Broadband optical absorbance spectroscopy using a whispering gallery mode microsphere resonator.

We demonstrate the ability to excite and monitor many whispering gallery modes (WGMs) of a microsphere resonator simultaneously in order to make broadband optical absorbance measurements. The 340 microm diameter microsphere is placed in a microfluidic channel. A hemispherical prism is used for coupling the WGMs into and out of the microsphere.

Characterization of emulsified chitosan-PLGA matrices formed using controlled-rate freezing and lyophilization technique.

This study evaluated the formation of chitosan-50:50 poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) blend matrices using controlled-rate freezing and lyophilization technique (CRFLT). An emulsion system was used in the presence of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC), a cellular component, as a stabilizer. Blended scaffolds showed an open pore morphology and homogenous interdispersion of PLGA and chitosan.

Three-dimensional cell colonization in a sulfate rich environment.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) have been explored for regenerating various tissues due to their involvement in diverse bioregulatory activity. However, understanding their influence on cell colonization in three-dimension (3-D) has been difficult due to variation in their molecular weight, degree of sulfation, and lack of in vitro models. This research focused on developing an in vitro model and evaluating the influence of MW (5, 10, and 500 kDa) of negatively charged dextran sulfate (DS), a semisynthetic GAG analog, on cell colonization.