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I have graduated from High school! Check my Senior Capstone Project (June 2, 2020).
My Branson Science Research Project of 2019 was entitled: "Viability of 3D Printed PLA Scaffolds for 3D Cell Cultures". This research project received a honorable mention from the researchers that came to Branson to evaluate the projects. I used the knowledge I acquired during my Biotechnology course at Branson and my previous expertise in 3D printing to design and print several different scaffolds and scaffold holders. These scaffolds support the study of cell cultures in a 3D structure, which reproduce more closely the tissue growth of tumors when compared to tissue culture in flat petri dishes. The scaffold designs were based on research done in the last decade and my advisors' expertise in tissue culture.
Research Project - Phase 1 :
Research Project - Phase 1 :
My BSRP 2019 Poster
My BSRP 2019 Poster
This is the poster I have presented at BSRP Symposium - May 2019 as a junior student taking Biotechnology, click on the image for a high resolution version.
My advisors on this project were my Biotechnology teacher Mr. Carl Ma and Dr. Elizabeth Araujo of the Neurobiology Department of the Federal Fluminense University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (UFF-RJ). I would like to thank Mr. Ma and Dr. Araujo for helping me in the first phase of this project described in this poster. Dr. Araujo and her PhD student, Camila Saggioro de Figueiredo, advise me in the second phase when I learned about tissue culture techniques. The viability of PLA scaffolds was tested at Dr. Araujo's Hertha Meyer Tissue Culture Laboratory, UFF-RJ.
Research Project - Phase 2:
Research Project - Phase 2:
Phase 1 of the project focused on studying sterilization procedures of PLA scaffolds. PLA plastic deforms at 50ºC, so a laboratory autoclave could not be used to sterilize the scaffolds. During phase 2, I studied the effectiveness of the sterization procedure and if the retina cells would adhere to the PLA scaffolds or if a substract was needed. I have also studied how long the tissue culture would survive on PLA scaffolds without contamination and if the cell growth was compatible with conventional tissue culture experiments on petri dishes.
Learning to dissect newborn rat's retinas
Learning to dissect newborn rat's retinas
During my visit to the Laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth Araujo in August 2019, I was trained on the procedure of obtaining retina cells from newborn (< 72 hours) Lister Hooded rats. The newborn animals' eyes were dissected to obtain the tiny retinas; the retinas dissolved to produce a cell culture medium to be used to test cell growth and adhesion to the 3D PLA scaffolds.
Learning to dissect newborn rat's eyes to extract the retinas with Camila, PhD student.
Poking the eye to access the retina.
The retinas are the transparent tissue in the right of the petri dish.
Dissecting retinas, preparing cell culture, and initial results
Dissecting retinas, preparing cell culture, and initial results
Preparing to dissect the newborn rats eyes on a clean lab hood bench - some dissection pictures were omitted.
After 20 min in a lab water bath at 37ºC, the retinas are dissolved to be used in cell culture.
Analysing the cell culture growth and adhesion to the 3D PLA scaffolds on a microscope.
Equipment and animals used on the experiments
Equipment and animals used on the experiments
Hood with UV Light On
Lab Hood I used
Lab Water Bath
Microscope
Interior of Autoclave
Lab Incubator at 38C
Lister Hooded - Female
Newborn Lister Hooded
Scaffolds - Phase 2
Scaffolds - Phase 2
During Phase 2 smaller scaffolds were designed and 3D printed to minimize waste of materials and the use of animals. All the previous scaffold types were printed in this new size, and rings were produced to separate layers of scaffolds in 3D scaffold experiments.
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