Research Symposium

24th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 3, 2024

Hannah Maken Poster Session 5: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm/216


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BIO


I am originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, and my current research interests include the utilizations of numerous different softwares, including MATLAB and Python, to analyze and identify components of images and gather data from them. I hope to gain additional research experience with these programs, as they will help prepare me to more thoroughly analyze data and learn machines in my future career.

Developing An AI-based Particle-tracking Algorithm For Cardiac Muscle Cell Growth and Contractility

Authors: Hannah Maken, Dr. Christopher Solis
Student Major: Chemical Engineering
Mentor: Dr. Christopher Solis
Mentor's Department: Department of Health and Human Sciences
Mentor's College: College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Co-Presenters: Matthew Hutchins, Rick Geneus

Abstract


Our goal is to evaluate images showing the assembly and disassembly processes, which will be important examples for constructing an algorithm to estimate sarcomere growth within cardiac muscle cells. Reaching this objective will make a substantial contribution to our knowledge of the dynamics of the heart muscle and may also yield new perspectives on exercise physiology and heart health. The study of sarcomere growth in real time may yield important insights into the heart's response to different stimuli, which could guide the creation of effective treatments for cardiovascular disorders. Furthermore, this approach might be used more broadly to investigate the cellular dynamics of other muscle tissues, which would promote tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This multidisciplinary approach has the potential to spur innovation and advancement in the field of biomedical research and lead to groundbreaking discoveries. The expansion of each individual cardiac muscle cell propels the heart's growth in response to exercise. Sarcomere construction, the cytoskeletal framework seen in muscle cells, facilitates this expansion. Our team has the ability to stimulate cells to work harder in a lab setting, which causes the cells to spontaneously boost the creation of sarcomeres.

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Keywords: MATLAB, cells, imaging, cardiac muscle