Team Mercury Meeting

We have made a lot of progress for our machine. Everyone is coming up with great ideas for there part of the project. To describe our basic idea, our machine will sit in the membrane and consist of two main parts; a channel and a voltmeter. Whenever the voltmeter reading moves out of a certain range, the channel will open allowing potassium ions to diffuse out. When the voltmeter reading returns to the proper range, the channel will close. We are still coming up with ideas to determine how our machine will; travel to the cell, stop in the membrane, and differentiate between different types of ions. We are also considering what type of material to use. We will meet today to discuss our recent findings.

Team Neptune (502) Finishing Design

Team Neptune has made significant headway concerning the device design in the past two weeks. We have concentrated on creating a system that would maintain the membrane potential in a variety of circumstances. It is our belief that this design must be versatile enough to handle numerous membrane potential variances. We have worked out many of the problems we foresaw in our original design and feel that our current design plans are optimal. We have combined aspects of the voltmeter and the treatment method in order to create a more efficient, simple machine. We plan on starting the graphics portion of our presentation in the coming days.

Mars 502 Meets Again

This Thursday Mars finalized our problem: the sodium channels in our neurons are not functioning properly. We discussed various ways to measure membrane potential that also accounts for the very dynamic disposition of the cell. We also discussed an interesting idea about using the potassium and neurotransimitter taken up by astrocytes to recorrect our neuron membrane potentials.

Team Mars is almost there

At this Wednesday's meeting, Team Mars decided to have everyone submit the information for their assigned powerpoint into webCT by this coming Wednesday. That way we can all look over everyone else's information and tell them what we think. We are then going to get together in the next few coming weeks to put the powerpoint together. We also decided what order we are going to presents our information in.

Mercury 502

As stated before, our ultimate goal is to regulate the membrane potential in pancreatic beta cells. In the last meeting, our team clarified our ideas and came up with a more definite prototype.

To correct the imbalance of the cell's potential, our nanomachine will move potassium (K+) ions across the cell membrane. This nanomachine will be a titanium channel able to move K+ in and out of the cell. Our machine is a hollow channel that is shaped like an hour glass. Inside the center of the channel is a selectivity protein made by the cell. This protein allows K+ and only K+ to travel through it. It is feasible to clone these proteins and place them inside our channel. To expedite the movement of the ions, the nanmachine is surrounded by a metal coil that is connected to a nanobattery. Running current through the coil causes a magnetic field that will accelerate the ions out of the cell.

Protruding from each end of the nanomachine (which will be refered to as APC502), is a nanosensor. These sensors measure the potential of the cell and relay that information to a nano-microprocessor, which in turn regulates the strength of the magnetic field generated by the battery.

Our team is also considering fusing two of the nanomachines side by side but in opposite directions, so K+ can be better moved in both directions.

The nanomachine will be delivered to the cell inside a mycelle made of phospholipids. The mycelle will naturally be incorporated into the cell's membrane and the nanomachine will correctely orient itself in the membrane due to its hydrophobic and hydrophilic coatings. Because of its symmetry, our machine will function regardless of the direction it is pointed.

There are still some issues that we must consider before the finalization of our project. We need to determine the scale of each APC502 and how long the lifespan is of the nano-battery compared to the cell.

Team Venus: Meetings 5 & 6

Team Venus met this past Monday to evaluate our two ideas and to pick one of them. We discussed both ideas and decided that both have pros and cons. We finally chose to go with the nanotube idea because it seemed more feasible. With this idea, we would insert nanotubes along the membrane that would act like sodium channels to increase the influx of sodium. These tubes would then be connected to working sodium channels, so that the tubes would open when the existing channels opened. With a basic grasp on our idea, we decided to split up the research needed to develop the intricacies of our design (these research topics were changed slightly after our meeting with Dr. Wasser on Wednesday, so I will state the revised ones at the end).
Then on Wednesday, we met with Dr. Wasser, and our initial idea was revised slightly to make the design more efficient. Dr. Wasser reminded us that all the sodium channels on the membrane are still present, they are just inactive. So, instead of creating new artificial sodium channels and mimicking how they work, it would be easier to take advantage of the inactive channels. He suggested that we insert nanotubes around the inactive channels and connect them to the motor neuron’s axon terminal to catch the signal. We thought it would be hard to activate these tubes, however, without the acetylcholine receptors. Therefore, we elaborated on Dr. Wasser’s suggestion and thought that we would try to encapsulate both the channel and the acetylcholine receptor. By encapsulating the receptors, we could keep the channel open all the time and manually gate it shut with our nanotube. Then we could activate the tubes by connecting them to the motor neuron’s axon terminal to capture the signal. With this method, our device could be implanted when the patient is first diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis and it could potentially stop the disease’s progression. The main concern with this idea is that we don’t know where the acetylcholine receptors are located, on the channel or next to it. If the receptor is next to the channel we would have to encapsulate it separately and connect it to the channel. If the receptor is on the channel, then we don’t know if the antibodies would destroy the channel by attacking the receptors on the channel. If this is the case then we won’t be able to use the inactive channels and we will have to go back to making new ones. With these and other questions unresolved, here are the research topics we assigned each person.

