Mechanical Analysis of Cartilage from Human Tracheomalacia Patients
Tracheomalacia is a softening of cartilage rings in the trachea that affects neonates, victims of smoke inhalation, and patients requiring prolonged intubation. If left untreated, this condition can lead to airway constriction and spontaneous collapse of the trachea, which is potentially fatal. Little is known about the mechanistic causes of this disease, and the only current treatment is partial resection of the trachea.
The goal of this project is to characterize the mechanical performance of tracheal cartilage obtained from partial surgical resections. This characterization will include analysis of the mechanical performance and biochemical composition of tracheal cartilage and screening the tissue for markers of inflammatory cytokines and proteinases typically associated with cartilage degradation.
The project is part of an ongoing collaboration between the laboratories of Prof, Bonassar in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dr, Jon Cheetham in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Subroto Paul, a cardiothoracic surgeon from Weill Cornell Medical College. Work will take place primarily in Prof, Bonassar's laboratory, with frequent consultation with Dr, Cheetham and Paul.
Students participating in the project will be developing and executing protocols for mechanical testing of tracheal tissue, performing biochemical analysis to measure their collagen and proteoglycan content, and assisting in the performance of histology and immunohistochemistry to assess tissue structure,
This project is well suited for 1-2 students with a solid foundation of coursework in mechanics, some laboratory experience with mechanical testing, and basic laboratory chemistry skills. Facility with programming in Matlab is preferred. Interested students should send a copy of a resume and unofficial transcript to Prof. Bonassar.
Contact: Prof. L.J. Bonassar
Email: lb244@cornell.edu
Phone:5-9381
Office:149 Weill Hall