Biology subjects

Carey, T.

Publications and source records attributed to Carey, T..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

2D Boron Nanoplatelets as a Multifunctional Additive for Osteogenic, Gram-Negative Anti-Microbial and Mechanically Reinforcing Bone Repair Scaffolds

Two-dimensional boron offers unique advantages in bone tissue engineering, unlocking capabilities that conventional additives struggle to achieve. In this study, we leverage the 2D morphology and intrinsic bioactivity of boron nanoplatelets, incorporated into collagen-based scaffolds, to simultaneously achieve osteogenic, neurogenic, angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, mechanically reinforcing, and anti-microbial effects. We synthesize boron nanoplatelets from non- layered precursors using liquid-phase exfoliation and combine them with collagen to form boron- collagen scaffolds (BColl). Boron significantly reinforces the collagen matrix, beneficial for mechanoresponsive bone cells. Osteoblasts and mesenchymal stem cells exhibit healthy morphology and proliferation on BColl films and scaffolds, with extended culture leading to increased alkaline phosphatase release and significantly increased calcium deposition, indicating enhanced osteogenesis. E. coli viability decreases significantly on BColl films, demonstrating their potential to limit post-implantation infections. Finally, we observe angiogenic, neurogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, with dose-dependent upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-A, nerve growth factor-beta and interleukin-10, and downregulation of interleukin-6 highlighting borons potential to drive pro-reparative processes. Taken together, these data showcase borons potential in developing next-generation bone biomaterials, by offering multifunctional benefits to clinically relevant aspects of bone regeneration such as mineralization, angiogenesis, and innervation, while improving the mechanical and anti-microbial properties of natural polymer scaffolds. Graphical Abstract & ToC TextAn ideal bone scaffold would enhance osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis, while preventing inflammation, infection, and stiffness mismatch. 2D materials unlock diverse properties arising from the nanoplatelet morphology, while simultaneously leveraging the intrinsic properties of the material, enabling such multifunctional scaffolds. In this study, we combine 2D boron nanoplatelets with a bioactive collagen matrix to form a multifunctional, versatile bone repair scaffold with osteogenic, angiogenic, neurogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial behaviour. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=175 SRC="FIGDIR/small/673512v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (68K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1611344org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@37f0bcorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@9e044dorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@2c6bf5_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2025

Unleashing the potential of OPM-MEG to study event-related fields against low-frequency artifacts: the case of sentence processing

OPM-MEG (optically pumped magnetometers-magnetoencephalography) offers unprecedented opportunity in its proximity to the brain and in mobility, outperforming other human MEG systems. However, movements induce low-frequency artifacts (up to [~] 3 Hz) in this system, calling for pipelines that could efficiently reduce these low-frequency noises. Although a high-pass filter of e.g., 4 Hz may minimize these artifacts, it may also eliminate many event-related field (ERF) components, such as the N400 response in sentence processing studies. Moreover, as an emerging technology with expensive sensors, many labs are starting with an experimental setup with fewer sensors (e.g., [~] 10), making it challenging to reject principal components based on visually inspecting the topographic field maps. In the current paper, we show that a combination of moderate high-pass filtering (1 Hz) and evoked-biased denoising source separation (evoked-biased DSS) can effectively reveal typical N400 deflections and effects (between nouns and verbs), with a nine-sensor OPM-MEG setup. Our current pipeline paves the way to studying ERFs with OPM-MEG in more budget-friendly setups with a small number of sensors.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Boosting of SARS-CoV-2 immunity in nonhuman primates using an oral rhabdoviral vaccine

An orally active vaccine capable of boosting SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in previously infected or vaccinated individuals would help efforts to achieve and sustain herd immunity. Unlike mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles and recombinant replication-defective adenoviruses, replicating vesicular stomatitis viruses with SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins (VSV-SARS2) were poorly immunogenic after intramuscular administration in clinical trials. Here, by G protein trans-complementation, we generated VSV-SARS2(+G) virions with expanded target cell tropism. Compared to parental VSV-SARS2, G-supplemented viruses were orally active in virus-naive and vaccine-primed cynomolgus macaques, powerfully boosting SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titers. Clinical testing of this oral VSV-SARS2(+G) vaccine is planned.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2020

Michigan ZoomIN: validating crowd-sourcing to identify mammals from camera surveys

Camera trap studies have become a popular medium to assess many ecological phenomena including population dynamics, patterns of biodiversity, and monitoring of endangered species. In conjunction with the benefit to scientists, camera traps present an unprecedented opportunity to involve the public in scientific research via image classifications. However, this engagement strategy comes with a myriad of complications. Volunteers vary in their familiarity with wildlife, and thus, the accuracy of user-derived classifications may be biased by the commonness or popularity of species and user-experience. From an extensive multi-site camera trap study across Michigan U.S.A, images were compiled and identified through a public science platform called Michigan ZoomIN. We aggregated responses from 15 independent users per image using multiple consensus methods to assess accuracy by comparing to species identification completed by wildlife experts. We also evaluated how different factors including consensus algorithms, study area, wildlife species, user support, and camera type influenced the accuracy of user-derived classifications. Overall accuracy of user-derived classification was 97%; although, several canid (e.g., Canis lupus, Vulpes vulpes) and mustelid (e.g., Neovison vison) species were repeatedly difficult to identify by users and had lower accuracy. When validating user-derived classification, we found that study area, consensus method, and user support best explained accuracy. To continue to overcome stigma associated with data from untrained participants, we demonstrated their value by showing the accuracy from volunteers was comparable to experts when classifying North American mammals. Our hierarchical workflow that integrated multiple consensus methods lead to more image classifications without extensive training and even when the expertise of the volunteer was unknown. Ultimately, adopting such an approach can harness broader participation, expedite future camera trap data synthesis, and improve allocation of resources by scholars to enhance performance of public participants and increase accuracy of user-derived data.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Development and validation of IMMUNO-COV: a high-throughput clinical assay for detecting antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2

We here describe the development and validation of IMMUNO-COV, a high-throughput clinical test to quantitatively measure SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies, the specific subset of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that block viral infection. The test measures the capacity of serum or purified antibodies to neutralize a recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. This recombinant virus (VSV-SARS-CoV-2-S-{Delta}19CT) induces fusion in Vero cell monolayers, which is detected as luciferase signal using a dual split protein (DSP) reporter system. VSV-SARS-CoV-2-S-{Delta}19CT infection was blocked by monoclonal -SARS-CoV-2-spike antibodies and by plasma or serum from SARS-CoV-2 convalescing individuals. The assay exhibited 100% specificity in validation tests, and across all tests zero false positives were detected. In blinded analyses of 230 serum samples, only two unexpected results were observed based on available clinical data. We observed a perfect correlation between results from our assay and 80 samples that were also assayed using a commercially available ELISA. To quantify the magnitude of the anti-viral response, we generated a calibration curve by adding stepped concentrations of -SARS-CoV-2-spike monoclonal antibody to pooled SARS-CoV-2 seronegative serum. Using the calibration curve and a single optimal 1:100 serum test dilution, we reliably measured neutralizing antibody levels in each test sample. Virus neutralization units (VNUs) calculated from the assay correlated closely (p < 0.0001) with PRNTEC50 values determined by plaque reduction neutralization test against a clinical isolate of SARS-CoV-2. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the IMMUNO-COV assay accurately quantitates SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in human sera and therefore is a potentially valuable addition to the currently available serological tests. The assay can provide vital information for comparing immune responses to the various SARS-CoV-2 vaccines that are currently in development, or for evaluating donor eligibility in convalescent plasma therapy studies.

immunology↗