Granada Crystallization Box

http://lec.ugr.es/GranadaCrystBox/GCB/How%20to%20use%20GCB.htm

In this web page you can learn how to use the GCB and understand the counter-diffusion method.

Effect of the Morphology of a Hydrogel in the Crystallization of Lysozyme

As said in my first posting, my mentor is Dr. Madeline Torres at the Department of Chemical Engineering, UPRM. I am varying the morphology of the polymer Poly (ethylene glycol methacrylate) (PEGMA/PEGDMA) in order to understand how it affects the crystallization of lysozyme. I chose to do research in the Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory because I want to continue studying Medicine and Bioengineering. Working at said laboratory has been excellent. I have made new friendships and have learned a lot. When polymerizing, I have to use heat or the UV chamber. Also, I have learned how to use the Granada Crystallization Box. To better understand what I am doing, I have read some papers related to the counter-diffusion method for crystallization, amongst others. Also, we have group meeting two times each month to present what we have done, difficulties encountered, and results.  In general, my goal is to understand the effect of PEGMA/PEGDMA when crystallizing to then move forward to crystallize other proteins such as glucagon and insulin.

My first posting, who am I?

My fiancée and I

Hi! I am Juan Edgardo Santiago Torres, student at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. At this time, I am studying third year of BS in Chemical Engineering. I was born on April 29,1987 and I live in Adjuntas.

My interests… I love writing, especially poetry (in Spanish). Also, I like languages and that is why I know Italian and I am studying French. In the “other side of the coin” is my passion for research in areas related to biomedical systems. At this moment, I am doing research with Dr. Madeline Torres in the Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. My project may be explained, in general, as the effect of the morphology of polymers in the crystallization of proteins using the counter-diffusion method in a Granada Crystallization Box. After finishing my BS, I want to continue studying a combined program (MD/PhD) to ’merge’ bioengineering with medicine.