Adama Sesay on fixing issues with sensors and microsystems

For those who had requested Adama Sesay as a baby what she needed to be when she grew up, the reply would have been a health care provider, an architect, and a firefighter. Now a Senior Engineer specializing in sensors and microsystems, it’s possible you’ll assume she’s gone in a totally completely different path, however by following the passions that led her to these concepts – science, design, and saving lives – she’s discovered a profession she loves. On the Wyss, Adama is a member of the Superior Expertise Staff and works on a variety of initiatives that span from sensor-integrated Organ Chips to make medication safer to an enzyme that converts sugar to fiber to make meals more healthy, whereas concurrently main the Ladies’s Well being Catalyst. Study extra about Adama and her work on this month’s People of the Wyss.

What initiatives are you concerned with?

I concentrate on biosensing, microfluidics, and microsystems, and my initiatives span over fairly a various space. The primary undertaking I’ve been managing is a BARDA undertaking, which is a federally funded undertaking integrating sensors to measure biomarkers like cytokines, from a lymph node tissue mannequin, or a lymphoid follicle (LF) Chip. On this undertaking, I’ve principally targeting the instrumentation aspect, offering the precise {hardware} (which is a form of sensor-integrated cartridge) and retrofitting it right into a business Organ Chip system.

Adama Sesay, Senior Engineer II. Credit score: Wyss Institute at Harvard College

Then I’ve one other undertaking the place we’re creating an enzyme-encapsulated particle that reduces sugar in meals as soon as it’s consumed, changing it to dietary fiber. Principally, this might be a “good meals” ingredient, the place the enzyme is just activated when you eat it. That means, the meals tastes the identical, however the precise quantity of sugar your physique metabolizes is decrease.

I’m engaged on a 3rd undertaking the place we’re creating and microfabricating a microfluidic Blood Clotting Chip to check clotting time for sufferers which have mesothelioma, a most cancers brought on by publicity to asbestos. We’re collaborating with Massachusetts Normal Hospital and Boston Kids’s Hospital.

What are biosensors, microfluidics, and microsystems?

A biosensor is a tool that mixes a organic element with a sensor transducer and might measure a organic or chemical response by producing alerts to point the focus of the analyte, or element of curiosity, within the monitored pattern. Microfluidics refers to a system that has small channels that may transfer and ship low volumes of fluid. The idea is that fabrication-wise, a microfluidic channel is something that has dimensions within the micrometer vary. The benefit of microfluidics is you can ship very low volumes to completely different areas and manipulate these flows a basic instance is a an Organ Chip. A microsystem system on this context takes it a bit additional and is the mixing of sensors, microfluidics, and utility. The three are a carefully built-in bundle.

What real-world issues do these initiatives deal with?

With the BARDA undertaking, we will use the LF Chips to observe the immune system’s response to various kinds of medication. We will use affected person samples to get time resolved knowledge concerning the irritation response. Along with serving to display medication for security, this might assist us decide which therapies can be utilized on immuno-compromised sufferers or what a vaccine response will likely be in a sure inhabitants.

This illustration demonstrates the construction of the LF Chip that Adama is engaged on. Credit score: Wyss Institute at Harvard College

The sugar fiber undertaking will assist deal with America’s ever-growing issues with weight problems and diabetes. Regardless of these points, there’s a large meals trade right here that depends on refined sugars, particularly excessive fructose corn syrup. Along with these different points, excessive fructose diets contribute to metabolic syndrome. Plus, the American weight-reduction plan is low in fiber. We began this undertaking make meals extra gratifying whereas additionally being accountable. Our enzyme encapsulation will hopefully deal with diabetes and metabolic syndrome, whereas growing fiber, which is able to make folks’s intestine microbiomes more healthy.

We hope to make use of the Blood Clotting Chip to grasp the clotting time and the thrombosis elements of mesothelioma. It will also be used as a diagnostic instrument. Understanding a affected person’s blood clotting issue is crucial after they go into surgical procedure, even past these affected by this illness. This turned much more obvious to me just lately when my father wanted to have emergency surgical procedure, however they needed to wait till he might be off blood thinners for a time frame. If we may use this as a diagnostic take a look at, surgeons would know when a affected person’s clotting issue was such that they have been prepared for surgical procedure.