How the channels function and where the receptors are located—Brian and Kathy
Nano-materials—Alheli
How to seal the tube to the membrane—Harry
How to link the tubes to the axon terminal of the motor neuron—Victor
How our device will locate the existing channels—AudraOverview of Myasthenia Gravis and what exactly it does to the channels and receptors—Thomas

Team Venus (502) Full Speed Ahead

10.26.05

Team Venus met tonight and got quite a bit accomplished. We have contrived a prototype nanomachine whose job is to regulate the resting membrane potential of a skeletal muscle cell, while taking into account the need for action potential conduction. The details of our design are classified as confidential, but you'll soon enough find out. Of course, there are still several unanswered questions and possible hang-ups, but barring any major disapproval of our design by Dr. Wasser, we should get the details of our design ironed out here within a week or two. The group is working very well together and we've had a lot of very creative ideas. The devil is in the details, but we should soon resolve any such physiological or technical problems.
Stay tuned,

Team Venus (Section 502)

Team jupiter is still rolling

Team jupiter is still moving. We have decided to try to use hydro gels to help regulate our GI epithelial cells membrane. Tam and I are going to meet with a dr. in the biomedical engineering department tomorrow to discuss our idea further. Today we met and started to build our power point show. We just did a rough draft, and we divided up each slide to a member so that we could individualy work on a slide. We are planning to meet next weekend to continue working on the power point slide show.

Still rolling

So far team jupiter (502) is moving along pretty good. We spoke with Dr. Wasser last week, and today we started our power point show. We are going to divide up each slide to a member and have them work on it, and then we will meet and piece them all together. Tam and I (Ben) are going to meet with a doctor in the biomedical engineering department to discuss our idea for a nanomachine. We are going to try to use hydro gels to help our GI epithelial cells regulate its membrane. Our idea is to place the hydro gel inside the cell to suck up excess charge so that the cell doesn't become polarized. Other than that there is not much else to report. Provided our meeting with the doctor goes well tomorrow we should be right on track.

Team Venus: Meeting 4 (with Dr. Wasser)

After lab this week team Venus met with Dr. Wasser to discuss our ideas in order to determine if they were realistic and possible. We also wanted to make sure it was okay to make our device using the disease myasthenia gravis as a focus. Dr. Wasser assured us that it was fine to use myasthenia gravis as a focus, as long as we do not make a device that targets the acetylcholine receptors. The two ideas we are considering are to create synthetic ion channels to increase the amount of sodium ions through the membrane or to create pumps that would accelerate the sodium ions through the existing channels. Dr. Wasser said these were both great ideas but that the pump may be more difficult because we would have to find a way to accelerate the ions. We were also assured that if we make a pump then it would never pump too many ions into the membrane to disturb the gradient. In addition, Dr. Wasser suggested that if we do the synthetic channels then we should model them after the natural channels. Before this meeting, we were hesitant to continue until we knew we were on the right track. Now, with Dr. Wasser’s advice and assurance, we have decided to research both ideas and write the pros and cons of each in order to pick the idea we want to use.

Leaps and Bounds, and meet w/ you Dr. Wasser?

