Seminar Series on Fluids and Transport Processes in Biological Systems

Seminars will be held at the Ohio Aerospace Institute. (OAI). This site will be updated as soon as lecture times become available. Please check back. For directions to OAI, please go to: http://www.oai.org/

Fluids and Transport Processes in Biological Systems

Fluid flows and the transport of mass and heat occur in almost every biological process ranging from molecular and sub-cellular scales to whole systems. On the molecular and intracellular level, fluids and transport processes have relevance to genetic processes through the signaling pathways that transduce stimuli associated with gene activation. On a larger scale, fluid dynamics and the transport of mass and heat play a crucial role in both macro- and micro circulatory process (e.g., cardiovascular and pulmonary systems). Aside from internal living systems, fluid mechanical-biomechanical interactions are also important in animal locomotion. Nevertheless, there has been surprisingly little interaction between fluids and life scientists. The National Center for Microgravity Research on Fluids and Combustion (NCMR) is initiating the following three-point program intended to brainstorm possible areas of collaboration and to foster fruitful interactions between these two communities that will lead to significant advances in the biological and life sciences.

1. A seminar series featuring key speakers currently engaged in research on biological processes and systems where increased understanding of the role fluids and transport could be essential for continued progress in these areas.
2. A task group involving participants from both the physical and biological research communities that will lead to a white paper delineating areas of biological research and key scientific questions where interdisciplinary research between biological and physical scientists will accelerate the pace at which advances in our knowledge can be made.
3. A national workshop to disseminate the results of the white paper to the largest audience possible in order to stimulate further discussion of the issues and future research directions.

Preliminary discussions have identified the following areas where interactions are likely:

• Molecular and intracellular transport Transport of molecules through and along cell membranes, flow regulation of signal transduction and gene expression in cardiovascular tissues, role of blood flow and fluid mechanical forces in modulation of intracellular metabolism, transport of enzymes and chemical constituents...
• Extracellular transport Tissue development, bone growth (influence of fluid flow-induced shear stress on osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes), endocrine and neurological signaling...
• Macro- and micro circulation Cardiovascular, pulmonary and vestibular systems

The objective of these three types of interdisciplinary interactions are to bring biological and physical scientists together to determine where fluids and transport processes may play an important or limiting role in the processes affecting the function and evolution of living systems and to develop collaborative research. The motivation for the NCMR’s interest in facilitating such interactions is NASA's recent creation of the Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR), as a distinct NASA Enterprise, charged with conducting basic and applied research to support human exploration of space by using the space environment as a unique laboratory for the study of biological and physical processes. The creation of the OBPR presents an unique opportunity for the development of interdisciplinary teams and programs that can develop common research themes in the physical, chemical biological and engineering sciences.
Indeed, the Enterprise even poses such fundamental questions as: How can human existence expand beyond earth to achieve maximum benefits from space? How do fundamental laws of nature shape the evolution of life? Clearly, the pursuit of answers to these questions must involve the coordinated efforts of scientists and engineers from a wide range of disciplines.

The seminar dates are listed below, a more detailed announcement listing the time and location will be forthcoming.

Friday March 2, 2001 Professor Sheldon Weinbaum CUNY Distinguished Professor City College of the City University of New York Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Center for Biomedical Engineering Location: 1:00 PM in room 216, Ohio Aerospace Institute, 22800 Cedar Point Road http://www.oai.org/ Professor Weinbaum will be available for informal discussions from 10:30 AM in NASA building 110, Room 313 Space Experiments Laboratory. Subject: THE ENDOTHELIAL GLYCOCALYX: A miracle structure for the regulation of transport and red and white cell interaction with vascular endothelium. (ABSTRACT)

Friday March 9, 2001 Dr. Larry V. McIntire E.D. Batcher Professor and Chair Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering Rice University,Houston, TX Subject: Regulation of Gene Expression by Mechanical Forces in Vascular Cells (ABSTRACT)

Monday March 12, 2001 Professor Su Chien Bioengineering and Medicine University of California, San Diego Location: 1:00 PM in room 216, Ohio Aerospace Institute, 22800 Cedar Point Road http://www.oai.org/ Professor Chien will be available for informal discussions before (9:30-11:30 AM) and after the lecture (3:00-5:00 PM) at NASA Glenn Research Center in Bldg. 110 Room 313 SEL. Subject: Molecular Basis of Mechano-chemical Transduction in Endothelial Cells (ABSTRACT)

Wednesday March 14, 2001 Professor Roger Kamm Mechanical Engineering, MIT Location: 1:30 PM in Room 216, Ohio Aerospace Institute, 22800 Cedar Point Road http://www.oai.org/ Professor Kamm will be available for informal discussions before (9:30-11:30 AM) and after the lecture (3:00-5:00 PM) at NASA Glenn Research Center in Bldg. 110 Room 313 SEL. Subject: Mechanobiology in normal and microgravity environments. (ABSTRACT)

Thursday, April 5, 2001 Dr. John Oas, M.D. Department of Neurology and Department Otolaryngology & Communicative Disorders The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio Location: 1:00 PM in Room 216, Ohio Aerospace Institute, 22800 Cedar Point Road http://www.oai.org/ Subject: How gravity and fluid mechanics are important in the vestibular diseases of humans

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