Ayla Natalia Toney
BME MS Thesis Defense Presentation
Date: 2026-03-31
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 PM
Location / Meeting Link: IBB 2316

Committee Members:
Todd Sulchek - School of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering (Advisor); Ankur Singh - School of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Julia Babensee - Department of Biomedical Engineering 


Title: Functionalization of hydrogel microparticles that mimic antigen presenting cell mechanics for T cell activation

Abstract:
As the prevalence of cancer rises globally, it is crucial to develop effective treatment methods that are noninvasive, limit harsh side effects, and decrease reoccurrence. Advanced T cell therapies offer a promising alternative to chemotherapy and radiation, but struggle to target solid tumor malignancies due to decreased expansion and persistence. There has been increasing exploration into polymer biomimetic platforms for T cell activation; however, these do not properly emulate the mechanical properties of natural antigen presenting cells (APCs). This presentation describes a methodology to develop hydrogel microparticles (MPs) that mimic APC size and viscoelasticity and present anti-CD3/28 for T cell activation. Poly(ethylene) glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) microparticles are formulated at 10.5 ± 1.8 µm with flow-focusing microfluidics and functionalized downstream with biotin-PEG-acrylate, streptavidin, and biotinylated antibodies.