An instructional definition and assessment rubric for bioinformatics instruction.

The lack of an instructional definition of bioinformatics delays its effective integration into biology coursework. Using an iterative process, our team of biologists, a mathematician/computer scientist, and a bioinformatician together with an educational evaluation and assessment specialist, developed an instructional definition of the discipline: Bioinformatics is "an interdisciplinary field that is concerned with the development and application of algorithms that analyze biological data to investigate the structure and function of biological polymers and their relationships to living systems." The field is defined in terms of its two primary foundational disciplines, biology and computer science, and its interdisciplinary nature.

Non-fouling biomaterials based on blends of polyethylene oxide copolymers and polyurethane: simultaneous measurement of platelet adhesion and fibrinogen adsorption from flowing whole blood.

Measurements of platelet adhesion and fibrinogen adsorption from flowing whole blood to a series of polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based materials were carried out. A unique experimental design was used in which both quantities were measured in the same experiment. The materials consisted of a polyurethane (PU) as a matrix into which various triblock copolymers of general structure PEO-PU-PEO were blended; the PU block was the same in all materials but the PEO blocks ranged in molecular weight from 550 to 5000.

Platelet inhibition and endothelial cell adhesion on elastin-like polypeptide surface modified materials.

Platelet adhesion and activation are important early markers of biomaterial blood compatibility, while surfaces that promote enhanced endothelial cell adhesion and eNOS expression are strategic targets for long term vascular graft applications. Materials surface modified with fluorinated surface modifiers, containing peptides inspired from elastin cross-linking domains, have been used for the cross-linking of elastin-like polypeptide 4 (ELP4) macromolecules onto polyurethane surfaces. In the present study, ELP4 modified polyurethanes were evaluated in vitro to assess platelet adhesion, microparticle formation and bulk platelet activation following blood-material interactions.

Immobilization of an antithrombin-heparin complex on gold: anticoagulant properties and platelet interactions.

The anticoagulant properties and platelet interactions of gold surfaces modified with an antithrombin-heparin (ATH) complex are reported. ATH was attached to gold through either a short disulfide (linker) or a thiol-terminated polyethylene oxide (PEO) (linker, spacer). Analogous surfaces were prepared with uncomplexed heparin.

Platelet Adhesion and Fibrinogen Accretion on a Family of Elastin-Like Polypeptides.

Previous work in our laboratory showed the potential of using a human recombinant elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) as a thromboresistant coating. In this work we investigate the use of three particular ELPs (ELP1, ELP2 and ELP4), that differ by molecular weight and number of repeating hydrophobic and cross-linking domains, as coatings to improve blood-contacting properties. All three ELPs were passively adsorbed on Mylar surfaces.