By Rowan Dunbar, C2ST Intern, University of Illinois Chicago

This past summer, I found myself teaching a classroom full of fourth through eighth graders. When I asked them, “What do engineers do?” Their answers were spot on: “Engineers make things to help people.” This answer is not too different from the one I heard throughout my K-12 education; however, as I get further into my education as a biomedical engineer, I find myself circling back to this definition with more and more questions. Do we help folks who need it?  How do we help them? These questions are even more critical in the medical field where people’s health and wellbeing are on the line. This is where the concepts of Verification and Validation (V&V) come in. Every medical device goes through a rigorous process involving regulatory oversight, review, and iteration before it gets released; this process is ongoing even after a product is released!  

Continue reading “Beyond Validation: Are Medical Devices Meeting Our Needs?”

By Hayden Nelson, C2ST Intern, University of Chicago

Have you ever wondered why your teeth aren’t perfectly white? Or why coffee, tea, and red wine seem to leave their mark? The answer comes down to chemistry. Every sip and snack you take sparks tiny chemical reactions inside your mouth. That morning coffee? Its dark pigment slips into the tiny grooves in the surface of your teeth. The glass of red wine at dinner? Same story. Our teeth might look simple, but they’re surprisingly complex structures that react to what we eat and drink every day. Despite their smooth look, our teeth are actually made up of layers of tightly packed minerals with tiny pores that absorb pigments from the foods and drinks we love. Understanding the chemistry behind your teeth and their stains helps explain why some smiles stay bright while others fade, and how everyday choices can make a microscopic difference.

Continue reading “The Chemistry of Your Smile: What Coffee, Wine, and Foods Are Really Doing to Your Teeth”

By Edita Music, C2ST Intern, Illinois Institute of Technology

Genetic testing. It sounds like something that can only be done in a fancy laboratory with microscopes and researchers in white coats. But it’s also something millions of people have done from the comfort of their living rooms.

Continue reading “From the Lab to the Living Room: The Ethics of At-Home DNA Testing”

By Hayden Nelson, C2ST Intern, University of Chicago

Plastic is everywhere. It’s in our packaging, our clothes, our water, and even our bloodstreams. In many ways, we’ve turned Earth into a giant tupperware container. The result? Millions of tons of plastic waste flow into the ocean each year, breaking down into microscopic confetti that fish mistake for food. Yet, beneath those same waters lies an unexpected ally. Seaweed, the slimy green (and sometimes brown) plant we love to avoid at the beach, could be the ocean’s quiet answer to plastic pollution.

Continue reading “The Slimy Solution to Plastic Pollution”