[Nano-bme] NANO-BME Weekly Update

[nano-bme at gold.sdsmt.edu]

Greetings, All!

I hope y’all had an awesome weekend, possibly enjoying some indoor activities during the rain. 😊 (In such conditions, I’m partial to doing puzzles and playing games myself.) I scheduled this e-mail to go out yesterday because I was out of the office, but it appears I have not yet mastered the skill of sending scheduled e-mails. O.o So, apologies for the delayed message!

As we continue to celebrate Pride month, here’s an article about Celebrating LGBTQ+ Scientists<https://iscrm.uw.edu/celebrating-lgbtq-scientists/> published by the Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine at the University of Washington.

Also, in celebration of Immigrant Heritage Month, here’s a link to a page with a reading list from Loyola University Chicago<https://libguides.luc.edu/Lists/immigration>.

As I mentioned last week, June is also a month for celebrating a wide range of foods/drinks, including dairy, candy, soul food, frozen yogurt, fresh fruit and vegetables, papaya, and dairy alternatives. So, here’s some Papaya Recipes<https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/1123/fruits-and-vegetables/fruits/papayas/> from allrecipes.com I’m not a super big papaya fan, something I learned the first time I had one while visiting a tropical country during my first trip outside of the U.S., but these recipes do make me want to give the fruit another shot! Happy eating & drinking! 😃

There are exciting opportunities for you and fun things happening this week and beyond. Check them out below!

Announcements & Reminders

  *   Follow us on our Department of Nanoscience & Biomedical Engineering Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/sdsmtnanobme> and Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/sdsmtnanobme/> accounts! We'd love to post anything exciting our students are up to. Internships, co-op's, new jobs, accomplishments, etc. Send any info you'd like to let us post to Dr. J. We also have Twitter<https://twitter.com/SdsmtB>, which is being run by Dr. Scott. Help us showcase all the great things we're doing!

