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Tag: new york institute of technology

  • New York Tech, UC Irvine create 3D-printed human colon model | Long Island Business News

    Researchers at the New York Institute of Technology and the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) have developed what’s described as a highly realistic artificial human colon, a scientific advancement that may improve preclinical testing for cancer treatments and expand research capabilities in gastrointestinal diseases.

    A new study in “Advanced Science” details the development of what may be the first functional, drug-testable, 3D-printed human colon model. Designed to provide an alternative to animal testing, the model closely replicates the structural and biological complexity of human colon tissue. Conceived by Steven Zanganeh, a bioengineer at New York Institute of Technology, with a campus in Old Westbury, the project aims to advance colorectal cancer research and support the development of precision therapies, while also laying the groundwork for realistic models of other human organs.

    “This is, to our knowledge, the first model of its kind and represents a true leap forward in biomedical innovation,” Zanganeh, who aims to commercialize the prototype, said in a news release about the model.

    “While this project successfully replicated a human colon, it also opens doors to create functional tissue for virtually any human organ,” Zanganeh said.

    “This breakthrough points to a future in which therapeutic testing can be performed without dependence on traditional cell cultures or animal models, streamlining the path to clinical trials,” he added. “What once sounded like science fiction is now reality.”

    Using human CT scan data, the team created a detailed anatomical map of the colon and employed bioprinting with hydrogels to fabricate a model that mimics key structural layers and functions. Printed at a UC Irvine facility, the model also supported the introduction and treatment of a tumor, offering a new platform for cancer drug discovery and disease research.

    “Our 3-D, human-relevant colon model overcomes key limitations of 2-D cell cultures and animal studies,” Rahim Esfandyar-Pour, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at UC Irvine, said in the news release. “It lets us study disease and drug responses in a way that is far closer to the patient, opening a faster, more reliable path to new therapies.”

    Zanganeh and his team – including doctoral, graduate and medical students from New York Tech – plan to develop additional 3D tissue models. These prototypes aim to withstand electrical stimulation – recreating conditions that transport substances and molecules across cell membranes –  and those replicating immune function.

    “By combining cutting-edge bioprinting with interdisciplinary collaboration, Dr. Zanganeh and his colleagues have opened a new frontier in cancer research,” Babak Beheshti, dean of New York Tech’s College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, said in the news release.

    “We are proud to see our faculty leading discoveries with the potential to transform medicine and improve lives worldwide,” Beheshti said.


    Adina Genn

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  • Study Seeks to Explain How Smell is Impacted in Individuals with Autism

    Study Seeks to Explain How Smell is Impacted in Individuals with Autism

    Newswise — A new study by a researcher at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) could help explain how the sense of smell is impacted in individuals with autism.

    Individuals with autism have an “insistence on sameness,” and often avoid unfamiliar elements, including new smells and foods, which can impact their quality of life. While many studies have focused on the behavioral features of autism, additional research is needed to help explain its sensory aspects.

    Now, research published in The Journal of Neuroscience, authored by NYITCOM Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences Gonzalo Otazu, Ph.D., analyzes a mouse model of autism and reports differences in the neurological processes responsible for smell.

    The findings reinforce one of Otazu’s earlier studies, which was published in the journal Nature Communications in February. In this earlier study, his team trained two groups of mice—one group with a mutation in a gene linked to autism (CNTNAP2 knockout mice) and one neurotypical group (wild-type mice)—to recognize familiar scents. Both groups succeeded in doing so. Then, they were tasked with identifying these scents when new, unfamiliar odors were introduced in the background. While the neurotypical mice were able to “filter out” new background odors and identify target scents, the CNTNAP2 knockout mice struggled to do so.

    In this latest study, Otazu repeated a similar process in mice with a mutation in the SHANK3 gene, a leading autism candidate gene, and found that the same deficit appeared in this mouse model. 

    Otazu and his co-authors write: 

    “People and mice with mutations in a single copy in the synaptic gene SHANK3 show features seen in autism spectrum disorders, including social interaction deficits…Here we used a recently developed task to show that these mice could identify odors in the presence of known background odors as well as wild-type mice. However, their performance fell below wild-type mice when challenged with novel background odors. This deficit was also previously reported in the CNTNAP2 mouse model of autism suggesting that odor detection in novel backgrounds is a general deficit across mouse models of autism.”

