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Item Fabrication of a multifaceted mapping mirror using two-photon polymerization for a snapshot image mapping spectrometer(Optica Publishing Group, 2023) Lu, Jiawei; Ng, Xue Wen; Piston, David; Tkaczyk, Tomasz S.A design and fabrication technique for making high-precision and large-format multifaceted mapping mirrors is presented. The method is based on two-photon polymerization, which allows more flexibility in the mapping mirror design. The mirror fabricated in this paper consists of 36 2D tilted square pixels, instead of the continuous facet design used in diamond cutting. The paper presents a detailed discussion of the fabrication parameters and optimization process, with particular emphasis on the optimization of stitching defects by compensating for the overall tilt angle and reducing the printing field of view. The fabricated mirrors were coated with a thin layer of aluminum (93 nm) using sputter coating to enhance the reflection rate over the target wave range. The mapping mirror was characterized using a white light interferometer and a scanning electron microscope, which demonstrates its optical quality surface (with a surface roughness of 12 nm) and high-precision tilt angles (with an average of 2.03% deviation). Finally, the incorporation of one of the 3D printed mapping mirrors into an image mapping spectrometer prototype allowed for the acquisition of high-quality images of the USAF resolution target and bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells stained with three fluorescent dyes, demonstrating the potential of this technology for practical applications.Item Identification of unique α4 chain structure and conserved antiangiogenic activity of α3NC1 type IV collagen in zebrafish(Wiley, 2023) LeBleu, Valerie S.; Dai, Jianli; Tsutakawa, Susan; MacDonald, Brian A.; Alge, Joseph L.; Sund, Malin; Xie, Liang; Sugimoto, Hikaru; Tainer, John; Zon, Leonard I.; Kalluri, RaghuBackground Type IV collagen is an abundant component of basement membranes in all multicellular species and is essential for the extracellular scaffold supporting tissue architecture and function. Lower organisms typically have two type IV collagen genes, encoding α1 and α2 chains, in contrast with the six genes in humans, encoding α1–α6 chains. The α chains assemble into trimeric protomers, the building blocks of the type IV collagen network. The detailed evolutionary conservation of type IV collagen network remains to be studied. Results We report on the molecular evolution of type IV collagen genes. The zebrafish α4 non-collagenous (NC1) domain, in contrast with its human ortholog, contains an additional cysteine residue and lacks the M93 and K211 residues involved in sulfilimine bond formation between adjacent protomers. This may alter α4 chain interactions with other α chains, as supported by temporal and anatomic expression patterns of collagen IV chains during the zebrafish development. Despite the divergence between zebrafish and human α3 NC1 domain (endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor, Tumstatin), the zebrafish α3 NC1 domain exhibits conserved antiangiogenic activity in human endothelial cells. Conclusions Our work supports type IV collagen is largely conserved between zebrafish and humans, with a possible difference involving the α4 chain.Item CAGE sequencing reveals CFTR-dependent dysregulation of type I IFN signaling in activated cystic fibrosis macrophages(AAAS, 2023) Gillan, Jonathan L.; Chokshi, Mithil; Hardisty, Gareth R.; Clohisey Hendry, Sara; Prasca-Chamorro, Daniel; Robinson, Nicola J.; Lasota, Benjamin; Clark, Richard; Murphy, Lee; Whyte, Moira K. B.; Baillie, J. Kenneth; Davidson, Donald J.; Bao, Gang; Gray, Robert D.An intense, nonresolving airway inflammatory response leads to destructive lung disease in cystic fibrosis (CF). Dysregulation of macrophage immune function may be a key facet governing the progression of CF lung disease, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We used 5′ end centered transcriptome sequencing to profile P. aeruginosa LPS-activated human CF macrophages, showing that CF and non-CF macrophages deploy substantially distinct transcriptional programs at baseline and following activation. This includes a significantly blunted type I IFN signaling response in activated patient cells relative to healthy controls that was reversible upon in vitro treatment with CFTR modulators in patient cells and by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to correct the F508del mutation in patient-derived iPSC macrophages. These findings illustrate a previously unidentified immune defect in human CF macrophages that is CFTR dependent and reversible with CFTR modulators, thus providing new avenues