This summer, Jorelys De Jesus participated in the LRSM REU program at the University of Pennsylvania, working in a research lab focused on developing anti-biofouling surfaces for biomedical microfluidic devices.
Her independent project involved testing polymer coatings on membranes to reduce protein and cell adhesion from human plasma. She applied techniques such as contact angle measurement, slip angle analysis, and protein quantification to evaluate coating performance.
In addition to her lab research, she joined two hands-on workshops hosted by AIRFoundry:
- Formulating Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) for drug delivery applications
- Microfluidics Fabrication and Operation, where she learned to assemble and test microfluidic devices for controlled nanoparticle synthesis
These experiences helped Jorelys strengthen her experimental design skills and connect her chemical engineering background to real-world biomedical applications. She leaves the summer with more confidence, improved communication skills, and a deeper interest in the intersection of materials science and bioengineering.
