Preparation and Characterization of Multi-Responsive Microgels for Controlled Drug Release

Hadi Abbas, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completed major in Biochemistry and minor in Chemistry

For my capstone project, I investigated the preparation and characterization of multi-responsive microgels designed for controlled drug release. The main objective was to create a biocompatible, intelligent drug delivery system that could respond to environmental stimuli—specifically temperature and pH changes—to release therapeutics precisely at diseased sites while minimizing off-target effects.

Using oligo (ethylene glycol)-based polymers, I synthesized microgels crosslinked with dynamic boronate ester bonds. These microgels shrank in response to increased temperature and swelled in acidic environments, which simulated conditions like inflammation or tumors. The results demonstrated that drug release could be finely tuned by adjusting environmental conditions and crosslinker density, confirming the potential of these systems for targeted therapeutic delivery across a broad range of diseases.

I initially identified this research area by reading literature about smart biomaterials and their applications in personalized medicine. My primary motivation came from a desire to bridge materials science with healthcare innovation. Having seen firsthand, through volunteering in hospitals, how systemic side effects from cancer treatments affect patients, I became interested in how drug delivery could be made safer and more localized.

At the start, I expected the capstone to mostly involve straightforward lab work: synthesizing polymers, testing drug release, and gathering data. In reality, it was much more iterative and creative. Designing the polymer system required frequent adjustments, from tweaking monomer ratios to troubleshooting purification methods. It wasn't just about following a recipe — it was about understanding the behavior of materials and learning to adapt.

One major challenge was mastering the synthesis conditions. Small variations in temperature, stirring rates, or initiator concentrations drastically affected the size and uniformity of the microgels. Another challenge was learning to interpret dynamic light scattering data; the patterns were sometimes noisy and required careful calibration. On the easier side, preparing buffer solutions and conducting fluorescence measurements for drug loading were relatively straightforward tasks, as these were familiar techniques from previous coursework. A surprising aspect was how sensitive the microgels were to minor pH changes; even slight variations outside of expected ranges caused significant differences in swelling and drug release, underscoring how critical precise control is for real-world applications.

If I were to continue this research, I would explore integrating a third stimulus-responsiveness, such as redox-sensitivity, to make the system even more specific to cellular micro-environments. Redox-responsive bonds could trigger drug release inside cells that have high glutathione concentrations, such as tumor cells, adding another layer of precision. I would also test the microgels in more biologically relevant conditions, like serum-containing media, to understand how proteins might affect their behavior.

What I am taking away from this experience is the realization that research is both meticulous and imaginative. Success doesn't come just from technical skill—it comes from asking the right questions, designing clever experiments, and embracing setbacks as opportunities to learn. Working independently also built my confidence in experimental design and critical analysis. Finally, I developed a deeper appreciation for interdisciplinary research, as this project combined polymer chemistry, biomedical engineering, and pharmaceutical sciences. These lessons will stay with me as I pursue future opportunities in biomedical innovation.

Traits Associated with Range Sizes and Driver of Individual Species Diversity of American Birds

Morgan Novello, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completed major in Biology, and minor in Italian

I did not know where to begin when it came to my capstone research. Luckily, I had just taken Professor Manne's biology statistics class and she was looking for students for an independent study. I responded right away to see what it was about. During out first meeting she mentioned that we would be studying birds and their traits, and I knew that this would be right for me. My grandad and I used to watch birds in the park when I was younger. He passed a little before the meeting and it gave me another chance to connect with him.

Research with Dr. Manne began by using the most significant traits of birds to see how they related to range size. When you think of birds you may assume that small birds move further because they have less weight to fly around. For instance, a larger body size may directly expand their range due to interactions with resources and environment, but having a larger body species leads to having lower reproductive rates.

So many different traits could mean so many things and we wanted to look into it further. There are many more traits that go into it such as habitat, diet, clutch size, dispersal ability, and fecundity. We took data from three parts of the US: Eastern, Western, and Spanning (meaning the area from east to west). Determining the importance of these traits would allow us to analyze multiple factors.

For the results, the direct relationship between range size and migratory behavior was positive and only significant in the western and eastern areas. Body size was positive everywhere but the east. This meant that in the east smaller body size meant bigger range size.

The next part we wanted to understand was the relationship between the number of individuals and the number of species in an area. In this study, we wanted to see which bird species drive changes in this relationship over time. We used long term (30 years) of bird abundance data. We also used the jackknife regression technique, which was so cool to me. We took one bird to see how the slope changed. By using this, we saw which species whose removal caused bigger changes in this relationship. It showed us patterns of biodiversity. The number of years that a species caused this change varied a lot and this suggested that not all species contributed equally to community structure. Range size was very significant in both the first and second parts of our research.

I expected this capstone to be challenging and it sure was. Writing this paper and reflecting on these past two years took a lot of effort and time. There was so much that went into it. It was not just about writing a paper. I had to research each of these birds and also use a coding platform (R studio). It took a lot of time but I feel very accomplished. What I am taking away from this research experience is my love for birds is renewed. It was so interesting learning all these things about them and doing all this research, and the statistical side of it and learning and using what I learned in class was a great application.

 

The Impact of Seasonality on Infant Motor Development

Lia Ohana, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completed major in Psychology

Within my first week after joining the research lab with Dr. Sarah Berger, I knew I wanted to be part of the Nanit project, which explores how infant sleep is affected around the time of motor skill onset. While collecting data, I began noticing differences in the ages at which babies were reaching milestones, which made me wonder what might be causing these variations. As I continued working, I read more about motor development and came across an article discussing how season of birth might influence the timing of milestone achievement. That idea interested me, and it ultimately inspired me to focus my honors thesis on the potential effects of seasonality and sleepwear on motor milestone timing.

My research provided a new perspective by monitoring infants over several nights and considering sleepwear patterns, which could affect how future studies interpret the effects of seasonality on motor development. Even though I didn't find conclusive evidence that season or sleepwear delays motor milestones, the project helped me understand how environmental factors like weather and clothing, could interact with motor development.

Through this experience I learned that research is not just about data, rather interpretation, building on previous studies, and continuously learning throughout the process. Additionally, I learned that not finding significant results still provides valuable insights.

While my research revealed no significant seasonal variations in milestone timing or sleepwear use, it did show how caregiver routines, such as regularly using sleep sacks, may lessen seasonal variation. To better understand how seasonal clothing patterns may affect infants' opportunities for movement and motor development, future research should expand on this study by examining clothing worn during the day in addition to sleepwear.