Mechanism of Cellular Detachment from a ThermoResponsive Polymer Kristin Wilde, Graduate Student in

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Mechanism of Cellular Detachment from a
Thermo-Responsive PolymerKristin Wilde,
Graduate Student in Chemical Engineering, IGERT
Fellow 2008, PhD in progress 2007-2010B.S.
Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, 2001
M.Ch.E. Chemical Engineering, Auburn University,
2007PI Prof. Heather Canavan, Chemical
Engineering and Co-PI Prof. Diane Lidke,
Pathology

• Goals of the project
• Investigate how mammalian cells detach from
  poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (pNIPAM) using
  traditional surface analysis techniques and novel
  biophysical techniques (e.g. quantum dots)
• Explain why cancer cells differ from healthy
  cells in their attachment to pNIPAM-coated
  surfaces

Major breakthroughs First cross-sectional images
of cells during low-temperature liftoff from
pNIPAM

• Rotations
• Chemical Engineering Prof. Heather Canavan
• Pathology / UNM HSC Prof. Diane Lidke (planned)
• Physics / Harvard Prof. David Weitz (tentative)

TEM image of A431 human cancer cell on
pNIPAM-coated cover slip. Scale bar at left is
500 nm.

• Other efforts/outreach
• CBME elementary school outreach program
• CBME high school outreach program
• Internship (planned)

Drawing of cell on pNIPAM with quantum dots
(magenta) incorporated
Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (pNIPAM) responds to
a change in temperature
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