Undergraduate Research with Dr. Andre Palmer

Transfusion medicine, tissue engineering and therapeutic macromolecular delivery systems

General Research Description
Current Projects
Undergraduate Contributions
Future Undergraduate Projects
Undergraduate Qualifications
Contacts & Links

General Research Description
Professor Palmer is interested in the application of chemical and biomolecular engineering principles to address key issues in transfusion medicine, tissue engineering and therapeutic macromolecular delivery systems.

Current Projects
In particular, his research program focuses on three primary areas: 1) engineering novel artificial blood substitutes (oxygen carriers) for various transfusion applications; 2) utilizing oxygen carriers to improve oxygenation of mammalian cell cultures and 3) engineering mechanically strengthened and shape changing vesicles for specialized drug/protein/gene delivery applications.

Undergraduate Contributions

Future Undergraduate Projects
Future projects include: 1) cloning/expression/purification/characterization of novel recombinant human hemoglobin mutants; 2) engineering novel vesicle encapsulated hemoglobin dispersions; 3) examining the effect of oxygen and growth factors on stem cell expansion and differentiation and 4) engineering a bioartificial liver assist device. Any of these projects could be used to write a senior thesis.

Undergraduate Qualifications
Undergraduates should ideally have a background in either: molecular biology, biochemistry or bioengineering. Students without these skills will also be considered.

Contacts & Links
Faculty Profile

Email at: palmer@chbmeng.ohio-state.edu