in the search for effective anti-inflammatory interventions in CF.Item Dantrolene inhibits lysophosphatidylcholine-induced valve interstitial cell calcific nodule formation via blockade of the ryanodine receptor(Frontiers Media S.A., 2023) Sylvester, Christopher B.; Amirkhosravi, Farshad; Bortoletto, Angelina S.; West, William J.; Connell, Jennifer P.; Grande-Allen, K. JaneCalcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), a fibrocalcific thickening of the aortic valve leaflets causing obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract, affects nearly 10 million people worldwide. For those who reach end-stage CAVD, the only treatment is highly invasive valve replacement. The development of pharmaceutical treatments that can slow or reverse the progression in those affected by CAVD would greatly advance the treatment of this disease. The principal cell type responsible for the fibrocalcific thickening of the valve leaflets in CAVD is valvular interstitial cells (VICs). The cellular processes mediating this calcification are complex, but calcium second messenger signaling, regulated in part by the ryanodine receptor (RyR), has been shown to play a role in a number of other fibrocalcific diseases. We sought to determine if the blockade of calcium signaling in VICs could ameliorate calcification in an in vitro model. We previously found that VICs express RyR isotype 3 and that its modulation could prevent VIC calcific nodule formation in vitro. We sought to expand upon these results by further investigating the effects of calcium signaling blockade on VIC gene expression and behavior using dantrolene, an FDA-approved pan-RyR inhibitor. We found that dantrolene also prevented calcific nodule formation in VICs due to cholesterol-derived lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). This protective effect corresponded with decreases in intracellular calcium flux, apoptosis, and ACTA2 expression but not reactive oxygen species formation caused by LPC. Interestingly, dantrolene increased the expression of the regulator genes RUNX2 and SOX9, indicating complex gene regulation changes. Further investigation via RNA sequencing revealed that dantrolene induced several cytoprotective genes that are likely also responsible for its attenuation of LPC-induced calcification. These results suggest that RyR3 is a viable therapeutic target for the treatment of CAVD. Further studies of the effects of RyR3 inhibition on CAVD are warranted.Item pYtags enable spatiotemporal measurements of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in living cells(eLife Sciences Publications Ltd., 2023) Farahani, Payam E; Yang, Xiaoyu; Mesev, Emily V; Fomby, Kaylan A; Brumbaugh-Reed, Ellen H; Bashor, Caleb J; Nelson, Celeste M; Toettcher, Jared EReceptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are major signaling hubs in metazoans, playing crucial roles in cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. However, few tools are available to measure the activity of a specific RTK in individual living cells. Here, we present pYtags, a modular approach for monitoring the activity of a user-defined RTK by live-cell microscopy. pYtags consist of an RTK modified with a tyrosine activation motif that, when phosphorylated, recruits a fluorescently labeled tandem SH2 domain with high specificity. We show that pYtags enable the monitoring of a specific RTK on seconds-to-minutes time scales and across subcellular and multicellular length scales. Using a pYtag biosensor for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), we quantitatively characterize how signaling dynamics vary with the identity and dose of activating ligand. We show that orthogonal pYtags can be used to monitor the dynamics of EGFR and ErbB2 activity in the same cell, revealing distinct phases of activation for each RTK. The specificity and modularity of pYtags open the door to robust biosensors of multiple tyrosine kinases and may enable engineering of synthetic receptors with orthogonal response programs.Item High Strength Titanium with Fibrous Grain for Advanced Bone Regeneration(Wiley, 2023) Wang, Ruohan; Wang, Mingsai; Jin, Rongrong; Wang, Yanfei; Yi, Min; Li, Qinye; Li, Juan; Zhang, Kai; Sun, Chenghua; Nie, Yu; Huang, Chongxiang; Mikos, Antonios G.; Zhang, XingdongPure titanium is widely used in clinical implants, but its bioinert properties (poor strength and mediocre effect on bone healing) limit its use under load-bearing conditions. Modeling on the structure of collagen fibrils and specific nanocrystal plane arrangement of hydroxyapatite in the natural bone, a new type of titanium (Ti) with a highly aligned fibrous-grained (FG) microstructure is constructed. The improved attributes of FG Ti include high strength (≈950 