  *   If you haven’t already, you should meet with me (Dr. J) to discuss your career goals & professional development opportunities (Book your appointment here<https://sdsmt.campus.eab.com/pal/NyfnNwlsuF>.)
  *   Volunteer Opportunities:
     *   Dr. J needs your help! We need volunteers for a couple of recruitment events coming up soon:
        *   Our Admissions team hosts on-campus recruitment events called Go To Mines. We would love to have students participate in these events! If you are interested, please sign up for one or more event by going here<https://volunteersignup.org/JK9D9>. Commitments for each event are from 8:00AM-12:00PM. Upcoming events are on July 22nd, October 21st, and November 4th.
     *   Whispering Pines Fire Department is looking to train more volunteer firefighters as we approach the summer months. This training involves learning techniques and methods of fire, rescue, and medical responses. Learn more by going here<https://volunteer.helplinecenter.org/opportunity/a0C1600000cZDaP/volunteer-firefighter?id=a0C1600000cZDaP>.
     *   MEDLIFE is a non-profit organization providing service-learning experiences in Peru, Ecuador, and Tanzania. They make trips over winter break, spring break, and during the summer to accommodate student schedules. See attached flyer or go here<https://my.medlifemovement.org/> for more details.
     *   StudyDakota is looking for tutors to serve K-12 students here in Rapid City! Getting involved with this program is a great way to give back to your community and pick up some volunteer hours along the way. Direct inquiries to studydakota at mines.sdsmt.edu<mailto:studydakota at mines.sdsmt.edu> and see attached flyer.
  *   Scholarship/Fellowship Opportunities:
     *   Currently no upcoming deadlines to report. Be sure to check back next week!
  *   Employment/Internship Opportunities:
     *   Spartronics in Watertown, SD, is hiring interns! Read more about these internships in general here<https://www.spartronics.com/about/careers/current-job-openings>. There’s also a most specific internship in process engineering with the following description:
        *   JOB DESCRIPTION: Develop and maintain documentation such as manufacturing procedures, checklists, troubleshooting guides, and assembly quality plans with Manufacturing Technicians. Use these systems to train core assemblers for rapid transition of production responsibility to production personnel. Provide technical support and training to the assembly line, including technical and management aspects of new-build programs, assisting with the development of inspection criteria, and solicitation of assembler feedback. Perform rework and defect root cause analysis, implement corrective/preventative actions, and report findings. Minimum Requirements: Must be working to obtain degree from a university or technical school in engineering, precision machining, robotics, electronics/electrical systems, manufacturing, business or related discipline.
        *   If you are interested in this position, please contact Evan McConnell (Evan.McConnell at spartronics.com<mailto:Evan.McConnell at spartronics.com>) to learn more and to ask about a referral before applying.
     *   Boston Scientific is hiring a Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) Field Clinical Representative to work right here in Rapid City! Learn more and apply for this position by going here<https://jobs.bostonscientific.com/job-invite/564352/>. They are specifically looking for Biomedical Engineers, so be sure to check it out if you are on the market and want to stay in the area. 😊
     *   The Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board is currently accepting applications from both undergraduate and graduate students for summer internships. Learn more and apply by going here<https://gptchb.bamboohr.com/careers/12> or call Annie at 605-721-1922.
     *   KBI Biopharma is actively recruiting students for their internship program! Learn more and apply by going here<https://www.kbibiopharma.com/careers-internships>.
     *   Indian Health Services is hiring biomedical equipment support specialists within the Office of Environmental Health and Engineering here in Rapid City. Learn more and apply for this job by going here<https://www.usajobs.gov/job/707973100>. Graduating seniors in BME are encouraged to apply.
        *   Additionally, 3 new positions were just posted for doing this same job in Pierre, SD. Here’s the link to learn more and apply for this position.<https://www.usajobs.gov/job/709604400> If you have questions about these positions, Dr. J can put you in touch with one of our contacts at IHS, so don’t be afraid to ask!
     *   TRIMEDX is a medical device and cyber medical technology company with career opportunities for Biomedical Equipment Technicians, Imaging Engineers, and Medical Device Services. Learn more about careers with this company by going here<https://trimedx.gr8people.com/>.
     *   Stryker is a medical technologies company that offers paid summer internships and many career opportunities. Learn more about internships by going here<https://careers.stryker.com/students-and-graduates-usa/> and search for open positions within the company by going here<https://careers.stryker.com/job-search-results/>.
     *   Danaher is a parent company for an array of life science technology and diagnostic companies. They have multiple internship and leadership programs available through these various companies. Learn more about student programs through Danaher by going here<https://www.danaheru.com/global/en/home>.
     *   Genentech offers internships in biotechnology. Learn more by going here<https://careers.gene.com/us/en/internships>.
     *   Siemens Healthineers offers student internships as well as specialized development programs such as their Point of Care R&D Development Program (see attached flyer). Learn more about these opportunities by going here<https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/en-us/careers/students>.
     *   Virscio, Inc. is hiring for several positions. Learn more about this company and see their job postings by going here<https://www.virscio.com/>.
     *   Dakota Lions Sight & Health is hiring! Learn more about the positions open by going here<https://dakotasight.org/get-involved/employment-opportunities/> and see attached flyer.
     *   Check out GE’s list of internships by going here<https://jobs.gecareers.com/global/en/internships-co-ops>. More specifically, here are student opportunities through GE Healthcare<https://jobs.gecareers.com/healthcare/global/en/students-graduates>.
  *   Other Professional Development Opportunities:
     *   Looking for supplemental clinical shadowing opportunities? Check out HEAL for shadowing 101 courses that are free and happening every Wednesday night. (*Note that this should not be your only shadowing experience, but it is a great way to gain some additional shadowing and learn some new things. 😊) Learn more and sign up by going here<https://www.clinicalshadowing.com/>.
     *   Want to earn your CNA and start working with patients to gain direct patient care experiences? Check out the Nursing Assistant Program that is part of the Rural Health Works Nursing Initiative<https://www.westriversdahec.org/rural-health-works/> run by the WRAHEC to learn how they will cover 100% of the tuition for your 8-week course through Monument Health. (This is a great way to gain clinical experiences, which are required for admission into professional programs in healthcare, such as med school, PA school, etc.)
     *   If you are interested in studying abroad, be sure to swing by and chat with Suzi Aadland and Beth Riley in the Ivanhoe International Center<https://www.sdsmt.edu/Campus-Life/Ivanhoe-International-Center/>. They can help you plan an amazing learning journey! 😊
        *   Also, did you know that South Dakota Mines offers both a minor and a certificate in Global Engineering & Science? Learn more about these by going here<https://www.sdsmt.edu/Academics/Study-Abroad/Global-Academic-Focus/>.
           *   If you are interested download this checklist for the minor<https://www.sdsmt.edu/Academics/Study-Abroad/Docs/Global-Engineering---Science-Minor-Checklist/> and this checklist for the certificate<https://www.sdsmt.edu/Academics/Study-Abroad/Docs/Global-Engineering---Science-Certificate-Checklist/>.
     *   Are you a member of a professional organization, such as the Biophysical Society<https://www.biophysics.org/>, the Biomedical Engineering Society<https://www.bmes.org/>, or the Society for Biomaterials<https://biomaterials.org/>? If not, you should be! Click to learn more about those organizations and ask Dr. J if you want to know more about why these organizations are important.
        *   If you are in our campus chapter of BMES, but not a member of the national organization, you can change that for only $15! (One of the cheapest membership dues for a national society that I’ve ever seen.) Here’s some information about the benefits of becoming a national member<https://www.bmes.org/content.asp?admin=Y&contentid=578>.
        *   Also, the BMES Annual Meeting is coming up October 11th-14th and will be held in Seattle, WA! Abstracts for late-breaking and undergraduate research can be submitted between now and July 24th. Learn more by going here<https://www.bmes.org/news/now-accepting-late-breaking-and-undergradute-research-abstracts-submissions-for-bmes-2023>.

