The University of New South Wales

10 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Bioengineering

Alginate Microcapsule as a 3D Platform for Propagation and Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC) to Different Lineages

Kuldip Sidhu¹, Jaemin Kim¹, Methichit Chayosumrit², Sophia Dean¹, Perminder Sachdev³

¹Stem Cell Lab, School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, ²Siriraj Center of Excellence for Stem cell Research, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University , ³Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital

We have optimized a microencapsulation technique as an effective 3D platform for propagation and differentiation of embryonic stem cells to endoderm and dopaminergic (DA) neurons. It also provides an opportunity for immune-isolation of cells from the host during transplantation. This platform can be adapted for other cell types.

Bioengineering

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Siti Hawa Ngalim¹, Astrid Magenau¹, Ying Zhu², Lotte Tønnesen¹, Zoe Fairjones¹, J. Justin Gooding², Till Böcking¹, Katharina Gaus¹

¹Centre for Vascular Research and Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, The University of New South Wales, ²School of Chemistry and Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, The University of New South Wales

A method for the assembly of adhesive and soluble gradients in a microscopy chamber for live cell migration studies is described. The engineered environment combines antifouling surfaces and adhesive tracks with solution gradients and therefore allows one to determine the relative importance of guidance cues.

Engineering

Integrating a Triplet-triplet Annihilation Up-conversion System to Enhance Dye-sensitized Solar Cell Response to Sub-bandgap Light

Andrew Nattestad¹, Yuen Yap Cheng², Rowan W. MacQueen², Gordon G. Wallace¹, Timothy W. Schmidt³

¹ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI), The University of Wollongong, ²School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, ³School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales

An integrated device, incorporating a dye-sensitized solar cell and triplet-triplet annihilation up-conversion unit was produced, affording enhanced light harvesting, from a wider section of the solar spectrum. Under modest irradiation levels a significantly enhanced response to low energy photons was demonstrated, yielding a record figure of merit for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Neuroscience

Imaging Serotonergic Fibers in the Mouse Spinal Cord Using the CLARITY/CUBIC Technique

Huazheng Liang^1,2, Emma Schofield¹, George Paxinos^1,2

¹Brain Structure and Function Group, Neuroscience Research Australia, ²School of Medical Sciences, The University of New South Wales

Supraspinal projections are important for pain perception and other behaviors, and serotonergic fibers are one of these fiber systems. The present study focused on the application of the combined CLARITY/CUBIC protocol to the mouse spinal cord in order to investigate the termination of these serotonergic fibers.

JoVE Core

Synthesis of Protein Bioconjugates via Cysteine-maleimide Chemistry

Alexander F. Mason¹, Pall Thordarson¹

¹School of Chemistry, The Australian Centre for Nanomedicine and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, The University of New South Wales

This protocol details the important steps required for the bioconjugation of a cysteine containing protein to a maleimide, including reagent purification, reaction conditions, bioconjugate purification and bioconjugate characterization.

Chemistry

Facile Synthesis of Worm-like Micelles by Visible Light Mediated Dispersion Polymerization Using Photoredox Catalyst

Jonathan Yeow^1,2,3, Jiangtao Xu^1,2,3, Cyrille Boyer^1,2,3

¹Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design (CAMD), The University of New South Wales, ²Australian Centre for NanoMedicine (ACN), The University of New South Wales, ³School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales

This article describes a process for producing polymeric self-assembled nanoparticles using visible light mediated dispersion polymerization. Using low energy visible light to control the polymerization allows for the reproducible formation of self-assembled worm-like micelles at high solids content.

Biology

CUBIC Protocol Visualizes Protein Expression at Single Cell Resolution in Whole Mount Skin Preparations

Huazheng Liang^*1,2, Bassem Akladios^*1, Cesar P. Canales^*1, Richard Francis³, Edna H. Hardeman¹, Annemiek Beverdam¹

¹The School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Australia, ²Neuroscience Research Australia, ³Biomedical Imaging Facility, University of New South Wales Australia

This report describes a CUBIC protocol to clarify full thickness mouse skin biopsies, and visualize protein expression patterns, proliferating cells, and sebocytes at the single cell resolution in 3D. This method enables accurate assessment of skin anatomy and pathology, and of abnormal epidermal phenotypes in genetically modified mouse lines.

Biology

Tethered Bilayer Lipid Membranes to Monitor Heat Transfer between Gold Nanoparticles and Lipid Membranes

Amani Alghalayini^1,2, Lele Jiang¹, Xi Gu³, Guan Heng Yeoh³, Charles G. Cranfield^1,2, Victoria Timchenko³, Bruce A. Cornell^2,4, Stella M. Valenzuela^1,2,5

¹School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, ²ARC Research Hub for Integrated Devices for End-user Analysis at Low-levels (IDEAL), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, ³School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales, ⁴Surgical Diagnostics Pty Ltd., ⁵Institute for Biomedical Materials and Devices, University of Technology Sydney

This work outlines a protocol to achieve dynamic, non-invasive monitoring of heat transfer from laser-irradiated gold nanoparticles to tBLMs. The system combines impedance spectroscopy for the real-time measurement of conductance changes across the tBLMs, with a horizontally focused laser beam that drives gold nanoparticle illumination, for heat production.

Chemistry

3D Printing and In Situ Surface Modification via Type I Photoinitiated Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

Nathaniel Corrigan¹, Cyrille Boyer¹

¹Cluster for Advanced Macromolecular Design, and Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales

The present protocol describes the digital light processing-based 3D printing of polymeric materials using type I photoinitiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and the subsequent in situ material post-functionalization via surface-mediated polymerization. Photoinduced 3D printing provides materials with independently tailored and spatially controlled bulk and interfacial properties.

Medicine

Robotic Vagus-Sparing Total Gastrectomy for CDH1 Gene Mutation Treatment

Daniel L. Chan¹, Michael L. Talbot¹

¹Saint George and Sutherland Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales

This article focuses on robotic vagus-sparing total gastrectomy. The techniques and pitfalls of vagus preservation, sutured esophagojejunostomy, jejunal pouch formation, and Roux-en-Y reconstruction with a staple-stapled jejunojejunostomy are discussed.