Tech Briefs Magazine - September 2022 - 54

Facility Focus
www.techbriefs.com
Publisher ........................................................... Joseph T. Pramberger
Director, Editorial and Digital Content Strategy .....................Chitra Sethi
Editor, Photonics & Imaging Technology ......................Bruce A. Bennett
Associate Editor ............................................................ Edward Brown
Digital Content Editor.................................................. Andrew Corselli
Content Strategist, Audience Development .......................Kendra Smith
Production Manager .................................................... Adam Santiago
Production Coordinator ..............................................James Rodriguez
Creative Director ...............................................................Lois Erlacher
Graphic Designer .......................................................... John McCarthy
Marketing Director ...................................................... Kaitlyn Sommer
Senior Marketing Coordinator.................................................Sam Mills
Marketing/Event Coordinator.......................................... Chris Kendrick
Audience Development Director ......................... Christine Oldenbrook
Audience Development Coordinator ................................Stacey Nelson
Audience Development/Circulation Assistant ..................... Erykah Davis
Subscription Changes/Cancellations ....................... TEB@OMEDA.COM
..................................................................................... (866) 354-1125
Gabriela Mendes, a Postdoctoral Associate in the Munson Lab, holds an example of the 3D model
of the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment the lab developed to study how different people's
cancers respond to different therapies. (Image: Clayton Metz for Virginia Tech)
between cells, scientists at the Fralin
Biomedical Research Institute found
separate but closely connected cell
types working together to build blood
and other circulatory vessels in a mouse
model and in cell cultures. The discovery
may reshape current theories of vascular
development and inform medical
strategies to restore circulation to damaged
tissue in the event of stroke or
heart attack.
A biomechanics research team at Virginia
Tech is using artificial intelligence
to detect injuries and improve treatment.
Musculoskeletal injuries, such as
small tendon tears or tissue degeneration,
can be challenging for the human
eye to detect on ultrasound images.
They are using machine-learning algorithms
to address this problem with the
goal of facilitating more accurate medical
diagnoses.
The team is developing algorithms to
identify features unique to injured tendons
in ultrasound images provided by
local clinical collaborators. The goal is to
use these algorithms in clinical settings
where machines can identify injuries in
real-time. These analyses may assist with
clinical diagnosis and injury prevention.
Another team in the Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering is
exploring new methods of treatment that
would promote healing and alleviate
some of the financial burden. To do this,
the team is building computational tools
and models to better understand the
functional role of astrocytes in the brain.
54
The hope is that a deeper understanding
of astrocytes in the brain will help advance
the development of new drugs and
other treatments.
Additionally, the team's work will focus
on the brain's system of complex signaling,
or the way information is transmitted
from one area to another. Because this
process also occurs in other organs, the
tools developed for astrocytes could be
broadly applied to medical conditions affecting
other areas of the body.
Glioblastoma, a rare but deadly brain
cancer, has been extremely difficult to
treat. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy
have limited effects. But now Virginia
Tech scientists have developed a novel
3D tissue-engineered model of the glioblastoma
tumor microenvironment that
can be used to learn why the tumors return
and what treatments will be most
effective at eradicating them - right
down to a patient-specific level.
The model is an important step to
identify new markers and therapies for
the cancer. Research using the new model
has already identified a new measure
for understanding a patient's tumor, including
the capability of the cancer cells
to renew and differentiate themselves,
which is an indicator of how the cancer
will respond to drug treatments.
Technology Transfer
The Center for Technology Commercialization
is the technology transfer arm
of Virginia Tech. For more information,
call 540-231-1782.
www.techbriefs.com
SAE MEDIA GROUP
261 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016
(212) 490-3999
Executive Vice President ............................................... Luke Schnirring
Technology Director .....................................................Oliver Rockwell
Director of Digital Products .................................................Howard Ng
Digital Media Associate ............................................. Md Jaliluzzaman
Digital Media Assistant .......................................... Rowena Pagarigan
Digital Production Associate ...................................Andrew Greenberg
Digital Production Associate .............................................Symba Wong
Credit & Collection Manager............................................Stacie Pointek
Budget & Forecasting .......................................................Felecia Lahey
Accounting/Human Resources Manager ............................Sylvia Bonilla
A/R Clerk .......................................................................... Crystal Ortiz
Office Manager ...........................................................Alfredo Vasquez
ADVERTISING Account Executives
MA, NH, ME, VT, RI, Eastern Canada ...................................Brian Hines
..................................................................................... (647) 296-5014
CT ............................... ................................................Stan Greenfield
..................................................................................... (203) 938-2418
NJ, PA, DE ........................................................................John Murray
..................................................................................... (973) 409-4685
TX, OK, LA, AR, MS, AL, TN, FL, SC, NC, GA, DC, WV, VA .......Ray Tompkins
..................................................................................... (281) 313-1004
NY, OH ..........................................................................Ryan Beckman
..................................................................................... (973) 409-4687
MI, IN, WI .................................................................... Chris Kennedy
......................................................................(847) 498-4520 ext. 3008
MN, ND, SD, IL, KY, MO, KS, IA, NE, Central Canada ..............Bob Casey
..................................................................................... (847) 223-5225
CA, WA, OR, AZ, NM, Rocky Mountain States ......................Tim Powers
..................................................................................... (908) 892-2838
Europe ........................................................................... Sven Anacker
..................................................................................49-202-27169-11
Integrated Media Consultants ........................................Patrick Harvey
..................................................................................... (973) 409-4686
Rick Rosenberg
(973) 545-2565
Todd Holtz
(973) 545-2566
Jason Setti
(973) 874-0271
Daniel Barrett
(973) 409-4762
Tech Briefs, September 2022

http://www.techbriefs.com http://www.techbriefs.com

Tech Briefs Magazine - September 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tech Briefs Magazine - September 2022