Emily Scrupps (2019-Present)
Emily is a junior researcher at the ASR Laboratory engineering a 3D biological printer. Antibiotic resistance and re-hospitalization from post-operative infections are on the rise, therefore targeted tissue and drug applications become imperative. If cultured antibiotic strains were administered locally in custom-printed forms, they could decrease the risk of infection while minimizing cost. The engineering goal was to develop the codes necessary to effectively bioprint live material in different patterns in a 3D printer. Algae (0.05 mL) was placed onto a premade agar plate in the shape of a line, square, or circle to test normal algal growth. Every 24 hours, a photo was taken and imported into graphic analysis software to determine the area of growth. The 3D printer’s ink cartridge was tested to find the area the algae would be sprayed at different heights away from the agar. The area of spray was quantified and compared to the baseline standard growth; the experimental coded spray area should be less than ±3% of the baseline standard’s area. The controlled group was ink from an HP-c6602a ink cartridge and the experimental group was algae printed out of the same cartridge. The controlled group showed an average of 6.14 mm^2 of spray and the experimental group showed an average of 2.8 mm^2 of spray. The engineering goal was accepted because the codes were developed to print live material in all three shapes, and the experimental algae was well below ±3% of the total spray compared to the controlled group. Future steps include printing the algae vertically and exploring other species of microorganisms. During the 2019 year, Emily was selected by The Rural Alliance for their STEM Gems program, advocating STEM success for rural students interested in science or engineering careers. Emily's outstanding research has earned her top looks at the Regional and State Science Fairs, as well as the Wolfram Research Award in 2020. Research:2020 |
