Electrohydrodynamic Atomization for Improved Macromolecular Drug Delivery

With advances in drug research, the use of biological therapeutics is becoming a reality. Unfortunately, methods for processing and delivering these fragile macromolecules often limit their therapeutic potential. For this dissertation, we explore the aerosolization of macromolecules by way of electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) and how this method can be used to process and deliver therapeutics. EHDA employs a high voltage to break a column of liquid into drops. It was unknown if or how the residual charge left of the resulting droplets would affect lung cells. An in vitro experiment was conducted to spray aerosolized DNA, by way of EHDA, onto human derived lungs cells to test for immunogenic and toxic effects. The lung cells displayed no immunogenic or toxic response to the DNA or high voltage. Previous researchers have used EHDA to aerosolize proteins with mixed results. This work sets forth a simplified thermodynamic theory and provides recommendations to pharmaceutical companies on how to design more stable protein formulations for aerosol processing or delivery. Finally, a new method of producing liposomes was created. It constructs the liposome one layer at a time. The inside of the liposome is sprayed by EHDA, with the lipid and drug in solution together. As the sprayed monolayer passes through a pool containing a solution of lipid in water, the second part of the bilayer attaches to the inner layer creating a complete bilayer liposome.

The Effects of Climate Change on Algae in the Denver Metro Area's Drinking Water Reservoirs

Six Denver metro water reservoirs were sampled to see what types of algae were found, and what impact the algae would have on drinking water reservoirs in the event of a bloom caused by warming water temperatures. Each sample contained algae. Toxic cyanobacteria, filamentous green algae, and different species of diatoms were found in the samples. Current climate change models show the temperature along the Front Range is rising and will continue to rise. With an increase in climate change and an increase in population, humans and animals will be at a greater risk of ingesting or coming into contact with toxic algae.