“Microelectronic Systems for Improved Quality of Life”
Abstract:
Microelectronic revolutions come in waves that are driven by necessity. Currently, the aging population is creating a need for various kinds of electronic systems to improve their quality of life. These include the restoration of lost functionality via electronic implants, better health screening technology and non-invasive monitoring in the home environment. This talk presents work that has been done towards addressing these needs, whether it be through the development of new required building blocks or through the development of more complex systems that combine custom built hardware and software. In particular, the talk covers work done towards developing a vestibular implant for balance restoration, a single chip low-power imager for a bionic eye, a cancer screening capsule for detecting early-stage carcinomas in the small intestine, a bio-inspired acoustic scene analysis system, the development of the ElectroUteroGraph, as well as the use of custom chips for the design of adaptive metamaterials.
Ομιλητής:
Ιούλιος Γεωργίου, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής
Τμήμα ΗΜΜΥ, Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου
Ημερομηνία:
Τετάρτη 17/11/21, 12:00 - 13:00
Τοποθεσία:
Διαδικτυακά μέσω της πλατφόρμας Zoom
“Extending Optical Coherence Tomography for Accurate Diagnosis”
Abstract:
Recently, the application of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in oncology has advanced significantly as is evident by the technological advances, preclinical research, and human studies. This burgeoning interest demonstrates the potential of OCT for cancer detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of therapy. However, OCT has not been as widely adopted in clinical oncology. In addition to technical hurdles, adoption of OCT is further hindered by: (i) difficulties in image interpretation and (ii) lack of demonstrable stratification and prediction capabilities. OCT image interpretation is often challenging for clinicians, who are more familiar with organ- or body-scale images. In addition, OCT images may approach the scales of histology but do not necessarily reveal familiar cellular features and cannot, currently, reliably stratify risk or predict prognosis. For OCT to have a significant impact in the field of oncology, information must be extracted from the images and converted to knowledge which can be easily accessed and assessed by clinicians. The Optical Diagnostics Laboratory promotes the development of OCT-derived biomarkers of cancer. These biomarkers can be primary, e.g. 3D morphological or textural features, scatterer size, dispersion, index of refraction, etc., or secondary, i.e. combination of multiscale data that correlate with disease stage/diagnosis. Preliminary studies to confirm a correlation between OCT-derived biomarkers and diagnosis or therapeutic response in esophageal cancer are being pursued.
Ομιλητής:
Κωνσταντίνος Πίτρης, Καθηγητής
Τμήμα ΗΜΜΥ, Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου
Ημερομηνία:
Τετάρτη 22/09/21, 12:00 - 13:00
Τοποθεσία:
Διαδικτυακά μέσω της πλατφόρμας Zoom
“Enhanced production and antimicrobial potential of a novel biosurfactant produced by a drilling waste-degrading Pseudomonas citronellolis strain”
Abstract:
In the presented study, a Pseudomonas citronellolis strain was isolated from drilling waste (DW). This strain could utilize DW as the sole energy and carbon source to produce biosurfactants (BSs). This substantially reduces bioprocess cost of BSs production as an inexpensive substrate, such as DW, is used to produce an added value compound. The BS produced was thermally stable, amorphous and includes a peptide structure. Different iron sources and Carbon/Nitrogen ratios was used to enhance BS production, determining an optimization strategy of BS production. The BS was also partially purified and used against gram-negative and positive multi-drug resistant bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration was defined. The antimicrobial properties of the BS established its effectiveness and down-stream processing cost reduction, as no additional purification steps were necessary. The study demonstrates a sustainable low-cost bioprocess towards a circular bioeconomy, while the BS holds great potential as a novel compound with antibiotic and disinfectant-like action.
Ομιλητής:
Αργυρώ Τσιπά, Λέκτορας
Τμήμα ΠΜΜΠ, Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου
Ημερομηνία:
Τετάρτη 21/07/21, 10:00 - 11:00
Τοποθεσία:
Διαδικτυακά μέσω της πλατφόρμας Zoom
“Surface enhanced Raman scattering nanoparticles for biodetection and medical imaging”
Abstract:
Molecules in our bodies and our environment have a profound impact on our health and well-being. But their small size and low abundance makes them hard to detect. Nanotechnology is a powerful tool that can help reconcile the scale of molecules with our human scale. In our lab we develop nanoparticles for optical spectroscopic detection and imaging, as well as microdevices to engineer solutions for various health related applications. Some of our projects include the imaging cancer markers in animals and in organ-on-chip systems, analysis of breath and biofluids, and detection of antibodies against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
Ομιλητής:
Χρυσαφής Ανδρέου, Λέκτορας
Τμήμα ΗΜΜΥ, Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου
Ημερομηνία:
Τετάρτη 19/05/21, 12:00 - 13:00
Τοποθεσία:
Διαδικτυακά μέσω της πλατφόρμας Zoom
“Engineering Scaffold-Based Treatments For Nervous System Regeneration”
Abstract:
In order to restore normal structure and function in severely injured organs (due to trauma or disease), the field of regenerative medicine (RM) seeks treatments that can alter wound healing in situ using appropriate biomaterials, cells and compounds. My research seeks to develop novel RM treatments for the human nervous system based on porous collagen-based scaffolds (PCS), one of the few FDA-approved biomaterials with established clinical applications. The first part of the talk will present data from transected rat peripheral nerves grafted with PCS conduits, suggesting a major role of tissue biomechanics in peripheral nerve system (PNS) regeneration. Central Nervous System (CNS) injuries pose a significantly larger challenge in terms of wound healing complexity and intrinsic obstacles to regeneration. The second part of the talk describes recent and ongoing efforts to develop implants for CNS injuries where PCS deliver neural stem cells or neuroprotective small-molecule analogs of neurotrophins as well as new means to personalize grafts.
Ομιλητής:
Δημήτριος Τζεράνης, Λέκτορας
Τμήμα ΜΜΚ, Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου
Ημερομηνία:
Τετάρτη 21/04/21, 12:00 - 13:00
Τοποθεσία:
Διαδικτυακά μέσω της πλατφόρμας Zoom
“The Role Of Mechanical Forces In Tumor Growth And Therapy”
Abstract:
A solid tumor is an aberrant tissue made of cancer cells and a variety of host cells—all embedded in an extracellular matrix—nourished by blood vessels and drained by lymphatic vessels. Solid tumors often stiffen as they grow in a host’s normal tissue. Stiffening, which is perhaps the only mechanical aspect of a tumor that clinicians and patients can feel/sense, is caused by an increase in the structural components of the tumor, particularly in the amount of cancer cells, stromal cells, and collagen. Tissue stiffening along with the growth of the tumors within the confined space of the host tissue result in the generation of mechanical forces. When exerted directly on cancer cells, these forces can increase their invasive and metastatic potential. Mechanical forces are also able to compress blood and lymphatic tumor vessels, reducing drastically perfusion rates and creating hypoxia. Hypo-perfusion and hypoxia in turn contribute to immune-evasion, promote malignant progression and metastasis, and reduce the efficacy of a number of cancer therapies. Taming intratumoral mechanical forces can improve therapeutic outcomes in many cancers. In my talk, I will present a series of in vivo, in vitro and in silico studies that demonstrate the importance of mechanics in tumor progression and how modulation of the mechanical properties of tumors can result in improved treatments.
Ομιλητής:
Τριαντάφυλλος Στυλιανόπουλος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής
Τμήμα ΜΜΚ, Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου
Ημερομηνία:
Τετάρτη 17/02/21, 11:00 - 12:30
Τοποθεσία:
Διαδικτυακά μέσω της πλατφόρμας Zoom
