My name is Divya Bhakta and I am participating in the Honors Mentorship Program as a senior at South Forsyth High School. This year I have been interning at a biomedical company called Aziyo Biologics where I have learned many new aspects of the engineering field, as well as life skills such as communication, innovation, and team work. During my time there, I focused my research on an essential question: “Do environmental effects impact the normal functioning of extracellular matrix tissue and if so, what material prevents this effect?” I began researching this topic by analyzing scholarly articles and journals regarding the composition of ECM and its functions. After gaining basic knowledge about the material, I began writing my protocol for my experiment. The protocol mostly consisted of the sample justification and purpose of conducting the experiment. Essentially, I would take a total of 20 sheets of ECM and divide then into two groups: environmentally conditioned and ambient condition. I took the environmentally conditioned samples and sent them to a lab called WuxiApptec, that subjected the samples to different conditions (extreme hot, extreme cold, and humid). I then dogbone-diecut all of the samples. Finally, I preformed a tensile strength test that pulled the samples in a 90 degree angle. I then compared the values to determine a variance. I found that the two groups did exihbit a difference, thus environmental conditions do impact the mechanical properties of ECM. In addition to conducting the experiment, I conducted an interview with my mentor, in which I asked him about the procedure for the experiment. After analyzing my results, I realized how versatile the ECM material is in the medical field, but also the conditions that can easily degrade it. These findings can be applied to procedures like skin repair, cardiac surgery, and bone repair!
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Divya B.High School Intern at a biomedical engineering company called Aziyo Biologics Archives
May 2018
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