MPa), outstanding affinity to new bone growth, and tight bone-implant contact. The bone-mimicking fibrous grains induce an aligned surface topological structure conducive to forming close contact with osteoblasts and promotes the expression of osteogenic genes. Concurrently, the predominant Ti(0002) crystal plane of FG Ti induces the formation of hydrophilic anatase titanium oxide layers, which accelerate biomineralization. In conclusion, this bioinspired FG Ti not only proves to show mechanical and bone-regenerative improvements but it also provides a new strategy for the future design of metallic biomaterials.Item Low-threshold, high-resolution, chronically stable intracortical microstimulation by ultraflexible electrodes(Cell Press, 2023) Lycke, Roy; Kim, Robin; Zolotavin, Pavlo; Montes, Jon; Sun, Yingchu; Koszeghy, Aron; Altun, Esra; Noble, Brian; Yin, Rongkang; He, Fei; Totah, Nelson; Xie, Chong; Luan, Lan; Rice Neuroengineering InitiativeIntracortical microstimulation (ICMS) enables applications ranging from neuroprosthetics to causal circuit manipulations. However, the resolution, efficacy, and chronic stability of neuromodulation are often compromised by adverse tissue responses to the indwelling electrodes. Here we engineer ultraflexible stim-nanoelectronic threads (StimNETs) and demonstrate low activation threshold, high resolution, and chronically stable ICMS in awake, behaving mouse models. In vivo two-photon imaging reveals that StimNETs remain seamlessly integrated with the nervous tissue throughout chronic stimulation periods and elicit stable, focal neuronal activation at low currents of 2 μA. Importantly, StimNETs evoke longitudinally stable behavioral responses for over 8 months at a markedly low charge injection of 0.25 nC/phase. Quantified histological analyses show that chronic ICMS by StimNETs induces no neuronal degeneration or glial scarring. These results suggest that tissue-integrated electrodes provide a path for robust, long-lasting, spatially selective neuromodulation at low currents, which lessens risk of tissue damage or exacerbation of off-target side effects.Item Indirect Enrichment of Desirable, but Less Fit Phenotypes, from a Synthetic Microbial Community Using Microdroplet Confinement(American Chemical Society, 2023) Prabhakar, Ramya Ganiga; Fan, Gaoyang; Alnahhas, Razan N.; Hirning, Andrew J.; Bennett, Matthew R.; Shamoo, YousifSpatial structure within microbial communities can provide nearly limitless opportunities for social interactions and are an important driver for evolution. As metabolites are often molecular signals, metabolite diffusion within microbial communities can affect the composition and dynamics of the community in a manner that can be challenging to deconstruct. We used encapsulation of a synthetic microbial community within microdroplets to investigate the effects of spatial structure and metabolite diffusion on population dynamics and to examine the effects of cheating by one member of the community. The synthetic community was composed of three strains: a “Producer” that makes the diffusible quorum sensing molecule (N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone, C12-oxo-HSL) or AHL; a “Receiver” that is killed by AHL; and a Non-Producer or “cheater” that benefits from the extinction of the Receivers, but without the costs associated with the AHL synthesis. We demonstrate that despite rapid diffusion of AHL between microdroplets, the spatial structure imposed by the microdroplets allows a more efficient but transient enrichment of more rare and slower-growing Producer subpopulations. Eventually, the Non-Producer population drove the Producers to extinction. By including fluorescence-activated microdroplet sorting and providing sustained competition by the Receiver strain, we demonstrate a strategy for indirect enrichment of a rare and unlabeled Producer. The ability to screen and enrich metabolite Producers from a much larger population under conditions of rapid diffusion provides an important framework for the development of applications in synthetic ecology and biotechnology.Item Tunable calcium phosphate cement formulations for predictable local release of doxycycline(Elsevier, 2023) Liu, Qian; Lodoso-Torrecilla, Irene; Gunnewiek, Raquel Klein; Harhangi, Harry R.; Mikos, Antonios G.; van Niftrik, Laura; Jansen, John A.; Chen, Lili; Beucken, Jeroen J.J.P. van denBackground Osteomyelitis is a bacterial infection, which leads to bone loss. Local treatment focuses on elimination of bacteria, which is preferable for simultaneous management of the bone defect after sequestrectomy and bone reconstruction in one-stage treatment of osteomyelitis. Calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) have attracted increased attention as bone