Research Plan

 Methodology 

The first phase involves manually creating these Drug-Antibody Vesicles (DAVes) with both current and new methods. 

After successful creation of these DAVes via manual means, they will be tested for functionality through the application of cell assays using fluorescence, which will be performed on two cell lines with differing folate receptor expressions. Additionally, further testing will be performed in order to check for toxicity of the DAVes, and then compared to currently released antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in the market. 

The second phase involves the creation and testing of the prototypes of the microfluidic system. 

After several rounds of testing and recorrection, the microfluidic system is to be set up to produce these DAVes. Once DAVes are produced, to confirm that they are functional, further cell assay testing will be performed, in the same manner as in phase 1. 

The third phase involves actual application of doxorubicin, an active chemotherapeutic agent, within these DAVes for testing to confirm past results and to obtain results for this study's goals. 

Timeline

 Literature Review

Budget

Collectively, the total estimated cost of the project is currency expected to be approximately $2954, which includes the costs for materials and database/literature access. The prices within the table are based on average market prices and are subject to potential change by the time proper laboratory work begins. As the project develops, the budget will be updated accordingly. The project will primarily be financed via grants, with multiple grant applications filed to increase the chances of receiving necessary funding. Current grants that are being considered for the project include internal UMD grants such as the Sustainability Fund and federal grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Prize money is also available such as awards from the Do Good Showcase and Library Awards. In addition, Launch UMD provides a crowd-funding avenue for funding research. Team SAINT plans on applying and using every opportunity available for financing research and acquiring lab materials.