2013-10-24



Samantha Marquez has been honored at several national science competitions for her innovations in tissue engineering.

A homework assignment for science class recently led to a slew of science-fair successes for Samantha Marquez, a senior at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies in Midlothian, Virginia. Samantha—daughter of a chemist and a chemical engineer—has developed a revolutionary 3D capsule of living cells, organized in a core-shell structure that, unlike previous methods, allows oxygen to transfer through it.

Her innovation “opens the door to virtually endless applications in tissue engineering and organ reconstruction,” according to the Davidson Institute for Talent Development. The organization recently named Samantha as the recipient of a prestigious $50,000 research scholarship.

Project: “Celloidosomes®: A New Paradigm in the Bottom-up Assembly of Multicellular Architectures.”

Where the idea came from: Samantha was in seventh grade when she came up with the “Celloidosome” concept that is the basis for her project. Her science teacher had asked Samantha and her classmates to search for interesting scientific articles and write a summary of the researchers’ work with suggestions for future experimentation.

Samantha recalls: “I came across the work of a group from Harvard on a spherical crystal (called a “colloidosome”) that is made of inanimate colloidal particles. In their later research, the scientists tried creating a ‘smarter’ colloidosome that would change size and porosity based on different variables. I then asked myself: Why not use a unit that is ‘smart’ in itself—that would adapt to its environment, and change over time? Why not build the colloidosome structure with living cells?”

What she hoped to accomplish: Samantha developed a revolutionary cell-self-assembly process for bioengineering three-dimensional tissues in a core-shell structure she called “Celloidosome.” Her research is focused on demonstrating the vast versatility of the Celloidosome in both composition and applications, from liver repair and reconstruction to biological sensors and neural-tissue transplantation, to the “green” biodefense tool for the sequestration of radioactive heavy metals.

How she gained the background knowledge of bioengineering needed to complete her project: Samantha says she learned most of the fundamental principles of bioengineering by spending time with her mentors at Harvard, Arizona State University, Texas A&M, and the University of Florida.

Materials and methods: Samantha used a variety of living cells, including bacteria, yeast, mammalian cells and algae. She developed the Celloidosome core-shell structure using a variety of liquids, gels and gases.

Stage of development the project is in now: Samantha has achieved proof of concepts for three major applications for the Celloidosome: tissue reconstruction, fabrication of artificial glands, and selective sequestration for water-purification purposes. These, in addition to her Celloidosome concept itself, have been submitted in the patent office for trademark and patent applications.

Biggest lessons Samantha has learned so far: “I started out in research when I was 11 years old, and the lesson I’ve taken with me since then is to never be afraid of not knowing,” she says. “By going into any experience without any fear of intimidation, I’ve been able to enjoy and learn much more than I would have if I hadn’t developed a security in my own ability to adapt.”

The best part of working on this project: “Beyond the passion I have for the rush of (doing) research, I absolutely love the trans-disciplinary nature of the Celloidosome—that is, the ability of my research not only to range in applications from medicine to environmental science, but also in the Celloidosome’s fundamental roots in a huge variety of fields, from biology to mathematics,” Samantha says.

The worst part: Navigating the patenting process has been “extremely tedious and challenging,” she admits. “Even though the process of protecting intellectual property has given me more than my fair share of headaches, it has also given me a unique view and appreciation for the business side of science.”

What’s next for Celloidosomes: Samantha is in the process of negotiating technology transfer and licensing of several patents with a few universities and companies.

The post Project Spotlight: Building a Cell Structure from the Ground Up appeared first on Cogito.

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