substitute material because of their injectability and in situ self-setting properties, which allow for minimally invasive surgical procedures and local drug delivery. Methods We herein established a system to achieve different release profiles of the antibiotic drug doxycycline from CPC by finetuning their formulation. These CPC formulations were generated via facile addition of hydrolytically degrading PLGA particles, varying doses of doxycycline, and addition of the lubricant CMC. Results The CPC formulations exhibited appropriate handling properties in terms of injectability and setting time. Furthermore, doxycycline release profiles showed an adequate burst release followed by a cumulative release of up to 100% over a period of 8 weeks. Importantly, the released doxycycline retained its antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, the major pathogen causing osteomyelitis. Using an in vivo implantation model, antibacterial efficacy was demonstrated by a rapid decrease of inoculated S. aureus at the CPC surface and within surrounding tissues. Conclusions Our data show the versatility of the CPC system toward local antibacterial therapy, extending its application beyond bone substitution.Item Heat-inactivated Factor B inhibits alternative pathway fluid-phase activation and convertase formation on endothelial cell-secreted ultra-large von Willebrand factor strings(Springer Nature, 2023) Turner, Nancy A.; Moake, Joel L.Defective regulation of the alternative complement pathway (AP) causes excessive activation and promotes the inflammation and renal injury observed in atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome (aHUS). The usefulness of heat-inactivated Factor B (HFB) in reducing AP activation was evaluated in: fluid-phase reactions, using purified complement proteins and Factor H (FH)-depleted serum; and in surface-activated reactions using human endothelial cells (ECs). C3a and Ba levels, measured by quantitative Western blots, determined the extent of fluid-phase activation. In reactions using C3, FB, and Factor D proteins, HFB addition (2.5-fold FB levels), reduced C3a levels by 60% and Ba levels by 45%. In reactions using FH-depleted serum (supplemented with FH at 12.5% normal levels), Ba levels were reduced by 40% with HFB added at 3.5-fold FB levels. The effectiveness of HFB in limiting AP convertase formation on activated surfaces was evaluated using stimulated ECs. Fluorescent microscopy was used to quantify endogenously released C3, FB, and C5 attached to EC-secreted ultra-large VWF strings. HFB addition reduced attachment of C3b by 2.7-fold, FB by 1.5-fold and C5 by fourfold. Our data indicate that HFB may be of therapeutic value in preventing AP-mediated generation of C3a and C5a, and the associated inflammation caused by an overactive AP.Item Self-assembling peptides as immunomodulatory biomaterials(Frontiers Media S.A., 2023) Hernandez, Andrea; Hartgerink, Jeffrey D.; Young, SimonSelf-assembling peptides are a type of biomaterial rapidly emerging in the fields of biomedicine and material sciences due to their promise in biocompatibility and effectiveness at controlled release. These self-assembling peptides can form diverse nanostructures in response to molecular interactions, making them versatile materials. Once assembled, the peptides can mimic biological functions and provide a combinatorial delivery of therapeutics such as cytokines and drugs. These self-assembling peptides are showing success in biomedical settings yet face unique challenges that must be addressed to be widely applied in the clinic. Herein, we describe self-assembling peptides’ characteristics and current applications in immunomodulatory therapeutics.Item SWI/SNF Blockade Disrupts PU.1-Directed Enhancer Programs in Normal Hematopoietic Cells and Acute Myeloid Leukemia(AACR, 2023) Chambers, Courtney; Cermakova, Katerina; Chan, Yuen San; Kurtz, Kristen; Wohlan, Katharina; Lewis, Andrew Henry; Wang, Christiana; Pham, Anh; Dejmek, Milan; Sala, Michal; Loeza Cabrera, Mario; Aguilar, Rogelio; Nencka, Radim; Lacorazza, H. Daniel; Rau, Rachel E.; Hodges, H. CourtneyIn acute myeloid leukemia (AML), SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes sustain leukemic identity by driving high levels of MYC. Previous studies have implicated the hematopoietic transcription factor PU.1 (SPI1) as an important target of SWI/SNF inhibition, but PU.1 is widely regarded to have pioneer-like activity. As a result, many questions have remained regarding the interplay between PU.1 and SWI/SNF in AML as well as normal hematopoiesis. Here we found that PU.1 binds to most of its targets in a SWI/SNF-independent manner and recruits SWI/SNF to promote accessibility for other AML core regulatory factors, including