The Purdue International Genetically Engineered Machine  (iGEM) Team will be presenting a report for the establishment of an educational biotechnology laboratory in Noblesville, Indiana. Seeking to promote the integration of biotechnology into modern education and visualize the “hybrid vigor” of engineering and biology, the development of the collaborative space will introduce a model of education with the end result of sustained entrepreneurship and investment in the community and future. Through this meeting, Purdue’s iGEM team wishes to launch partnerships in logistics, education, and finance to realize the opportunity of the Community Lab.

See more about this bold new venture at the Biomakers Bench website.

Professor Jenna Rickus: US patent number 8,183,043 issued on May 22, 2012. "Sol-Gel Materials for Cellular Modulation." Inventors: Jenna Rickus and Sabrina Jedlicka. Congratulations!

Professor Bill Field travelled to Sweden for his second visit with the staff of the Swedish Institute of agricultural and Environmental Engineering from April 5-14. He is part of a project to enhance the safety and health of small Swedish beef producers, including bull containment. A day was spent at the new animal research center which has substantial investments in biogas generation that is sold to operate city buses, and robotic milking of dairy cows.

Sweden was having a cold winter that was reflected in arrival of a snow storm and a departure that ended up in Germany due to heavy snow fall. This was most appropriate since one of the collaborative papers being worked on with the Swedish hosts related to cold weather effects on farm workers with physical disabilities such as arthritis, diabetes, and respiratory impairments.

Professor Gary Krutz and his graduate students Brittany Newell, Timu Gallien, Zita Holland, Keith Harmeyer, Michael Holland, and Ayssa Brune received the designation of Distinguished Paper at the 7th FPNI PhD Symposium on Fluid Power in Italy last month for "Capacitance health sensing in fluid power components." Congratulations to Gary and his current (and former) grad students!

Kyle J. Merrill (PhD) "Modeling and Analysis of Active Valve Control of a Digital Pump-Motor." July 3, 2012, 11:00 am ABE 301 (Lumkes)

Jen Kahn (MS) "Exploring Alternative Bioconjugation Methods for Covalent Linkage of DNA and Peptides" July 2, 2012, 10:00 am ABE 301 (Tao)

Michael A. Holland (PhD) "Design of Digital Pump/Motors and Experimental Validation of Operating Strategies" July 3, 2012, 9:00 am ABE 301 (Lumkes)

Yi Fang (MS) "Raman Spectroscopy for Cancer Cell State Differentiation in 2D and 3D Breast Cancer Models" July 13, 2012 8:30 am ABE 212 (Irudayaraj)

Drs. Mosier and Stroshine, along with Jordan Garrity, SURF student working with John Lumkes this summer), led hands-on sessions to help students better understand our department. Thank you for helping us put our best foot forward!

This year the Bootcamp was held at the Maha Fluid Power Lab at Purdue. The REU Bootcamp was led by Professor Andrea Vacca with a welcoming presentation by Professor Monika Ivantysynova, director of the Maha Fluid Power Laboratory, and was followed by fluid power laboratory exercises led by Purdue graduate students Enrique, Shaoping, Ram, and Guido.

A huge thank-you to Purdue for hosting the REU Fluid Power Bootcamp and another warm welcome to the CCEFP REU students!