Today (monday) the Saturn 501 group met after a long hiatus for testing periods. When we came together today we had loose ideas but nothing too solid. Today we managed to make the primary design with only a few holes in planning still to work out.
For the delievery into the cell, we will use the macrophage's own function to consume a certain particle which i am hesitant to describe in further detail here. Suffice to say the nano-machine will be inside the particle and will then presumably be delivered to the lysosome. As the lys begins to act on the 'carrier' and it's integrity is ruptured, base, which will be inside along with the nanomachine, will be released to neutralize the acidity of the lysosome. The nano machine will probably have some sort of sheath that wants to be inside the lipid bilayer, thus by a mechanism somewhat too difficult and underdeveloped to described here yet, the nanomachine should be excreted into the cytoplasm.
From here it will undergo its main functioning. there will be a voltmeter which will be described in detail later, which will tell the machine whether to raise or lower the potential difference. Then the machine will take in K+ particles in order to raise the difference, which we will probably assume is the initial problem, and from then on, it will have a store of k+ to release if the difference needs to be lowered, and more room to take more k+ should the difference be higher.
We have more detail here, but time, space, and confidentiality prevent me from describing more.
Incidently, Dr. Wasser, we would like to meet with you this Wednesday sometime, preferably after the lab in the afternoon, but possibly after class, whichever is better for you.

Team Neptune (502)

Howdy,

We have been researching different methods to measure whether or not a heart cell is within the range of healthy membrane potential. While we have narrowed down the options for this measurement, we have yet to come to a final consensus on which method is optimum. However, with regard to the ‘correction’ of the membrane potential, we have concentrated our focus on the calcium ion. Our task at this point is to discover different ways to manipulate the calcium ion flow into the cell. An optimum device would be able to increase as well as decrease this flow based on the membrane potential.

Team Venus-502

Howdy all...

Team Venus from section 502 just got done with another meeting. We have determined that specifically, we need to correct the resting membrane potential of the skeletal muscle cell. However, along with this task, we need to take several things into consideration:
1. The device needs to be able to measure the resting voltage on both sides of the membrane. This implies that the device needs to be able to span the membrane.
2. The device needs to "understand" that the potential is wrong, and needs to somehow correct it. (This is the bulk of the work)
3. The device needs to be able to sense when an action potential needs to travel down the cell, and adjust accordingly.

This is more than enough for us to work on, so we'll keep you "posted" so to speak on any updates.

-Team Venus 502

Team Jupiter 501 meetings

At our most recent meeting, we first began by sharing what we had found and traded ideas. Many ideas had come from us studying from the test.

Some conclusions:
It takes very little exchange of sodium to change the membrane potential. Our textbook lists an example of what is necessary. It's actually very surprising.

Because the nature of ours cells is to sluff off very quickly, our treatment will require continuous treatment, most likely oral.

We are looking into biomimetics to copy E. Coli. as a way for our nanomachines to find and attach to the cell walls in the GI track.

We have discussed how our nanomachine is to cross into the cell membrane, but I will not mention that here because I don't know how in depth I'm supposed to be in this blog.

We've decided one advantage to our cell type is that because our nano machines are replenished quickly, an internal power supply is practical. We need not be concerned about drawing power from some cellular/biological force. Because it only needs to be powered for a few days at most, a traditional chemical power source would be practical.

Finally, we all decided the most logical way of solving our problem is: Magic.

Mercury 501

We met on Sunday, October 9. We have narrowed the function of our nano machine to a few options. The reason the membrane potential is off begins with glucose. Too much glucose causes the ratio of ATP to ADP to shift in the favor of ATP. This extra ATP inhibits the potassium channel leaving the cell. Potassium then accumulates inside the membrane and affects the voltage gated calcium channel. This calcium channel remains open allowing the free flow of calcium ions and activates the release of too much insulin. We are trying to decide where we will incorporate our nano machine. We will meet again on Wednesday.

Mercury 502/Getting down to business

Our team has decided it would be more efficient to focus on a specific aspect of the regulation of the membrane potential. One way to do this is with the K-ATP channel.

The K-ATP channel is responsible for the cell membrane potential in pancreatic-beta cells. The K-ATP channel is a special kind of K+ channel that is gated on and off depending on the cell's intracellular concentrations of ATP. Often, when there is a problem with the cell's membrane potential, it is almost always caused by a faulty potassium pump. We may define this as our problem, and then use an electron accelerator to transport Potassium.

The electron accelerator could be a combination of an electric field between two parallel plates, as well as a perpendicular magnetic field to accelerate the ions in and out of the cell. This device would be gated so it is only being used when sensors in the cell determine the potential difference needs to increase or decrease. The device would have terminals on both sides to attract the ions into the device to be accelerated. This way the device cannot only send +/- ions in the cell, but also out of the cell. Perhaps the cell could be encapsulated in a micelle with hydrophilic ends and hydrophobic middle so it would orient itself properly in the membrane.

