Similar Posts
Characterizing Tangential Flow Filtration with Ultra-thin Membranes: A Preliminary Look
Introduction: Over the past few weeks I’ve begun working on a project that deals specifically with characterizing tangential flow filtration with our labs ultra-thin membranes. Essentially, I’m working on understanding the advantages our membranes have over conventional/thicker ones by looking at characteristics such as transmembrane pressure, fouling, and flux. Our working hypothesis is that our…
BBB Device Design (updated)
The goal of the blood brain barrier device is to co-culture cells in a closed system, with the apical chamber under flow conditions, while still being able to access either chamber for media changes or to introduce new solutions. Electrodes to measure TEER will need to be included in future design iterations. There are two…
Does pnc-Si follow EO theory?
Back a year or more ago, we had analyzed the EO flow rates from pnc-Si and determined that the flow was much higher than any other material. We then went on to try to calculate the zeta potential using the Helmholtz-Smoluchowski equation: We figured out the velocity of the fluid, v, from our flow rate…
Normalized Autofluorescence of SiO2 Membranes vs. Track-Etched Membranes
Background: Similar to the Gaborski lab, the authors of the publication “Microfabrication of high-resolution porous membranes for cell culture” fabricated and characterized ultra-thin polymeric membranes for use as cell culture substrates. Upon reviewing their publication, Tom and I discussed some of the experiments that we’d like to replicate to further characterize the SiO2 membrane for our…
hiPSC Differentiation to Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells (BMEC)
INTRODUCTION The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective endothelial barrier that serves a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis in the brain. Many current models, however, suffer from low TEER and permeability values far greater than physiological levels. Recently, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) have been differentiated into BMECS with very high TEER…
Electrochemical Testing of Ultraporous Membranes as Separators in Mild Aqueous Supercapacitors
I’ve been thinking a lot about energy storage lately, and I think I’ve found a potential use for pnc-Si in Supercapacitors. What is a supercapacitor? As the name suggests, it’s a double-layer capacitor (EDLC) with very high capacitance values (1-500+ Farads) or a million times more than that of a typical dielectic capacitor. An electrolyte…