of performance into visible photons. This property to convert high energy into low energy photons and scalability. CQDs are studied for advantages such as size-tunable bandgap makes these nanocrystals a potential candidate for scintillators. A scintillator is transition, the availability of low-temperature manufacturing methods and mid- a section of indirect flat panel photodetector that converts X-rays (20 KeV) into IR absorption. The advantage of the mid-IR spectral response is that detectors low energy visible photons, which are then detected by a photodetector and are do not require an illumination source for imaging and can see through airborne electrically read out in the Integrated Circuit. This indirect photodetector is very obstructions. Previously, Hg chalcogenides were studied for mid-IR absorption. crucial in medical applications to image in real-time and improvement of this device However, there exists a potential threat to the environment and public health increases the chance of early-stage cancer detection. The current state-of-the-art through improper use and disposal of Hg-containing CQD devices. Recent scintillator (CsI:Tl) suffers from low quantum efficiency due to the spectral mismatch research has adopted Ag2Se nanocrystals, an alternative to toxic Hg-based with the photodetector (amorphous-Selenium (a-Se)). That is, a-Se lacks effective materials, as they share similar surface chemistry with Hg chalcogenides. absorption of photons emitted by CsI:Tl at 550 nm. Thus, our focus is on CsPbCl3 In the project, Ag2Se NCs were colloidally synthesized using silver and selenium owing to its spectral match with the a-Se photodetector at 400 nm. We proceed ALULA HAILE ALEKHYA VUTUKURI precursors in trioctylphosphine and oleylamine. NCs were deposited as thin with a facile colloidal synthesis technique to synthesize CsPbCl3 nanocrystals and BS Chemical & Biomolecular BS Chemical Engineering 2020 films on silicon substrates by spin coating. Colloidally synthesized Ag2Se treat the samples with CdCl2 to increase their stability. The crude CsPbCl3 and the Engineering 2021 Nine Education nanoparticles have long carbon chain ligands that are electrically insulating. stabilized-CsPbCl3 are further structurally, and optically characterized followed by Hyderabad, India Faculty Exchanging these long-chain ligands with shorter, more polar ligands improves the measurement of quantum efficiency and spatial resolution of the overall device. Ayaskanta Sahu Faculty charge transport through the film. Fourier Transmission Infrared Spectroscopy Ayaskanta Sahu Other Mentor(s) and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectroscopy were used for optical Haripriya Kannan Other Mentor(s) characterization and X-ray diffraction for structural characterization. Ingrid Paredes Michael Scimeca Michael Scimeca National Institute of Technology, NYU Tandon School of Engineering Warangal, India Colloidal Synthesis and Characterization Synthesis of Tin Phosphide Quantum Dots of Metal Phosphide Nanoparticles Semiconductor nanoparticles, also known as quantum dots, have wide potential Nanoscale semiconductors exhibit a variety of size-dependent optical, electronic, applications in many fields, such as medical imaging, quantum computing, and and structural properties that make them highly beneficial for use in optoelectronics, energy storage. Their potential comes from their display of quantum confinement, charge storage, and other electronic applications. To date, a large number of a phenomenon by which we can manipulate their optical and electronic multicomponent semiconductor nanocrystals with various stoichiometries (I-III- properties by changing their size. This phenomenon is unique to nanoparticles VI, I-V-VI, etc.) have been synthesized through numerous methods. Unfortunately, and impossible for bulk materials and simple atoms. While a number of synthetic existing systems rely on use of materials that are expensive to process, such as techniques exist to generate nanoparticles, we use bottom-up colloidal synthesis GaN. Such issues have motivated the exploration of II-IV-V2 (II: Zn; IV: Sn, Ge; V: in our lab. Colloidal synthesis provides better control and precision of the final P) semiconductor materials. In this work, we emphasize the development of zinc product compare with other nanoparticles synthesis techniques, such as plasma tin phosphide (ZnSnP2), a p-type semiconductor consisting of environmentally synthesis. By changing parameters such as temperature, concentration and benign and earth-abundant elements that has shown promise as a solar cell the growth time, the synthesis stages can be optimized. SnP (tin phosphide) is material due to its high carrier concentration and ideal direct band gap. At the one example of semiconductor nanoparticles. However, due to its challenging moment, synthesis of stable zinc tin phosphide remains elusive, as thermodynamics synthesis, its applications and properties remain unknown. One potential preferentially favors formation of binary compounds such as zinc phosphide and application of SnP scientists are looking for is anode materials for Na-ion batteries. SCOTT LEE tin phosphide. The goal of our research is twofold: develop an understanding of the HANLU XIA The goal of this study is to find the optimizing condition to grow phase pure BS Chemical & Biomolecular reaction kinetics and thermodynamics underlying binary and ternary phosphide BS Chemical & Biomolecular SnP and to explore the application of SnP as an anode of Na-ion battery. Engineering 2020 Engineering 2022 Leonia High School syntheses, and employ tunability of the material’s optoelectronic properties ED. W Clark High School Leonia, New Jersey, USA via composition, size, and phase for practical use. We present x-ray diffraction, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Faculty transmission electron microscopy and preliminary optoelectronic characterization. Faculty Ayaskanta Sahu Ayaskanta Sahu Other Mentor(s) Other Mentor(s) Ingrid Paredes Haripriya Kannan Ingrid Paredes NYU College of Arts & Science/ Michael Scimeca Tandon School of Engineering 3+2 NYU Tandon School of Engineering 18 19
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