K. Matthews

Biophysical Profiling of Red Blood Cells from Thin-film Blood Smears using Deep Learning

This paper develops a deep learning model to detect RBC deformability and storage-related changes in blood smears, showing high accuracy in categorizing deformability groups.

When is a slender not a slender? The cell-cycle arrest and scarcity of slender parasites challenges the role of bloodstream trypanosomes in infection maintenance

This study shows that Trypanosoma brucei cell-cycle arrest is irreversible and that proliferating parasites are rare in established infections, suggesting bloodstream forms are adapted for transmission rather than infection maintenance.

A revised mechanism for how Plasmodium falciparum recruits and exports proteins into its erythrocytic host cell.

This study identifies a mechanism by which Plasmodium falciparum directs exported proteins from the ER to PTEX for translocation into erythrocytes via HSP101 interactions.

Deep Learning Image Classification of Red Blood Cell Deformability

This paper develops a deep learning model to classify red blood cell deformability from single-cell microscope images, achieving high accuracy comparable to specialized equipment.

Degradation of Red Blood Cell Deformability during Cold Storage in Blood Bags

This study measures RBC deformability loss during cold storage and finds donor-dependent variations, particularly accelerated loss in male donors beyond 42 days.

Blood Unit Segments Accurately Represent the Biophysical Properties of Red Blood Cells in Blood Bags but Not Hemolysis

This study shows that RBCs sampled from blood unit segments accurately reflect biophysical properties of RBCs in blood bags but not hemolysis over 8 weeks of storage at 4°C.

Basement membrane proteins as a substrate for efficient Trypanosoma brucei differentiation in vitro

This paper shows that basement membrane extract supports efficient Trypanosoma brucei differentiation into stumpy forms in vitro, mimicking physiological conditions without animal use.

New water and air pollution sensors added to the Sonic Kayak citizen science system for low cost environmental mapping

The paper introduces two new sensors for turbidity and air particulate pollution to the Sonic Kayak system, enabling low-cost environmental data collection and mapping.

Host porphobilinogen deaminase deficiency confers malaria resistance in Plasmodium chabaudi but not in Plasmodium falciparum or Plasmodium berghei during intraerythrocytic growth

This study identifies a host mutation in porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) that confers resistance to Plasmodium chabaudi but not other Plasmodium species during blood-stage infection.

Selective Cell Propagation via Micropatterning of Thermal-activated Hydrogel

The paper introduces a method to selectively propagate specific cells using hydrogel micropatterning based on imaging features.

Broad anti-coronaviral activity of FDA approved drugs against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and SARS-CoV in vivo

This study evaluates 20 FDA-approved drugs for antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV, finding 17 inhibit SARS-CoV-2 at non-cytotoxic concentrations and two protect mice from SARS-CoV disease.

Lossless Immunocytochemistry using Photo-polymerized Hydrogel Thin-films

This paper introduces a lossless immunocytochemistry method using photo-polymerized hydrogel thin-films, which preserves cell samples with fewer than 10,000 cells.

Deformability based sorting of stored red blood cells reveals donor-dependent aging curves

The paper develops a microfluidic method to measure RBC deformability and finds donor-specific aging curves that vary across donors.

An atypical DYRK kinase connects quorum-sensing with posttranscriptional gene regulation in Trypanosoma brucei

This study identifies TbDYRK, an atypical DYRK kinase in Trypanosoma brucei, linking quorum sensing with posttranscriptional gene regulation through phosphorylation of TbZC3H20.

Sonic Kayaks: Environmental monitoring and experimental music by citizens

The paper describes the Sonic Kayak, a citizen science tool that collects environmental data and generates real-time music from underwater sounds and temperatures.