I designed new masks with different sized squares and slits in order to study how the aspect ratio of free-standing membranes would affect endothelial cells.  In this 1st experiment, I seeded bEnd at 50000 cells/cm2 and let them grow for 4 days.  I then stained the cells with Live/Dead and overlaid the phase channel in…

Some time before I noticed that placing the membrane in the metal deposition chamber at slight angle to the incoming metal atoms stream makes thin metal layer only on one side of the pore, shadowing the rest of it. Rotating the membrane sample after the metal layer was deposited on the front and making sure…

My goal for this experiment was to see whether vacuoles form in primary cells.  If they did, this makes the case that the results with bEnd3 are more physiologically relevant since primary cells are better models of in vivo behavior.  Here, I simply seeded P8 HUVEC at 50000 cells/cm2 on plastic wells, PET and pnc-Si…

I wanted to confirm my results from this previous post.  Here, I used lower concentrations of bafilomycin (10, 25 and 50nM) in growth media.  Everything else was the same (except the cells were 1 passage older). The results are the same-lots of vacuoles in the control sample and no vacuoles at all in any of…

All the data presented below was generated by Alex from Adarza Biosystems, Inc. Introduction: Chemical vapor deposition of 99% APTES (3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane) on planar silicon chips was accomplished using the new vapor deposition system (YES: Yield Engineering Systems). In addition to vapor deposition of chemical moieties, YES system is also equipped with plasma cleaner that enables…

I’ve been trying to convince myself that the black holes seen in endothelial cells that we’ve been calling vacuoles are actually vacuoles.  The first set of experiments involved staining cells with TAMRA, a fluid-phase marker which should get pinocytosed into vacuoles.  Although there has been co-localization between ‘black spots’ in the calcein channel and red…

Recently, I have been trying to pass 5 nm, 10 nm, and 15 nm gold through untreated, carbonized, and ozone/carbonized membranes.  These experiments were done in the pressure cell with fresh samples.  I used a 1:1 dilution of Au stock and DI water.  To wet the membrane I placed a 40 uL drop of water…

Last week, I used a 6-inch thermocouple wafer to profile the temperature uniformity (outside the susceptor) in the RTP.  I measured four points: center, front, back, and center-right (positions relative to the RTP door e.g. front means closer to the door).  The center-right position was chosen to verify side-to-side uniformity of the lamps. Below is…

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…

Ag/AgCl electrodes are used overwhelmingly in streaming potential and sometimes in electroosmosis.  The benefit of using Ag/AgCl in electroosmosis should be less gas generation and the ability to make an enclosed pump.  Here is some information on my attempt at Ag/AgCl EO. .2mm silver wires were coated with AgCl using protocol.  Electrodes were immersed in…