2024 Research Projects
Projects are posted below; new projects will continue to be posted. To learn more about the type of research conducted by undergraduates, view the archived symposium booklets and search the past SURF projects.
This is a list of research projects that may have opportunities for undergraduate students. Please note that it is not a complete list of every SURF project. Undergraduates will discover other projects when talking directly to Purdue faculty.
You can browse all the projects on the list or view only projects in the following categories:
Cellular Biology (1)
Quantitative Analysis of Cell Shape Changes and Cell Movement Tracking with Neural Networks(NN)-based 3D Membrane Segmentation in Whole Mount Zebrafish Embryos
Description:
The project aims to utilize Neural Networks (NN)-based segmentation tools for analyzing the time series of 3D membrane-labeled microscopy image data in whole-mount zebrafish embryos. At the onset of embryonic development, the epiboly process involves the ectoderm and mesodermal progenitor cells spreading and thinning to encompass the entire embryo. Quantifiying the cell shape changes helps to understand how the mechanical forces drive the epiboly prograss. Live images of membrane-labeled cells in the enveloping layer are imaged using confocal microscopy. The student’s role in this project is to develop a Python-based image analysis framework by using the Neural Network (NN)-based 3D Membrane Segmentation tool, CellPose, to segment 3D images, trace the cells' movement, and quantitatively analyze the cell shape changes during epiboly.
Research categories:
Big Data/Machine Learning, Cellular Biology
Preferred major(s):
- No Major Restriction
School/Dept.:
Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering
Professor:
David
Umulis