This Week’s Events/Reminders:
Monday, June 26th:

  *   National Canoe Day<https://nationaltoday.com/canoe-day/> – Fun holiday stolen from Canada to celebrate the sport and recreational activity that is fun, relaxing, and a great workout!
Tuesday, June 27th:

  *   9:00AM-12:00PM – We will be talking with middle school students about biomedical engineering as part of the Dakota Dreams Camp!
Wednesday, June 28th:

  *   Tau Day<https://nationaltoday.com/tau-day/> – Pi Day’s lesser known and appreciated cousin.
Thursday, June 29th:

  *   2:00PM – Jinyuan Liu, Nanoscience & Nanoengineering PhD student, will be defending his dissertation titled Photothermal Nanomaterials for Modulating Phenotype Transition and Attenuating Migration and Drug Resistance of Cancer Cells in EEP 255. Join us live or via zoom: https://sdsmt.zoom.us/j/94805495216
     *   Abstract: Tumor metastasis is the leading cause of death in cancer patients. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role in the migration and invasion of cancer cells. The primary events of an EMT involve the loss of epithelial markers, upregulation of mesenchymal markers, and rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. In tumors, the acquisition of EMT (i.e., from an epithelial to a mesenchymal phenotype) has been demonstrated to provide cancer cells with strong migratory-invasive abilities, and more recently, to mediate the development of chemoresistance, which is linked to cancer stem cell-like features. There is growing evidence suggesting that targeting EMT can be used as a therapeutic approach itself, or to enhance the efficacy of other anticancer treatments. However, the translation of EMT targeted compounds to the clinic has been challenging due to the lack of molecular-cellular targeting specificity and efficacy. Moreover, most of these compounds only focus on the prevention of EMT, but not on the tumor cells that have already undergone EMT. Therefore, developing specific, effective, and broadly applicable approaches to eliminate EMT-type cancer cells with high metastatic capability and enhanced drug resistance holds great promise for treating tumor metastasis and refractory cancers. This dissertation focuses on developing photothermal nanomaterials to reverse the EMT of cancer cells by targeting transmembrane metastatic and EMT markers and modulating their downstream signaling pathways, thus stopping the cancer cell migration and sensitizing the cancer cells to classical chemotherapy drugs. First, we validated conventional 3-D photothermal nanoparticles including gold nanorods and polydopamine nanoparticles, with proper surface functionalization and a mild near-infrared laser irradiation, can alter the actin cytoskeleton and morphology of melanoma and breast cancer cells, and completely stop their migration and invasion. Next, we further developed 2-D photothermal nanomaterials including black phosphorus and MoS2nanosheets to reverse the EMT in breast and prostate cancer cells, and thus stop the cancer cell migration and sensitize the cancer cells to classical chemotherapy drugs. Nanomechanical atomic force microscopy and the super-resolution fluorescence method named direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy were used to characterize the cytoskeletal and morphological changes in cancer cells upon treating with photothermal nanomaterials. Western blot was applied to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of actin disruption and EMT reversal. Overall, this dissertation introduces a new concept of targeting transmembrane metastatic and EMT markers and disrupting their downstream effectors (e.g., actin and EMT-inducing transcriptional factors) using photothermal nanomaterials, which opens up a new avenue to refractory and metastatic cancer therapy. The data presented in this dissertation has been published on four journal articles.
Friday, June 30th:

