This is just a quick housekeeping update for my website, but since my last update I gave a presentation on my project’s progress to a panel as well as a brief announcement along with the other fellows to the school about our projects. I have attached a picture of what my final design looks like to this post! (The bumps are a series of LEDS). I also filled out a reimbursement form for the courses I paid to take over the summer and updated the Fellows purchase registry to reflect these purchases! I After meeting with Mrs. Carsley I plan to order my official materials for the model.
1 Comment
This will be a pretty quick update! I ordered some big blueprint papers to draw my final design on and they are arriving soon, so I will be making another longer post this weekend. My first model and casting attempt wasn’t completely a failure, because I made something, but it didn’t turn out as expected in terms of shape. I tried to get some sort of color gradient effect but that didn’t want to happen as the resin I chose was white. However, the resin did cure and the original plastic model worked: This made me think about how I will execute the modeling task on a large scale. I looked into 3D printing: And found some pretty cool stuff. But ultimately, I would need to print multiple parts and glue/fuse them together because I want my scale to be around a foot and a half to two feet long for two or two and a half neurons. So, I am working on meeting with someone who can give me advice about the 3D modeling process now that I do know what my design is and how I will be utilizing the model.
Stay tuned for a Labor Day weekend update. My next step was to start experimenting with mold making. So that’s what I did. First, I watched some youtube tutorials about making molds with rubber/silicone and resin. This one was especially helpful: https://youtu.be/FJOtG60Ddx4 I found out there was something called a brush-on mold which is good for larger 3D objects. I wasn’t able to purchase this kind of modeling rubber without a wait period so I got what was readily available. This is fine because I am experimenting on a smaller scale, but I’m keeping it in the back of my head as a possible method to use on my full-size model. Next, I got the goods: Yes, I know exactly what you’re thinking, and don’t worry. I did update my expenses spreadsheet. What? That wasn’t it? Oh… I guess you’re referring to this: Don’t worry about that either. I broke out some PPE and everything was okay. As you may or may not have seen above, I bought some dyes to mix into the resin for different color options, because I ultimately want my model to be multi-colored and also contain different layers. Here’s a time lapse of me making the molds: (I'll find a way to put it in a better format someday) Oh yeah and I made a YouTube which I have some cool ideas for. But more on that in the next few months.
Overall, this part has been fun. It’s what I expected: lots of experimenting, and also some math. I’ve touched most of the bases for skills involved in the creation of this model, (except the programming which I’m saving for the school year), so my next step is to completely fulfill my summer goal by finalizing a 3D design. Look forward to that next post! I've got a solid amount of background knowledge about neurons and neurotransmission in my pocket, and now it’s on to the design process! This is more experimental, a different type of learning so to speak. I’ve attached a few sketches and written ideas to this post, as well as the first clay model I’ve made that is somewhat presentable.
I would be lying if I said 3D modeling was easy. If you look closely at the model photo, (which I don’t necessarily recommend), you may notice lumps, bumps, and maybe a few cracks. This is a sign that I have some improving to do, but also affirms my choice to have the final model out of semi-rigid polyurethane and different silicones. Speaking of which, here is a link to the medical modeling resources page of the supplier I plan to order from: https://polytek.com/industries/medical-modeling-simulation I haven’t been home for most of July which is why I haven’t wanted to order any synthetic materials yet, so experimentation with materials is what I plan to do for most of August. Going into the school year and looking forward, I am very glad to have completed both 6 week online courses and to have a more solid idea of the structure of my model. There are so many different applications and topics I’ve thought of for my model to display, but I know that I will have to narrow this down before school starts. Looking at my ultimate goal for the summer, which is having background knowledge, a finalized design, and materials, I still feel that this goal is accomplishable and I am well on my way to achieving it. Stay tuned for my next post, where I may or may not be an expert in plastic! (very exciting, I know). I've done it! (and by "it" I mean successfully completed all of my coursework and also paid for final exam access to earn a certificate of completion for both courses). With these first purchases I was able to update my budget sheet, and I now anticipate my next purchase being for a mix of different plastics (very fun). I have attached my certificate to this post, but that's not all I've been up to. I have a few sketches/ideas I've created that are in a notebook I left back in Maryland, so images of those should be going up by this Friday. With all of my coursework and the bulk of my neuroscience research behind me, I am shifting gears to focus on my model specifically. I know that when I get back home I have a lot of specifics to figure out, but I am excited by the many possibilities my project has. I have also attached the remainder of my notes to this post. Myelin? Sheath. Membrane? Potential. Voltage-Gated? Channels. Be prepared for lots of parenthesis in this post. During these past 15 days since my last blog post, there is one word that can sum up what I have done for this project. And that is research. I continued with the HarvardX course on the electrical properties of the neuron, but decided I needed a better foundation of neuron structure. This lead me to a Khan Academy course about the nervous system which was immensely helpful. Doing research has led me to discover more things I need to research to reach a level of understanding that addresses the complexities in neuron structure and function that exist. I also had a meeting with my out of school mentors, Dr. Buckley and Dr. Tomei, and Dr. Tomei shared with me a document of questions kids had asked her about neurons and brain development which she provided answers to. This was a perfect way for me to think about the questions that my own model could address. With what I’ve learned so far, I know that my next step is to finish my research by taking the HarvardX neurotransmission course. I will then have covered all the areas that my project addresses: neuron structure, the action potential (electrical signal sent through the neuron), and neurotransmission (chemical signal neurons send to each other). Then I need to chose the kind of circuit I would like to model, and start my sketching and 3D rendering! I have attached the notes taken thus far to this post, as well as a photo of some practice problems I completed to solve for Nernst potential (explained in the notes, but this is the voltage the neuron’s membrane where a certain ion is at its equilibrium) and membrane potential with the GHK equation (also explained in the notes). My "research station" and proof of doing the course can also be found below. I have been laying the foundation for this project. I kicked off the summer with a trip to a 3D art installation in New York called "Life of a Neuron" where I learned about, well, the life cycle of neuron. The cool thing was that for each stage, a giant projection or 3D art rendering would serve as a visual so it was like a story was being told. I also took photos here for this website and (even though this is really thinking ahead) my final fellows presentation.
I learned a few things on the trip, but most importantly in terms of research, I have been working on the EdX course called "Fundamentals of Neuroscience; The Electrical Properties of the Neuron" and am set to finish it soon. This course has taken longer than expected because I am trying to make sure I retain as much of the information as possible to be able to apply to my model. Finally, I have a meeting set up for June 20 with two outside mentors in which I plan to discuss my project and ask for advice about the kinds of neurological disorders I could perhaps display with my model and also take the opportunity to ask about career paths for prospective neuroscientists. So far, things are looking good! |