What’s your particular function on the group?

I’m a Senior Engineer right here and a part of the Superior Expertise Staff, I lead the biosensing, microfluidics, and microsystems effort on the Wyss. I’m additionally liable for the microfabrication room and efforts, and work carefully with Pawan Jolly, who’s the lead on sensors. That entails however will not be restricted to analysis undertaking administration, writing funding proposals, mentorship, and overseeing relationships with inside and exterior collaborator.

How are you serving to to advance girls’s well being on the Wyss?

One in every of my greatest pursuits in the intervening time is to construct up the Ladies’s Well being Catalyst. In a spot just like the Wyss that’s unmet wants, it’s pure that now we have various initiatives already in our pipeline devoted to girls’s well being as a result of therapeutics and diagnostics particularly geared toward girls’s well being points are one of many greatest unmet scientific wants on the earth. All this work is being completed inside our current Focus Areas. A lot of our researchers are extremely devoted to growing our information and discovering real-world options.

Adama and the opposite audio system on the Wyss’ occasion celebrating Ladies on the Intersection of Science and Artwork on Worldwide Ladies’s Day. Credit score: Wyss Institute at Harvard College

So, proper now we’re aiming to coalesce all these initiatives to deliver collectively our good scientists, clinicians, and expertise groups to advance analysis and make medication and gadgets to assist folks. We purpose to have the ability to spotlight these initiatives to draw exterior collaborators to work with our Wyss expertise translation engine, and in the future change into a world-class beacon the place folks wish to come and actually make advances in girls’s well being.

How are you serving to to bridge the hole between academia and trade on the Wyss?

I’ve a various group of researchers on my group together with biologists, biotechnologists, biomedical engineers, and mechanical engineers who have a look at challenges very in a different way, whereas I have a look at the economic want and see how we will translate the science into one thing to deal with the gaps. I believe what it boils right down to is facilitating the communication between scientists and engineers on the analysis aspect and translating that acquired information into know-how, companies, and merchandise on the enterprise and industrial sides.

“I believe what it boils right down to is facilitating the communication between scientists and engineers on the analysis aspect and translating that acquired information into know-how, companies, and merchandise on the enterprise and industrial sides.”

– Adama Sesay

For instance, if I’m designing a diagnostic system, I’ll hearken to the scientists about how the elemental biology works of their system and use my expertise in sensor improvement, microsystems, and creating point-of-care gadgets to talk to extra virtually minded engineers about construct the system, discovering a typical language between the 2. Then, we have to talk why this system is beneficial to a enterprise viewers in an effort to efficiently commercialize it.

What introduced you to the Wyss?

I needed to be in a spot that was busy doing what I had been doing for some time in Europe, which is translational science. The primary place on my want checklist was the Wyss Institute. I liked the work occurring right here; the organs-on-chips and the translational nature of the place. It’s fairly distinctive in its construction. So, I acquired in contact with folks working right here, particularly in Donald Ingber’s lab, and I used to be fortunate that there was a place open after I utilized.

Members of Don Ingber’s lab, together with Adama, on the Wyss Retreat in 2022. Credit score: Wyss Institute at Harvard College

How has your earlier work expertise formed your strategy to your work right this moment?

Beginning with my grasp’s and Ph.D., a lot of my work has centered on expertise switch. It’s formed my strategy to work as a result of it has taught me to speak to completely different folks, deliver varied viewpoints and expertise collectively, actually hearken to the place the issues are, and discover options. I believe typically, particularly earlier in your profession, it’s straightforward to assume that your thought is good, however on the finish of the day, it is perhaps an ideal expertise that’s onerous to translate right into a product. I’ve realized that you want to take your ego out of it, pay attention, and discover one of the best ways ahead, even when it isn’t your means. Having a crucial mass of recent information round you means you’ll all the time be on the forefront; you simply need to be open to attempting new issues and making the sum of the components higher than the person items.

