Advancement in nanowarming and the impact on critical animal models for drug therapies and genetic studies
In this webinar, Dr. Bischof and Dr. Kholsa will be joining us from the University of Minnesota (UMN), where they work together with a nationwide team of scientists to develop methods for cell model preservation, specifically zebrafish. Their research also extends to both cryopreservation and rewarming of tissue and whole organs to lengthen the life of donated tissue and organs. Zebrafish are an important model organism for studying human genetics, cancer, other diseases, and possible pharmaceutical treatments, and there is a need for researchers to preserve and share zebrafish strains. The development of a new Research Center for Bio Preservation (ATP-Bio) at UMN is currently underway, which will house facilities for both cryopreservation and nanoparticle development.
nanoComposix plays a critical role in the development, optimization, and implementation of gold nanoparticles in this technology as part of a joint effort for a Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant to improve nanowarming of zebrafish models. This collaboration takes advantage of the unique properties of gold nanoparticles and a new ultrafast warming technology being developed by Dr. Bischof to address the need to reproducibly thaw large embryos post-cryopreservation.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Bischof and Dr. Khosla from the UMN and Dr. Aaron Saunders from nanoComposix on Wednesday, December 2nd at 11 AM PST/1 PM CST as they discuss:
- The impact of bio preservation on healthcare and cell-based research
- How the work at UMN helps to stop the clock on vital cell and animal models to ensure their preservation for future research
- How nanoComposix nanomaterials are directly impacting the work being done at UMN
Dr. John Bischof
UMN Distinguished McKnight University Professor
John Bischof works in the area of thermal bioengineering with a focus on biopreservation, thermal therapy, and nanomedicine. His awards include the ASME Van Mow Medal and Fellowships in societies including Cryobiology, JSPS, ASME, and AIMBE. He has served as the President of the Society for Cryobiology and Chair of the Bioengineering Division of the ASME. Bischof obtained a B.S. in Bioengineering from U.C. Berkeley (UCB) in 1987, an M.S. from UCB and U.C. San Francisco in 1989, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UCB in 1992. After a Post-doctoral Fellowship at Harvard in the Center for Engineering in Medicine, he joined the University of Minnesota in 1993. John Bischof is now a Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Kuhrmeyer Chair in the Departments of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, and the Medtronic-Bakken Endowed Chair and Director of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine at the University of Minnesota. John Bischof is also Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center Advanced Technologies for Preservation of Biological Systems (ATP-Bio), which launched on September 1, 2020.
Dr. Kanav Khosla
UMN Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr. Kanav Khosla is a Post-Doctoral Associate in the Bioheat & Mass Transfer Lab at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He received his MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, under the mentorship of Prof John Bischof. His research focuses on the development of effective cryobanking protocols for germplasm of aquatic organisms such as fish, corals, & shrimp. A functional “Cryo-Bank” in the future will be critical to managing biodiversity, providing year-round access to embryos to grow and harvest important aquaculture species, and maintaining biomedical research models.
Dr. Aaron Saunders
nanoComposix Chief Scientist
Aaron is a chemical engineer with more than 15 years of experience in the design, fabrication and integration of colloidal nanoparticles into applications ranging from diagnostics to photovoltaics. During his graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin and postdoctoral research at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, he developed new methods for synthesizing multi-component particles with novel optical and catalytic properties. As a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder his research group studied the synthesis and shape control of colloidal metal and semiconductor nanocrystals, focusing on energy harvesting and sensing applications. He moved to nanoComposix in 2011 and leads projects working with government and commercial clients to develop materials with tailored optical properties for diagnostic, sensing, security, and energy applications.