RUNX1, LMO2, and MEIS1. SWI/SNF inhibition in AML cells reduced DNA accessibility and binding of these factors at PU.1 sites and redistributed PU.1 to promoters. Analysis of nontumor hematopoietic cells revealed that similar effects also impair PU.1-dependent B-cell and monocyte populations. Nevertheless, SWI/SNF inhibition induced profound therapeutic response in an immunocompetent AML mouse model as well as in primary human AML samples. In vivo, SWI/SNF inhibition promoted leukemic differentiation and reduced the leukemic stem cell burden in bone marrow but also induced leukopenia. These results reveal a variable therapeutic window for SWI/SNF blockade in AML and highlight important off-tumor effects of such therapies in immunocompetent settings.Disruption of PU.1-directed enhancer programs upon SWI/SNF inhibition causes differentiation of AML cells and induces leukopenia of PU.1-dependent B cells and monocytes, revealing the on- and off-tumor effects of SWI/SNF blockade.Item Moran process version of the tug-of-war model: Behavior revealed by mathematical analysis and simulation studies(Amerian Institute of Mathematical Sciences, 2023) Bobrowski, Adam; Kimmel, Marek; Kurpas, Monika K.; Ratajczyk, ElżbietaIn a series of publications McFarland and co-authors introduced the tug-of-war model of evolution of cancer cell populations. The model is explaining the joint effect of rare advantageous and frequent slightly deleterious mutations, which may be identifiable with driver and passenger mutations in cancer. In this paper, we put the tug-of-war model in the framework of a denumerable-type Moran process and use mathematics and simulations to understand its behavior. The model is associated with a time-continuous Markov Chain (MC), with a generator that can be split into a sum of the drift and selection process part and of the mutation process part. Operator semigroup theory is then employed to prove that the MC does not explode, as well as to characterize a strong-drift limit version of the MC which displays 'instant fixation' effect, which was an assumption in the original McFarland's model. Mathematical results are confirmed by simulations of the complete and limit versions. Simulations also visualize complex stochastic transients and genealogies of clones arising in the model.Item Unrolled-DOT: an interpretable deep network for diffuse optical tomography(SPIE, 2023) Zhao, Yongyi; Raghuram, Ankit; Wang, Fay; Kim, Stephen Hyunkeol; Hielscher, Andreas H.; Robinson, Jacob T.; Veeraraghavan, AshokSignificanceImaging through scattering media is critical in many biomedical imaging applications, such as breast tumor detection and functional neuroimaging. Time-of-flight diffuse optical tomography (ToF-DOT) is one of the most promising methods for high-resolution imaging through scattering media. ToF-DOT and many traditional DOT methods require an image reconstruction algorithm. Unfortunately, this algorithm often requires long computational runtimes and may produce lower quality reconstructions in the presence of model mismatch or improper hyperparameter tuning.AimWe used a data-driven unrolled network as our ToF-DOT inverse solver. The unrolled network is faster than traditional inverse solvers and achieves higher reconstruction quality by accounting for model mismatch.ApproachOur model “Unrolled-DOT” uses the learned iterative shrinkage thresholding algorithm. In addition, we incorporate a refinement U-Net and Visual Geometry Group (VGG) perceptual loss to further increase the reconstruction quality. We trained and tested our model on simulated and real-world data and benchmarked against physics-based and learning-based inverse solvers.ResultsIn experiments on real-world data, Unrolled-DOT outperformed learning-based algorithms and achieved over 10× reduction in runtime and mean-squared error, compared to traditional physics-based solvers.ConclusionWe demonstrated a learning-based ToF-DOT inverse solver that achieves state-of-the-art performance in speed and reconstruction quality, which can aid in future applications for noninvasive biomedical imaging.Item Detection and characterization of constitutive replication origins defined by DNA polymerase epsilon(Springer Nature, 2023) Jaksik, Roman; Wheeler, David A.; Kimmel, MarekDespite the process of DNA replication being mechanistically highly conserved, the location of origins of replication (ORI) may vary from one tissue to the next, or between rounds of replication in eukaryotes, suggesting flexibility in the choice of locations to initiate replication. Lists of human ORI therefore vary widely in number and location, and there are currently no methods available to compare them. Here, we propose a method of detection of ORI based on somatic mutation patterns generated by