What’s your greatest piece of recommendation for an educational scientist trying to translate their expertise?

“Preserve a degree of curiosity and surprise. Be ready to maintain on enhancing and studying.”

– Adama Sesay

Preserve a degree of curiosity and surprise. Be ready to maintain on enhancing and studying. Don’t be discouraged should you get knocked again, as a result of even when your first strategy doesn’t work, it’s since you undergo that and also you’re prepared to get again up once more that you’ll succeed.

What impressed you to get into this discipline?

For those who had requested me what I needed to be after I was a child, I might all the time say a health care provider, an architect, or a firefighter. A health care provider as a result of I actually favored science and I didn’t know there was anything on the market apart from that. My dad and mom have been within the medical discipline, so I believed that was it. An architect as a result of I favored artwork, and I like buildings. I believed structure was the sensible technique to apply that. I used to be unaware there was a occupation known as an engineer. And a firefighter as a result of I get pleasure from being energetic and I believed they have been so heroic. I simply admired them.

I spotted in a short time that none of these issues have been precisely for me, however I adopted the passions that led me to these concepts – science, design, and saving lives – and by doing what I like I discovered my technique to a profession in translational analysis centered on sensors and microsystems. For those who actually get pleasure from what you do, it doesn’t really feel like a job.

What continues to inspire you?

Making a distinction and dealing with an ideal group in an incredible work surroundings. I believe that realizing that the folks I’m working alongside are really having an affect, even when they’re not on my undertaking instantly, could be very inspiring. It makes me really feel that I’m part of one thing that may trigger optimistic change in my lifetime.

“I believe that realizing that the folks I’m working alongside are really having an affect, even when they’re not on my undertaking instantly, could be very inspiring. It makes me really feel that I’m part of one thing that may trigger optimistic change in my lifetime.”

– Adama Sesay

When not on the Wyss, how do you wish to spend your time?

I like curler skating. I began enjoying my clarinet once more, which I used to do after I was a youngster, and that’s given me quite a lot of pleasure. I additionally like watching movies. My favourite latest movies have been All the things, In all places, All at As soon as and The Lady King. All the things, In all places, All at As soon as manages to be gentle whereas additionally touching some fairly thought-provoking ideas. I like the kinds of movies you can spend time speaking about. The Lady King, whereas it has confronted some criticism for being inaccurate, opens a dialogue about African historical past on a world stage between people whom audiences within the west have by no means identified and even questioned about it. Though a few of these discussions is perhaps uncomfortable, not less than individuals are starting to have them. Once more, I like a movie that begins a dialog.

What’s one thing distinctive about you that somebody wouldn’t know out of your resume?

My mom suffered from Alzheimer’s illness, and it lastly took her this previous Christmas. In her reminiscence, my sister and I are working in direction of constructing a sensible metropolis in her village in Sierra Leone. To do that, we’re elevating consciousness and funding to construct an agricultural college for girls and empower them to reap crops primarily based on new expertise that’s sustainable and applicable for the land, provided that it’s a wildlife sanctuary space, and create companies from farming. Hopefully, by subsequent 12 months we will begin engaged on the curriculum for the varsity. We’re placing quite a lot of work into this, however we predict it’s a good way to honor our mom’s legacy and allow girls to get out of poverty and change into future entrepreneurs.

What does it really feel wish to be working in direction of translating cutting-edge expertise that has the potential to have an actual and vital affect on folks’s lives and society?

It feels nice to be a part of such a dynamic surroundings. I believe as an engineer and a expertise switch specialist, it’s one of the best of all worlds. I’m fortunate sufficient to have labored at some distinctive institutes in some wonderful nations, however the Wyss is kind of particular in that now we have a crucial mass of world-class, high-impact initiatives ripe for translation. I’m in my fifth 12 months now and it’s been an ideal trip up to now. I’m wanting ahead to what comes subsequent.