SUMMER RESEARCH TRAINING IN MEMBRANE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2008 NSF REU SITE PROGRAM 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 NSF-REU Site Program administered by the Department of Pharmacology & Cell Biophysics.  Students interested in this project are urged to contact Professor Pauletti to discover more about the project, learn what your responsibilities will be during the ten-week research training program.
Project #:  08 – 017a Faculty Supervisor/Mentor: Giovanni M. Pauletti, Ph.D. Associate Professor College of Pharmacy, Email:  gm.pauletti@uc.edu
New Opportunities of Hydrotropes in Cancer Therapy
General background and significance of the project: The REU student will engage in physicochemical characterization of surface-active glycol ether derivates to select promising compounds with hydrotropic properties that enhance in vitro cellular toxicity of paclitaxel in drug-resistant breast cancer cells used as a model system. Experimental data will be collected and analyzed by the REU student using a diverse array of methodologies relevant to surface chemistry (e.g., interfacial properties, aggregation behavior, phase solubility), drug solubility (e.g., HPLC), and cell biology (e.g., cell culture, cytotoxicity).
Brief description of proposed research and activities for the 10-week REU period: Involvement in this stimulating multidisciplinary research projects provides an opportunity for the REU student to apply theoretical concepts that were originally developed in engineering to pharmaceutical drug delivery with the ultimate satisfaction that the fruits of this effort may significantly enhance the therapeutic efficacy of drug interventions in cancer patients and the unborn fetus, respectively.
What the REU Student can gain from participating in this project: Significant contributions made by the REU student will earn co-authorship on presentations and publications arising from this collaborative international project.