Professor Ron Weiss
Lab Focus: Biological Engineering
Lab Website: https://weiss-lab.mit.edu
Project Name: Programmable Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using RNAi-based Logic Circuitry
Project Description: Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), reprogrammed from adult cells, allow the creation of unique new cells and tissues from patient-specific stem cells. These tissues are being used for research in drug development, disease models, and regenerative medicine. In the Weiss Lab, we work on engineering biological computation in hiPSCs that can control the way they form those new cells and tissues. This project involves both designing and implementing biological circuits encoded in the genome of human stem cells. The type of circuits used is based on RNA interference (RNAi), which can perform computer-like operations in human cells. This project will involve learning about CRISPR, genome engineering, biological circuit design, DNA cloning, and quantitative analysis of biological data.
Weiss Lab Mentors:
Sebastian Palacios – PhD Candidate (Research Areas: Electrical Engineering, Computer Science)
Jesse Tordoff – PhD Candidate (Research Areas: Stem Cell and Developmental Systems Biology, Synthetic Biology and Biological Design)
Professor Roger Kamm
Lab Focus: Biological Engineering
Lab Website: http://web.mit.edu/meche/mb/
Project Name: Understanding Immune Cell Migration in In Vitro Cancer Models
Project Description: Immunotherapy is the most recent breakthrough in cancer treatment. However, it is not successful in all patients. Biomarkers predicting response to therapy have not been established yet, so we are using in vitro systems to model interactions between cancer cells and immune cells. Two-dimensional and unique 3-dimensional microfluidic cell culture methods will be used to quantify migration of T cells toward several cancer cell lines. The student will be introduced to several techniques including microfluidic device fabrication, cell culture, immunostaining, and fluorescent microscopy.
Kamm Lab Mentors:
Cynthia Hajal – PhD Candidate (Research Areas:Vascular Models)
Sarah Shelton – PhD (Research Areas: Cancer Models)
Professor Mathias Kolle
Lab Focus: Mechanical Engineering
Lab Website: https://bioinspiredoptics.mit.edu
Project Name: Designing and Creating a Video Game for Interacting with Microscopic Biological Systems in Real-Time
Project Description: This project is an open-ended exploration into designing and creating a video game for interacting with microscopic biological systems in real-time. It consists of four main tasks. The first task involves culturing living cells in the lab, most likely a simple single-celled model organism such as E. coli. The second task is taking measurements from the biological system and transmitting them to a computer using a variety of microscopy and image processing techniques. The third task is using a video game engine (e.g. Unity) or modding an existing game (e.g. Minecraft), to create a virtual environment where the biological system can be visualized and interacted with by the user. The fourth and final task is taking that user input and affecting the physical biological system in some way, such as triggering motion, gene expression, cell death, etc; the specific details of the interaction would be open for discussion. Some experience in coding could be beneficial, but is not required.
Kolle Laboratory Mentors:
Benjamin Miller – PhD Candidate
Anthony McDougal – PhD Candidate
Professor Asegun Henry
Lab Focus: Mechanical Engineering
Lab Website: https://ase.mit.edu
Project Name: Sonification of the Periodic Table
Project Description: Many of us know that we are surrounded by sound waves that travel in the air around us, but maybe only a few of us know that we are also surrounded by sound waves that travel inside the solid materials that we have around ourselves. In fact, all the jiggling of atoms in a solid material come together to make different tones and pitches of sounds in that solid structure. This is the reason that physicists, from old days, have used the term “phonon” (phon in Greek means sound) to describe all these atomic jigglings (vibrations) in the solid structure. Aside from the sound nature of these atomic vibrations, they play a huge role in determining many of the properties in solid materials. For instance, these sound waves can determine how strong a solid material is or how fast it can respond to a temperature change in its surroundings. Therefore, obtaining a deeper knowledge about these sound waves will help us better understand the properties that each solid material exhibits.
Henry Lab Mentors:
Kiarash Gordiz – PhD
Andrew Rohskopf – PhD Candidate
Professor Ming Guo
Lab Focus: Mechanical Engineering
Lab Website: https://www.guolab.mit.edu
Professor Alex Shalek
Lab Focus: Biological Engineering
Lab Website: http://shaleklab.com/