SUMMER RESEARCH TRAINING IN MEMBRANE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2008 ASPET SURF SUMMER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY at the UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
The Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy is pleased to offer this research project as part of the 2008 summer ASPET SURF Program administered by the Department of Pharmacology & Cell Biophysics.  Students interested in this project are urged to contact Professor Kasting to discover more about the project, learn what your responsibilities will be during the ten-week research training program.
2008 ASPET SURF Project #:  08-016 Faculty Supervisor/Mentor: Gerald B. Kasting, Ph.D., Professor, Pharmaceutics & Cosmetic Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati Email:  gerald.kasting@uc.edu
Project Title: Diffusivity and Partitioning of Skin Permeants in the Dermis
General background and significance of the project: The skin is a multi-laminate biological membrane of utmost importance to the health and well being of all mammalian species.  It performs several key functions including thermoregulation, water conservation, immune surveillance and a barrier for entry of foreign substances into the body.  While the outermost skin layer, the stratum corneum, usually provides most of the diffusion barrier, the inner layers – viable epidermis and dermis – provide the remainder of the functionality.  Transport of exogenous substances across these layers is an important aspect of both immune response and systemic exposure.  This project will build the knowledge base for diffusive transport of chemicals in the dermis, enabling the development of improved models for topical drug delivery and dermal risk assessment.  We are particularly interested in making accurate estimates of skin concentrations of potential contact allergens following transient skin exposures, e.g., fragrances or preservatives in a cosmetic product.
Brief description of proposed research and activities for the 10-week ASPET SURF period: The ASPET SURF student will learn and perform: (1) proper handling procedures and biohazard precautions for working with human tissues (2) heat separation or alternative preparation of surgical skin samples; (3) radiochemical diffusion cell techniques for studying biological membrane permeability in vitro; and (4) macro-transport methods for analyzing diffusive transport in heterogeneous membranes.  The student will work with current laboratory personnel (graduate and research assistants) to study specific permeants of interest in topical/transdermal drug delivery and/or dermal risk assessment.
What the ASPET SURF student can gain from participating in this project: Specific research in which the ASPET SURF student will be involved at the University of Cincinnati includes quantitative determination of the dermal diffusivity and partitioning of the test permeants in excised human skin and interpretation of the results in terms of an effective medium model for skin transport.  Significant contributions made by the ASPET SURF student will earn co-authorship on presentations and publications arising from this federally and industry funded research.