Numerous cell types secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles. Exosomes are nano-vesicles (40–150 nm), and contain both coding and non-coding RNAs and their fragments, DNA fragments, proteins, and other cell related biomolecules. EVs and their biomolecule con…

The application of microfluidic platforms is limited because the materials and production methods are too expensive, and the material properties induce problems, such as a lack of optical clarity and low impact strength. Packaging (i.e. sealing a device with a lid) is also a challenge in the fabri…

In the field of cancer pathology, the identification and sampling of tumors is essential for both surgical applications and treatment plans for patients that may include post-operative chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Currently pathologists and pathologist assistants rely on visual and tacti…

Application of either heat or organic solvents is critical to convert solid materials to fluids. For many applications, particularly biomedical products, high temperature and organic solvents may denature critical biomolecules. Residue of organic solvents may also cause severe contamination. In ad…

Dispersion of nanoparticles into fiber reinforced plastics (FRPs) produces superior composites. Current methods face two problems: (1) best practices to disperse nanoparticles FRPs are not defined and (2) methods to maintain resin processability in the presence of nanoparticles are not understood.…

Blowing agents create a cellular structure from a liquid plastic resin and, in certain cases, function as an insulating component of the foam. Hydrogen-containing chlorofluorocarbons and fluorocarbons are common blowing agents in the foam industry for extrusion forming of Polystyrene foam. However…

Nanomaterials, more specifically nanoparticle reinforced composites, are one of the best solutions for most lightweight applications. Due to the dispersion and high aspect ratio of nanoparticles, lightweight polymer nanocomposites exhibit dimensional stability, heat and flame resistance, barrier p…

Tethered Lipoplex Nanoparticle (TLN) microarray biochips simultaneously capture and identify extracellular vesicles (EV) RNA targets from human plasma or bodily fluids with or without EV isolation. Molecular detection probes, such as molecular beacons (MBs), identify specific micro RNA (miRNA) or …

Despite the many attractive features of graphene, the lack of atomic bonds between graphene and substrates and among graphene nanosheets has limited its potential applications. Although theoretical considerations predict that covalent bonds between graphene nanosheets would significantly improve s…

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) combines MRI imaging with sound waves, creating a visual map showing and quantitating the stiffness of body tissue. MRE's initial application has been to the liver, where chronic diseases such as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (estimated background prev…