Engineering in our World Colleen Knight Bay City ISD MENTOR: Dr. John R. Ford, Jr. Associate Professor Texas A&M University Department of Nuclear Engineering
Dec 22, 2015
Engineering in our World
Colleen KnightBay City ISDMENTOR:
Dr. John R. Ford, Jr.Associate Professor
Texas A&M UniversityDepartment of Nuclear Engineering
Areas of Interest • response of intact tissues to ionizing radiation
• response of individual cells in a tissue are modified by neighboring un-irradiated cells.
• teaches courses in radiation biology and radiation carcinogenesis
Main Research Group:
•Health Physics, Radiation Biology, and Medical Physics
Education
University of Tennessee Ph.D. 1992 Biomedical SciencesDissertation Title: Effects of Alpha-Particle Radiation on Rat Tracheal Epithelial Cells.
Mississippi State University M.S. 1986 Nuclear EngineeringThesis Title: A Computer Analysis of Damage to Human Tissues by NeutronsUsing Monte Carlo Techniques.
Mississippi State University B.S. 1982 Nuclear Engineering
• Engineers use their knowledge of science, mathematics, and appropriate experience to find suitable solutions to a problem.
• Engineers as professionals take seriously their responsibility to produce designs that will perform as expected and will not cause unintended harm to the public at large.
Mechanical Engineering is the discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing and maintenance of mechanical systems.
Electrical engineering • study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism
It now covers a range of subtopics including power, electronics, control systems, signal processing and telecommunications.
COMPUTER ENGINEERING is the science of making computers and parts for computers.•Hardware and software of computer• Circuit theory and electronic circuits
Civil engineering • designing and building infrastructure
• large structures, like bridges, dams, buildings, and tunnels.
• Includes safe water supplies, sewage treatment, roads, railways and buildings are all part of civil engineering.
Biomedical engineering • study of medical equipment used in an environment of care or physiological training and how this equipment interfaces or physically interacts with the human body.• design, test, modify, recommend modification of, evaluate medical equipment
Nuclear Engineering :
• studies the atomic nuclei and/or other sub-atomic particles based on the principles of nuclear physics
• interaction and maintenance of nuclear fission systems; specifically, nuclear reactors, nuclear power plants, and/or nuclear weapons
• medical and other applications (generally ionizing) radiation, nuclear fuel, and/ or other related (e.g. waste disposal) technology and the effect of radioactive waste or radioactivity in the environment.
Radiologist
Health
Engineers
Where Physics Meets
Biology
Health Physicists
are involved in understanding, evaluating, and
controlling the potential risks from radiation
relative to the benefits.
Scientific Problem
How do low doses of background or exotic particle radiation affect the risk of cancer or tissue injury in humans?
Sources of Radiation Exposure to the U.S. Population
Research Aim
We want to know if radiation-induced effects observed in cells in culture or in vivo are important in human tissues.
Overview of Research Being Conducted
Rat Tracheal Epithelial Cells
• An in vivo /cell culture model of respiratory cell carcinogenesis used for chemical and radiation studies.
• The rat trachea has a pseudostratified epithelium composed of basal, secretory and ciliated cells.
• The dimensions, cell numbers and cell types closely approximate the small airways of humans.
ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium
The cells of this tissue are tapered, with their nuclei toward the thicker
end. And, they lie next to one another like bowling pins stacked
head-to-tail. The result is what appears to be two levels of nuclei, suggesting a stratified tissue. The cells' cilia extend into the lumen and beat to move mucous (produced by goblet cells and mucous glands) upward, away from the lungs.
Lab Procedure
A Brief Review of Antibody Structure
• The basic monoclonal antibody consists of a single type of antigen binding site produced by a single B cell clone.
• Polyclonal antibodies can formlattices with more than one antigen.Consist of complex mixtures of different antibodies produced by many different B cell clones.
• If you are hit with radiation in one part of your body how does it affect the other parts?
Accelerator Beamline
Electron Beam
Worms, worms, worms…
And more worms
High Energy Ions Effect on microvascular tissue of wings
exposed to X- Rays
Acknowledgements
Texas A&M UniversityDr. John Ford
Nuclear Power Institute
Texas Workforce Commission
National Science Foundation
Chevron
THE END