Officers: President Peter Guilfoyle peter@opticomp.com President elect Jutta Recktenwald jutta@recktenwald.com Secretary and Treasurer Michelle Hannah michelle@siliconquest.com Marketing and PR Janet Langford Gray jlangfordgray@sbcglobal.net Meeting Dates: Apr 16th 2009 Always 5PM Dues are due! Yearly Membership Fees: Individual: $15.00 Corporate: $250.00 Students: free Please write checks payable to OSA-RTC and mail them to: Michelle Hannah 120 Woodland Ave, Ste E Reno, NV 89523 RTPC on the web at: Reno Tahoe Photonics | Please share this Newsletter and the RTP website with people who are interested in Photonics within 100 miles of the greater Reno/Sparks, NV area! |
| We enjoy the company of like minded people, who share our interest in photonics and related subjects. It is an informal way to meet other professionals and exchange experiences. We meet so we can talk about science and engineering. And, to stimulate exchange, we have a volunteer presenting each meeting. April 16, 2009Vibrational Spectroscopy of Self-Forming Synthetic PEGylated Lipids and Nanovesicles | | 
| 
Rajan Bista
| | EDUCATION:
Ph.D.-Physics (in progress), GPA 3.94, University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) May 2009
M.S.-Physics, GPA 3.90, UNR December 2005
M.Sc.-Physics, 1st division, Tribhuvan University (TU), Kathmandu, Nepal December 1999
B.Sc.-Physics (Major), Mathematics, Meteorology, 1st division, TU, Nepal December 1996
AREAS OF EXPERTISE/ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
• Vibrational spectroscopic (Near-infrared, Fourier transform infrared and Raman) study of biological samples including lipids and liposomes
• Investigation of various physiochemical properties of newly developed synthetic PEGylated lipids and nanovesicles for its prospective applications primarily in drug delivery
• Design, construction and implementation of variable-temperature sample holder for vibrational spectroscopic techniques
• Study of phase behavior and conformational order/disorder of lipids and liposomes using vibrational spectroscopic and thermodynamic (differential scanning calorimetry) techniques
• Imaging techniques: Scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy
• Laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy to study single lipid nanoparticles and nanovesicles
• Knowledge of various computer software for spectroscopic data analysis
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS:
14 Published, 2 under review
7 Peered reviewed: Biopolymers, Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, Spectrochimica Acta A, Journal of Physics B, Canadian Journal of Physics
7 Conferences proceeding: SPIE, IOP
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
American Physical Society (APS), Society of Applied Spectroscopy (SAS), Society of Photo- Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), Phospholipid Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
AWARDS/HONORS:
Who’s who among students in American Colleges and Universities March 2009
Best Student Poster Presentation award in 35th conference of Federation of October 2008
Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopic Society (FACSS), Reno, Nevada
Research Grant Award (1st place), Graduate Student Association (GSA), UNR April 2008 Outstanding International Graduate Student Award, GSA, UNR April 2008
Outstanding Graduate Student Award, GSA, UNR April 2007
Best experimental research award (Margaret Burbidge Award) from October 2006
American Physical Society (APS), California section, 2nd position
Mackenzie Scholarship, UNR August 2005
AFFILIATIONS:
Vice President (External Affairs), GSA, UNR August 2008-current
Council Member of GSA, College of Science, UNR August 2006-current
Founder President, Nepalese Student Association, UNR August 2006-July 2007 | |
| | Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool to elucidate the structure and conformation of biological samples, including lipids and liposomes or nanovesicles. In this study, three different vibrational spectroscopic techniques namely near-infrared (NIR), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies have been employed for the comprehensive investigation of various physiochemical properties of newly developed self-forming synthetic PEGylated lipids, trademarked as QuSomes. In contrast to conventional phospholipids, these new kind of lipids spontaneously formed liposomes or nanovesicles upon hydration, without the supply of external activation energy. In addition, this work is focused on the study of thermotropic phase behaviors and associated changes in the conformational order/disorder of such lipids and nanovesicles in suspensions. For this purpose, variable-temperature sample holders have been designed and employed to acquire the temperature-dependence infrared and Raman spectra of these lipids and nanovesicles. Especially, phase transition temperature profiles have been deduced by either monitoring the shifts in peak positions or plotting vibrational peak intensity ratios in the C-H stretching region as a function of temperature. Furthermore, several spectral indicators have been deduced and correlated with aspects of molecular structure as well as intramolecular motion and intermolecular interactions. Finally, to supplement our observations, a thermodynamic approach known as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has been applied and revealed a good agreement with the infrared and Raman spectroscopic results. Regarding the application of my research and its market, it is twofold:
1) Lipid bilayer is building block of cell membrane and plays fundamental roles in the cellular process so it has been extensively studied as membrane model. So, my study also adds up another milestone in this direction by investigating a novel synthetic lipid which is capable of spontaneous vesiculation.
2) Lipid nanovesicles (liposomes) are considered as a prominent candidate for lipid based substance and drug delivery systems. But there are several issues in this direction such as thermodynamic instability, longevity, encapsulation and sustained release in target sites. From our study it has been found that these nanovesicles are extremely stable over a period of time. Hence we believe that these lipids might be suitable alternative over conventional lipids in the drug development. | |
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Time: 5:00PM
Meeting Location:
Sonny's Authentic Italian Pizza & Pasta
Longly West Plaza
7689 S. Virginia St.
Reno, NV 89511
775-852-9898
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RTPC Meeting Place; Sonny's 7689 South Virginia St. Reno, NV 89511 775-852-9898 Longley West Plaza RTPC is providing the pizza (order large, serves 2.5 people) Please buy your own beverages. Always 5PM The program for fall 2009, will be announced. Volunteers are still needed for speaking assignments. Please contact Janet Langford Gray at jlangfordgray@sbcglobal.net or 775-560-6099. |
| Gary Jesch of Chops & Associates gave a presentation in March |
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Gary using the input pad to
control the characters |
Banquet room at Sonny’s
during the presentation |
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| The bubble screen technology
with photons circling |
Gary explaining how the
wire framing makes shapes |
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Sonny's Authentic Italian Pizza & Pasta
website Look at the websites pizza menu so
you know what pizza you want beforehand. We will order larges
which feed 2.5 people. |
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