In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) is an emerging field aimed at reducing costs, enabling long term space missions and habitation, and creating large scale technological advancements. Robotic platforms with various end-effectors to replicate different manufacturing processes will provide cheaper and space efficient point-of-need capabilities. One such ISM manufacturing process of interest is robotic blacksmithing, a manufacturing process that if developed will create a safer, cheaper method of assembly. Robotic Blacksmithing is not limited to space, but that field is seen as a point-of-need for this technology. Its development is key in a more sustainable, safer, and cost-effective space industry. For applications in space, robotic blacksmithing allows the use of materials already found in space and safer assembly in harsh environments. The development of a process that effectively uses the cold forging technique is vital to fast track its implementation. Using a forging end-effector attached to a robotic arm and testing the cold forging method on a 2XXX series aluminum alloy, i.e., AA2024, provides data on its effectiveness and provides a process that will be applied to a lunar regolith and spacecraft grade aluminum mixture. Analysis of hardness and deformation allows for the changes to the aluminum, penetration of the strain hardening, and for surface properties to be measured. Penetration data provides insight into the thickness of material layers that can be deposited in an additive manufacturing process. Analysis of the grain structure will reveal the physical changes to the metal on an atomic level providing the reason for the change in properties.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally; breast cancer being the most common type. The typical contemporary cancer treatments include tumor resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, such treatments have several negative side effects, such as damaging the surrounding tissues. To combat the downfalls of contemporary cancer treatments, this research proposes a microstructured dextran methacrylate (DEX-MA) hydrogel to deliver doxorubicin and a STAT 3 pathway cancer drug locally. This process will turn dextran into a mostly hydrophobic molecule by methacrylating it and creating domains or bubbles that will be filled with the test drug doxorubicin. Once the release profiles have been noted using doxorubicin, a STAT 3 pathway drug will be used. These STAT 3 pathway hydrogels will be placed in a transwell plate along with breast cancer cells to determine the effectiveness of the gels. Since these hydrogels are formed using phase separation to create the microstructuring within the gel, a hydrophobic domain able to encapsulate the drug will be formed. These microstructured domains will allow for tunable drug concentrations in each domain. With these tunable domains, these gels will also have selectable release profiles allowing for controlled drug release. The controlled release profiles and microstructure domain sizes will be determined by varying UV time and DEX-MA concentration within the gels.

This research investigates the construction and performance optimization of two autonomous vehicles with a focus on "Platooning," a strategy aimed at reducing fuel consumption and enhancing transportation efficiency. Platooning allows one vehicle to follow another closely, minimizing aerodynamic drag and improving fuel economy. The problem addresses the growing need for sustainable transportation solutions, emphasizing the importance of efficient autonomous vehicle operation. The methodology involves assembling vehicles from scratch using Traxxas Slash chassis, integrating essential peripherals such as processors, sensors, GPS modules, and LiDAR. The project progresses through weekly tasks, starting with literature reviews and moving to system integration, motion control, trajectory planning, orientation control, navigation, and perception. The vehicles' performance is assessed in two scenarios: operating individually using all sensors and in a platoon formation. Initial results indicate that platooning significantly reduces power consumption compared to individual operation. The vehicles demonstrate precise control and efficient navigation, with LiDAR and GPS integration enhancing obstacle detection and path planning. The experimental findings highlight the potential of platooning to optimize fuel consumption and improve autonomous vehicle performance. Future research will focus on refining control algorithms, enhancing sensor integration, and expanding the platooning strategy to larger fleets. Additionally, the research will explore real-world applications and scalability of platooning in various traffic conditions.

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain cancer with low survival rates. The current treatment standard involves surgical tumor resection and chemotherapy. However, a significant barrier to treating GBM is the inability to deliver medicines across the intact blood brain barrier (BBB). To address this challenge, our lab has engineered a novel lamprey variable lymphocyte receptor, coined P1C10, that can selectively target the tumor’s pathologically disrupted BBB and allow for drug accumulation within the tumor in murine GBM models. However, despite P1C10’s therapeutic promise, it is difficult to produce in high yields. To address this concern, we use a strain of engineered E.coli cells, coined “SHuffle” (Lobstein et. al, 2012), to produce scalable quantities of disulfide-bonded P1C10 proteins. To make P1C10 in SHuffle bacteria, plasmids were generated that possessed the DNA sequence encoding for monomeric P1C10 protein under the control of the lac promoter, along with an antibiotic resistance gene for clonal selection. Included in the P1C10 expression constructs were two separate variants having different epitope tags (FLAG and V5). These expression plasmids were then transformed into the SHuffle bacteria and grown for 18 hours to an OD600nm of 0.8. Subsequently, protein expression was induced, using Isopropyl beta-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside for 24 hours at 20 degrees Celsius. Afterwards, the P1C10 protein was isolated from the SHuffle bacteria and purified from cellular debris using immobilized metal affinity chromatography. Using these purified protein preparations, future work will focus on optimizing the administration of P1C10 protein to mouse models of GBM.