the mutator phenotype of damaged DNA polymerase epsilon (POLE).Item Repair of complex ovine segmental mandibulectomy utilizing customized tissue engineered bony flaps(Public Library of Science, 2023) Watson, Emma; Pearce, Hannah A.; Hogan, Katie J.; Dijk, Natasja W.M. van; Smoak, Mollie M.; Barrios, Sergio; Smith, Brandon T.; Tatara, Alexander M.; Woernley, Timothy C.; Shum, Jonathan; Pearl, Craig B.; Melville, James C.; Ho, Tang; Hanna, Issa A.; Demian, Nagi; Beucken, Jeroen J.J.P. van den; Jansen, John A.; Wong, Mark E.; Mikos, Antonios G.Craniofacial defects require a treatment approach that provides both robust tissues to withstand the forces of mastication and high geometric fidelity that allows restoration of facial architecture. When the surrounding soft tissue is compromised either through lack of quantity (insufficient soft tissue to enclose a graft) or quality (insufficient vascularity or inducible cells), a vascularized construct is needed for reconstruction. Tissue engineering using customized 3D printed bioreactors enables the generation of mechanically robust, vascularized bony tissues of the desired geometry. While this approach has been shown to be effective when utilized for reconstruction of non-load bearing ovine angular defects and partial segmental defects, the two-stage approach to mandibular reconstruction requires testing in a large, load-bearing defect. In this study, 5 sheep underwent bioreactor implantation and the creation of a load-bearing mandibular defect. Two bioreactor geometries were tested: a larger complex bioreactor with a central groove, and a smaller rectangular bioreactor that were filled with a mix of xenograft and autograft (initial bone volume/total volume BV/TV of 31.8 ± 1.6%). At transfer, the tissues generated within large and small bioreactors were composed of a mix of lamellar and woven bone and had BV/TV of 55.3 ± 2.6% and 59.2 ± 6.3%, respectively. After transfer of the large bioreactors to the mandibular defect, the bioreactor tissues continued to remodel, reaching a final BV/TV of 64.5 ± 6.2%. Despite recalcitrant infections, viable osteoblasts were seen within the transferred tissues to the mandibular site at the end of the study, suggesting that a vascularized customized bony flap is a potentially effective reconstructive strategy when combined with an optimal stabilization strategy and local antibiotic delivery prior to development of a deep-seated infection.Item Nanocomposite Bioprinting for Tissue Engineering Applications(MDPI, 2023) Loukelis, Konstantinos; Helal, Zina A.; Mikos, Antonios G.; Chatzinikolaidou, MariaBioprinting aims to provide new avenues for regenerating damaged human tissues through the controlled printing of live cells and biocompatible materials that can function therapeutically. Polymeric hydrogels are commonly investigated ink materials for 3D and 4D bioprinting applications, as they can contain intrinsic properties relative to those of the native tissue extracellular matrix and can be printed to produce scaffolds of hierarchical organization. The incorporation of nanoscale material additives, such as nanoparticles, to the bulk of inks, has allowed for significant tunability of the mechanical, biological, structural, and physicochemical material properties during and after printing. The modulatory and biological effects of nanoparticles as bioink additives can derive from their shape, size, surface chemistry, concentration, and/or material source, making many configurations of nanoparticle additives of high interest to be thoroughly investigated for the improved design of bioactive tissue engineering constructs. This paper aims to review the incorporation of nanoparticles, as well as other nanoscale additive materials, to printable bioinks for tissue engineering applications, specifically bone, cartilage, dental, and cardiovascular tissues. An overview of the various bioinks and their classifications will be discussed with emphasis on cellular and mechanical material interactions, as well the various bioink formulation methodologies for 3D and 4D bioprinting techniques. The current advances and limitations within the field will be highlighted.Item Automated In Vivo High-Resolution Imaging to Detect Human Papillomavirus–Associated Anal Precancer in Persons Living With HIV(Wolters Kluwer, 2023) Brenes, David; Kortum, Alex; Carns, Jennifer; Mutetwa, Tinaye; Schwarz, Richard; Liu, Yuxin; Sigel, Keith; Richards-Kortum, Rebecca; Anandasabapathy, Sharmila; Gaisa, Michael; Chiao, ElizabethINTRODUCTION: In the United States, the effectiveness of anal cancer screening programs has been limited by a lack of trained professionals proficient in high-resolution anoscopy (HRA) and a high patient lost-to-follow-up rate between diagnosis and