Lipid Nanoparticle Summer: REU student aids research into delivery methods for bone-related medical treatments
Biomedical engineering student Ila Hales spent summer expanding her research expertise as part of the College of Engineering’s summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Working with Barbara D. Boyan, Ph.D., Joshua Cohen, M.D., and Ph.D. student Tom Jacobs, Hales investigated how to give instructions to a cell that regulates osteogenic differentiation, the process by which certain types of stem cells transform into bone-forming cells.
Developing a localized delivery method for lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and confirming the delivery method is able to work effectively by releasing the LNPs and their cargo to the correct treatment sites is the overall goal of the project. Researchers use LNPs to protect genetic information from being broken down by enzymes in the body. Inside these LNPs was miRNA-145, a short, non-coding RNA strand believed to regulate osteogenic differentiation. Lipid nanoparticles fuse with the cell membrane, allowing miRNA-145 to deliver instructions to the cell. In this case, those instructions can influence bone formation.
Understanding the effects of miRNA-145 and how to localize its delivery may advance the treatment of bone injuries and bone-related disorders.
“Other than in the classroom, I’d never worked in a lab environment before,” said Hales. “A major takeaway from this experience was the realization that I really love research. I’ve become obsessed with the energy and passion for learning new things, and I love how hands on you’re able to be in a lab. It was like all the education on lab techniques and research methods just fell into place when I got the chance to actually do them. The people I worked with and the creative opportunity I was given this past summer really shaped my experience and helped me grow as a student even more than I thought was possible.”
Hales was drawn to the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering’s REU because of its focus on undergraduate research opportunities. “Having Ila join our group was particularly gratifying for me,” said Boyan. “Ila’s faculty mentor at her home institution, Arizona State University, Dr. Olivia Burnsed, had been a student in my lab at Georgia Tech. She was also able to have an REU experience while she was an undergraduate and knew how it could help crystallize a love of science.”
“VCU puts a lot of time and resources into making sure professors and students have the tools they need to complete any research they can think of,” said Hales. “I believe that’s really important in an educational setting. The reputation of VCU’s research opportunities in their engineering program really stands out among other colleges and universities, which is why they were my top choice of REU programs.”
The Department of Biomedical Engineering provides undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to perform real-world research as soon as they enroll. From delving into the intricacies of cell migration in cancer research to exploring tissue engineering in menisci, tendons and ligaments, our students pursue a diverse range of cutting-edge research topics. Browse videos and recent news from the Department of Biomedical Engineering to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.
Categories Biomedical Engineering, Student Stories, Undergraduate Student Stories