Shivani next to the ssQPLI system
Author: Shivan Koundinya | Major: Biomedical Engineering | Semester: Spring 2024
During the spring semester of 2024, I performed research in the biomedical engineering department under my advisor, Dr. Kyle Quinn. The overall goal of Quinn Lab is focused on developing quantitative biomarkers for non-invasive, real-time assessments of tissue structures, which will then be used to help diagnose disease or trauma and guide therapies. My specific project focuses on understanding the effects of aging on skin tissue mechanics and collagen fiber kinematics. Intrinsic aging is a major cause of decline in the skin wound healing response and thus, can result in a higher risk for infection and chronic wounds in older individuals. Since a complete understanding on how aging affects skin structure and mechanics remains elusive, results from this project can be applied to help guide novel therapeutic methods focused on improving wound healing and enhancing the functions of the skin.
In the summer semester of 2022, I began exploring the various research opportunities that the biomedical engineering department had to offer. I contacted Dr. Quinn and asked about potential undergraduate opportunities in his lab as I was interested in learning more about the disciplinaries that his group focused on, such as regenerative medicine and biomechanics. Before finalizing my project, I gained an understanding of and worked with two imaging systems, the single shot Quantitative Polarized Light Imaging (ssQPLI) and the Multiphoton microscopy (MPM).
The ssQPLI uses a single shot technique to quantify college fiber organization and can be used to characterize collagen orientation and kinematics through mechanical testing on the biaxial machine. I did samples on this machine and learned more about it from a graduate research assistant in the lab, Michael Blair. Michael has helped me immensely with my current project and working with the imaging systems mentioned above.
The MPM is a non-linear optical microscopy technique that is used to visualize collagen fibers at a micro-scale. Although I didn’t work extensively with this imaging system, I shadowed other lab staff, such as Dr. Mamello Mohale and Dr. Alan Woessner, and watched them image samples with the system to better understand the intricate working of the microscopy technique.
Dr. Quinn, Michael, and I worked together to develop a project that integrates these two imaging systems and my interest in wound healing. Understanding the effects of skin aging on skin tissue mechanics and collagen organization was the perfect project in which I had to use both ssQPLI and MPM, as well as helping me understand skin mechanics and collagen organization better.
In the spring semester of 2024, I began imagining young mice tissue on the ssQPLI. Since the ssQPLI is a complex machine with many moving parts, I found myself facing challenges in making sure my sample was properly mounted and ensuring that the quality of the images were clear enough for analysis.
As expected, my first sample didn’t turn out so well. While the sample was under mechanical testing, it unfortunately ended up breaking apart, resulting in blurry images and I was unable to complete the test. To combat these errors, I took careful precautions in mounting my sample and carefully ensured that the cameras were taking focused pictures. Through these mitigation efforts, I was successfully able to overcome all the challenges mentioned above and perform more tests on the ssQPLI.
I am very grateful for Dr. Quinn, Quinn Lab, and the Honors College Grant, as I have been able to realize and pursue my passion for wound healing and biomechanical research. In the upcoming summer and fall semesters, I plan to finish imaging old mice tissue samples on the ssQPLI and further analyze the young and old mice tissue tested on the ssQPLI through the MPM, resulting in a better understanding of the effects of intrinsic aging on the skin collagen network and its kinematic response to load.