  *   Deadline for submitting applications to the Rising Stars in Engineering in Health workshop hosted by Johns Hopkins University Biomedical Engineering and Columbia University Biomedical Engineering. They welcome applicants who are postdoctoral fellows, research scientists, or graduate students planning to apply for faculty positions within 2 years. They especially encourage applicants from groups historically underrepresented in the disciplines. Learn more and apply by going here<https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Yst3nXSb2rolmK>.
  *   7:30AM-8:30AM MST - Monument Health Virtual Grand Rounds! This week’s topic has not yet been announced. Keep an eye out for a subsequent e-mail! You will be able to join the virtual session via WebEx using this link<https://monumenthealth.webex.com/monumenthealth/j.php?MTID=me60ee485885ca07d5490f7e0b37013d6>.


Other Upcoming Events:

  *   August 23rd (10:00AM-4:00PM MST) – The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), will be hosting virtual Choose DO - Osteopathic Medical School Expo, which will feature a panel discussions with current medical students, faculty, and staff as well as break-out rooms where applicants can speak with Admissions staff. Learn more and apply by going here<https://www.careereco.com/Fair/EventDetails?fairId=b7f47beb-78a8-4c59-9669-afe00122858b>.
  *   January 24th (10:00AM-4:00PM MST) – The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), will be hosting virtual Choose DO - Osteopathic Medical School Expo, which will feature a panel discussions with current medical students, faculty, and staff as well as break-out rooms where applicants can speak with Admissions staff. Learn more and apply by going here<https://www.careereco.com/Fair/EventDetails?fairId=960ba243-b94d-488e-bb5f-afe00147d65b>.

On the Replay:

  *   Did you miss the Ivanhoe International Center’s Education Abroad Info Session? Check out the recording here<https://sdsmt.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Sessions/List.aspx?folderID=24ebcc88-f819-4a27-b8f1-af97014d21f8>.
  *   Need to know how to apply for a passport? Check out these Passport 101<https://sdsmt.zoom.us/rec/play/GLGB0x1UQnMBAYMZzT77dkGon9Jp0Gw4q2QSC3g68xTHC08tf3Cb46hCenWpq_OLpEYhqafnxkjO2DRu.CBcU5-tVQLTDcxXZ?continueMode=true> and Passport 201<https://sdsmt.zoom.us/rec/play/MIEXtQCvt3B1PnVTc01pz2u_rm4FuZkphRlWnFDsof0WxabVEiQ8pt2-U9eDxFNPm4bVntvkdmmAub2w.CIHG47ER91T2SlnC?continueMode=true> videos.
  *   AAMC Preparing for the MCAT Exam and other pre-med webinars: Premed Webinars<https://students-residents.aamc.org/premed-webinars/premed-webinars>
  *   SHPEPconnect webinar: Diversity Session 1: Dispelling the Myths of Admissions<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQixHebPtgI&ab_channel=SHPEPconnect>
  *   Columbia University’s Bioethics Program hosted an event titled, Why is there confusion about whether masks prevent COVID-19? Public perceptions, misperceptions and the messaging of science<https://sps.columbia.edu/events/why-there-confusion-about-whether-masks-prevent-covid-19-public-perceptions-misperceptions?program_id=1061>. You can also check out other event recordings and see upcoming events through their Bioethics events page by going here<https://sps.columbia.edu/academics/masters/bioethics/events>.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to know more about opportunities, events, or activities related to our department!

Have a wonderful week,

~Dr. J

Dr. Johnica J. Winter, (she/her)
NANO-BME Program Coordinator
Nanoscience & Biomedical Engineering
South Dakota Mines
501 E. Saint Joseph St., Rapid City, SD 57701
605.394.1911 | Schedule an Appointment<https://sdsmt.campus.eab.com/pal/NyfnNwlsuF>
[South Dakota Mines]<https://www.sdsmt.edu/>
[South Dakota Mines on Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/sdsmtnanobme>[South Dakota Mines on Instagram]<https://www.instagram.com/sdsmtnanobme/>[South Dakota Mines on Twitter]<https://twitter.com/SdsmtB>[South Dakota Mines on Snapchat]<https://www.snapchat.com/add/sdsmt>
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