treatment. Simplifying anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or more severe (AIN 2+) detection could radically improve the access and efficiency of anal cancer prevention. Novel optical imaging providing point-of-care diagnoses could substantially improve existing HRA and histology-based diagnosis. This work aims to demonstrate the potential of high-resolution microendoscopy (HRME) coupled with a novel machine learning algorithm for the automated, in vivo diagnosis of anal precancer. METHODS: The HRME, a fiber-optic fluorescence microscope, was used to capture real-time images of anal squamous epithelial nuclei. Nuclear staining is achieved using 0.01% wt/vol proflavine, a topical contrast agent. HRME images were analyzed by a multitask deep learning network (MTN) that computed the probability of AIN 2+ for each HRME image. RESULTS: The study accrued data from 77 people living with HIV. The MTN achieved an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.84 for detection of AIN 2+. At the AIN 2+ probability cutoff of 0.212, the MTN achieved comparable performance to expert HRA impression with a sensitivity of 0.92 (P = 0.68) and specificity of 0.60 (P = 0.48) when using histopathology as the gold standard. DISCUSSION: When used in combination with HRA, this system could facilitate more selective biopsies and promote same-day AIN2+ treatment options by enabling real-time diagnosis.Item A split ribozyme that links detection of a native RNA to orthogonal protein outputs(Springer Nature, 2023) Gambill, Lauren; Staubus, August; Mo, Kim Wai; Ameruoso, Andrea; Chappell, JamesIndividual RNA remains a challenging signal to synthetically transduce into different types of cellular information. Here, we describe Ribozyme-ENabled Detection of RNA (RENDR), a plug-and-play strategy that uses cellular transcripts to template the assembly of split ribozymes, triggering splicing reactions that generate orthogonal protein outputs. To identify split ribozymes that require templating for splicing, we use laboratory evolution to evaluate the activities of different split variants of the Tetrahymena thermophila ribozyme. The best design delivers a 93-fold dynamic range of splicing with RENDR controlling fluorescent protein production in response to an RNA input. We further resolve a thermodynamic model to guide RENDR design, show how input signals can be transduced into diverse outputs, demonstrate portability across different bacteria, and use RENDR to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This work shows how transcriptional signals can be monitored in situ and converted into different types of biochemical information using RNA synthetic biology.Item Deconvoluting binding sites in amyloid nanofibrils using time-resolved spectroscopy(Royal Society of Chemisty, 2023) Jiang, Bo; Umezaki, Utana; Augustine, Andrea; Jayasinghe-Arachchige, Vindi M.; Serafim, Leonardo F.; He, Zhi Mei Sonia; Wyss, Kevin M.; Prabhakar, Rajeev; Martí, Angel A.Steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy has a central role not only for sensing applications, but also in biophysics and imaging. Light switching probes, such as ruthenium dipyridophenazine complexes, have been used to study complex systems such as DNA, RNA, and amyloid fibrils. Nonetheless, steady-state spectroscopy is limited in the kind of information it can provide. In this paper, we use time-resolved spectroscopy for studying binding interactions between amyloid-β fibrillar structures and photoluminescent ligands. Using time-resolved spectroscopy, we demonstrate that ruthenium complexes with a pyrazino phenanthroline derivative can bind to two distinct binding sites on the surface of fibrillar amyloid-β, in contrast with previous studies using steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopy, which only identified one binding site for similar compounds. The second elusive binding site is revealed when deconvoluting the signals from the time-resolved decay traces, allowing the determination of dissociation constants of 3 and 2.2 μM. Molecular dynamic simulations agree with two binding sites on the surface of amyloid-β fibrils. Time-resolved spectroscopy was also used to monitor the aggregation of amyloid-β in real-time. In addition, we show that common polypyridine complexes can bind to amyloid-β also at two different binding sites. Information on how molecules bind to amyloid proteins is important to understand their toxicity and to design potential drugs that bind and quench their deleterious effects. The additional information contained in time-resolved spectroscopy provides a powerful tool not only for studying excited state dynamics but also for sensing and revealing important information about the system including hidden binding sites.