My name
is Zaineb Nawaz and I am currently working on research in the Medical Imaging
and Photoacousticts lab at the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Studies, GMU. I
am majoring in Bioengineering with a concentration in Biomedical Systems and
Signals. However, in addition to my concentration in Biomedical Systems and
Signals, I am also following a Pre-Health Advisory track, as I intend on
pursuing a career in medicine. This interest in two distinct fields led to my
participation in my current project; an integration of medicine and
Bioengineering.
My
current project deals with the use of photoacoustics to detect bacterial
biofilms. Bacterial biofilms are microbial communities which reside on the
surface of organisms. A thick surface comprised of extra-cellular polymeric
substances is created during the formation of bacterial biofilms. This thick
surface surrounds and protects the bacterial biofilm inhibiting foreign particles,
such as therapeutic drugs, from coming in proximity with the biofilm hindering
both the detection and treatment of biofilms. This however, can potentially be
countered by photoacoustics. Photoacoustics depends on the “optical properties”
of a given tissue rather than its “mechanical and elastic properties” This
allows photoacoustics to provide specific details of the molecules present,
potentially allowing it to overcome the hindrance created by the biofilms
ability to hide its true composition.
Conducting
this project I hope to polish and further enhance the Bioengineering skills I
have learned in my classes over the course of degree. I want to be able to
practically demonstrate the textbook knowledge received in classrooms. I hope
that through the conductance of this project I will be more comfortable working
in the real world, where I have to apply the skills to solve novel problems.
As this
is an original study, and we are not replicating a previous study, what we do
in lab every week varies. We will be working on producing biofilms one week,
while the next week we will be working on setting up the system required to
scan the biofilms. So far we have narrowed down the list of biofilms, and
decided the two biofilms to use, set up the scanning system; including writing
a PC based program to control the system and producing smaller parts in a 3D
drawing/printing software; and produced the biofilms used in this study. There
are new learning experiences every week. For example, this week I learned about
the different components of a tunable laser as well as how to use the laser to
carry out scanning.