    New York Institute of Technology, New York Tech

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  • Psychology Expert: Smartphones Negatively Impact Mental Health

    Psychology Expert: Smartphones Negatively Impact Mental Health

    This Mental Health Awareness Month, one researcher explains why “unplugging” from your smartphone could improve your psychological well-being. 

    Melissa Huey, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at New York Institute of Technology, studied the impact of smartphones in the college classroom and discovered that the devices were damaging students’ mental health. 

    Huey and a colleague conducted a six-week study to see how college students’ mindfulness, anxiety, and course comprehension were affected when smartphones were removed from the classroom vs. when they were physically present.

    In two classes, students handed in their smartphones at the beginning of the lecture. In two other classes, which served as a control group, students kept their phones and used them with no limitations. At the end of the six-week study, students self-reported scores on course comprehension, mindfulness, and anxiety levels.

    “Students who handed in their smartphones reported much higher comprehension and mindfulness scores. In addition, they reported lower levels of anxiety,” Huey notes. “However, the opposite was true for those who kept their phones. These students reported lower comprehension and mindfulness scores and higher anxiety levels.”

    Huey’s findings, which were published in the journal Innovative Higher Education, make a strong case for taking smartphone breaks.

    This is not the first time that she has explored how technology affects mental health in younger individuals. In 2021, Huey authored an International Business Times op-ed contending that smartphones and social media were eroding Gen Z’s critical thinking abilities. The following year, she commented on a study that found TikTok’s algorithm offered teens psychologically damaging content that promoted self-harm and eating disorders.  

    New York Institute of Technology, New York Tech

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  • New York Tech, National Supermarket Association partner | Long Island Business News

    New York Tech, National Supermarket Association partner | Long Island Business News

    New York Institute of Technology is partnering with National Supermarket Association to help provide access to education to NSA members, their employees and their families.

    With this partnership, New York Tech aims to expand access to education to the trade association’s 200-plus members who own 400 supermarkets, representing nearly 20,000 employees in New York and other cities across the East Coast, Mid-Atlantic region and Florida.

    “As we work to develop new channels and opportunities to provide access to education, New York Tech is committed to actively engaging with employers such as NSA to create pathways for traditional and nontraditional students seeking a college education,” Jerry Balentine, provost and executive vice president at New York Tech, said in a statement.

    “This partnership model is one we hope to emulate with additional employers, and we applaud NSA for advocating for education among its members and their employees,” Balentine added.

    The two organizations say they share similar missions. Founded in 1989 by Hispanic entrepreneurs, the NSA aims to support education for its members’ employees and their families. And for more than 60 years, New York Tech has looked to provide all qualified students access to opportunity to launch a career-oriented professional education.

    Beginning with the spring 2023 semester, NSA will promote information about New York Tech undergraduate programs to its members, their employees and their families. New York Tech’s School of Management M.B.A. programs will also be promoted in this relationship. Accepted students are eligible for scholarships. NSA scholarships will cover at least 25% of related students’ full-time tuition, according to New York Tech.

    “Our entrepreneurial drive led us to open supermarkets a few decades ago in what had been economically depressed, primarily minority neighborhoods,” Samuel Collado, NSA president, said in a statement. “Today, this same vision that strengthened and enhanced our communities extends in many ways, including our dedication to helping people earn a college degree. We believe that our community members interested in pursuing higher education will find a place for themselves at New York Tech.”

    The two organizations plan to collaborate to provide internship, experiential learning and other career-related opportunities. For example, New York Tech will invite NSA to its career fairs and related events, and NSA members will consider qualified New York Tech candidates for internships and job opportunities.

    The organizations will also team up in their fundraising efforts, supporting student scholarships. In addition, NSA said it would encourage its members to support New York Tech’s Grizzly Cupboard food pantries, part of the Bear Bytes initiative, which provides students with food as well as health and wellness resources and information.

    The Bear Bytes initiative was spearheaded by Rajendra Tibrewala, professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management in New York Tech’s School of Management. In the process, the university developed a relationship with NSA.

    “A deep relationship between an organization such as NSA and New York Tech in multiple areas, including access to academic programs for NSA employees, internships and career opportunities for New York Tech students, and professional development and employee training for the supermarket owners, provides tremendous benefits to both organizations,” Tibrewala said in a statement.

    Adina Genn

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