Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Interdisciplinary Programs

First Committee Member

Seungman Park

Second Committee Member

Mingon Kang

Third Committee Member

Mohamed Trabia

Fourth Committee Member

Lukasz Sznajder

Number of Pages

58

Abstract

Aging affects the mechanical and structural integrity of cells, but how these changes occur within cells remains poorly understood. Intracellular viscosity, a biophysical property that influences molecular transport and organelle movement, might be an early indicator of cellular aging. In this study, we combined holotomography, a label-free method of refractive index imaging, with nanodiamond probes to measure intracellular viscosity in living cells. Nanodiamonds coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were taken up by cells and tracked over time using holotomography imaging. Particle movements were analyzed with ImageJ plugins TrackMate and MTrackJ to determine mean squared displacement (MSD) and estimate viscosity based on the Stokes–Einstein law. We applied stressors, including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and doxorubicin (DOX), to induce cellular changes associated with aging. Since intracellular viscosity governs diffusion, active transport, and organelle movement, this imaging approach provides a means to quantitatively assess mechanical changes associated with cell aging and stress-induced physiological shifts.

Controlled Subject

Aging; Viscosity; Cells--Aging

Disciplines

Biomechanical Engineering | Biomedical | Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation | Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering

File Format

PDF

File Size

1491 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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Available for download on Saturday, May 15, 2027


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