This brings up the issue of what to make this out of. Plastic is a possibility, but we obviously need something metallic that conducts electricity. This means we need try and find a metal that is not harmful in the body. Also, this device needs some sort of battery to create this electric current, and if so, how do we make that?

The electron accelerator will need to discriminate between species of ions. We can’t have it attract all + or - ions in the local vicinity and move them around. Otherwise, the device might fill the cell interior with Ca2+. High intracellular levels of Ca2+ are often very harmful to cell biochemistry and physiology. However, if we can keep the total flux of ions down to some reasonable level, then the effect of altering the intracellular concentrations might not be so bad.

Team Mercury Meeting

We had a short meeting this past Wednesday. After some general research and discussion we feel everyone has a good grasp on the how the pancreatic beta cells work and function. We are moving into more specific research. We have split up into six groups of research: type of material for our nano machine; how our machine will be fixed in the membrane; what is going to power it; how it will work with the cell to fix the gradient; what kind of storage will be neccessary for our machine and also a final group will continue general research. Our next meeting is scheduled for Sunday and we will meet and compare our research and ideas.

Team Neptune (502) Good to Go

Last Thursday, Team Neptune had our second team meeting. Our first task was to fully identify our goal for the nano-machine. We came to a consensus that the machine must be able to regulate proper muscle contraction of the myocardial cells through proper maintenance of the membrane (i.e. ion exchange). We then brainstormed different functions and traits that the design would need to accomplish our goal. We narrowed down which topics needed to be researched in order to move forward. These topics included, however were not limited to, cardiomyocyte dimensions, the general composition of the heart cell, proper membrane potential maintenance, and calcium ion pumps. We felt strongly that all these issues would play an essential role in what would become our nano-machine. We are working this week to set a time when every member of Team Neptune can meet weekly without a scheduling conflict.

Wheels are in Motion

Team Mars - 502 has been discussing a few ideas in way of a power source for the nanomachine, delivery of the machine into the cell, and methods by which the machine will measure the membrane potential. We're looking into using a nuclear power source for our machine. This would provide plenty of energy over a long period of time. For delivery into the cell, we're looking into using either liposomes or possibly a pump or channel protein. We've also considered how we are going to measure the membrane potential. One idea is to measure the force applied to a charged surface either inside or outside the cell, and equate the voltage thusly. This would keep the measuring device very small and compact. We continue to work diligently toward our goal.

Team Neptune Brainstorming Meeting

Last Wednesday Team Neptune met in the library to begin brainstorm ideas for the function and design of our nano-machine. The focus of our machine is to repair cardiomyocyte cells, which have stopped functioning correctly due to bad ion channels. To combat this problem we came up with a couple of ideas involving a nano machine inserted in the cell, inserted in the cell membrane and a machine that would reside outside the cell. One thing we know for sure about our machine is that it will need to ability to measure the potential difference inside the cell and outside the cell. To determine which idea would be the best to refine, we decided more research needed to be done. We split up various areas and issues of the cardiomyocyte cell for each team member to research more in-depth and have the information ready to present for our next team meeting.

Jupiter is rolling

So far Team Jupiter has assigned each member areas to start researching. Clark and myself are on materials, cell properties is Tam and Noemi, cell biology is Sara and Katie. Our current idea is to create a nano machine that sucks up Na+ to lower the concentration out side our epithelial cell.

Saturn Meeting

Today, Sunday, our group meet to have a brain storming session based on the research that we have done so far, and the task at hand. Catered to our cell, we recognized that there are three ultimatums at work: We want our machine to get into the cell, We want it to measure the voltage, and we want it to Balance the voltage. We have tried to stay on this path of thinking to keep steady guidelines. Since we have a macrophage our machine will probably be inserted through phagocytosis. We also may have a second piece outside which will eventually attach to the internal piece automatically. Our device may implant itself in the membrane, or we may have it force its way through a membrane spanning protein. Hopefully then we will have it read a voltage through a technique we discussed. The actual distribution/reduction of charge inside the cell can be resolved through a few different techniques we discussed, ion balancing being one of them.
The ideas we came up with have given us specific information to seek out to check the plausibility of each of our designs. Then we will choose the design which has the best balance of negative and positive benefits.
We might call it the Death Star.