Adama Sesay on fixing issues with sensors and microsystems

Should you 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, chances are you’ll assume she’s gone in a very totally different course, 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 Know-how Crew and works on a variety of tasks 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 Girls’s Well being Catalyst. Be taught extra about Adama and her work on this month’s People of the Wyss.

What tasks are you concerned with?

I concentrate on biosensing, microfluidics, and microsystems, and my tasks span over fairly a various space. The primary venture I’ve been managing is a BARDA venture, which is a federally funded venture taking a look at integrating sensors to measure biomarkers like cytokines, from a lymph node tissue mannequin, or a lymphoid follicle (LF) Chip. On this venture, I’ve principally focused on the instrumentation facet, 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 venture the place we’re growing an enzyme-encapsulated particle that reduces sugar in meals as soon as it’s consumed, changing it to dietary fiber. Mainly, this might be a “sensible meals” ingredient, the place the enzyme is simply activated when you eat it. That method, the meals tastes the identical, however the precise quantity of sugar your physique metabolizes is decrease.

I’m engaged on a 3rd venture the place we’re growing 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 part with a sensor transducer and might measure a organic or chemical response by producing indicators to point the focus of the analyte, or part 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 totally 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 tasks deal with?

With the BARDA venture, we will use the LF Chips to watch the immune system’s response to various kinds of medication. We will use affected person samples to get time resolved information in regards to the irritation response. Along with serving to display screen 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 venture will assist deal with America’s ever-growing issues with weight problems and diabetes. Regardless of these points, there’s a massive meals business 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 loss program is low in fiber. We began this venture taking a look at methods to make meals extra pleasurable whereas additionally being accountable. Our enzyme encapsulation will hopefully deal with diabetes and metabolic syndrome, whereas rising fiber, which can make folks’s intestine microbiomes more healthy.

We hope to make use of the Blood Clotting Chip to know the clotting time and the thrombosis elements of mesothelioma. It may also be used as a diagnostic instrument. Understanding a affected person’s blood clotting issue is important after they go into surgical procedure, even past these affected by this illness. This turned much more obvious to me not too long ago when my father wanted to have emergency surgical procedure, however they needed to wait till he might be off blood thinners for a time period. If we might use this as a diagnostic check, surgeons would know when a affected person’s clotting issue was such that they have been prepared for surgical procedure.

What’s your particular position on the workforce?

I’m a Senior Engineer right here and a part of the Superior Know-how Crew, I lead the biosensing, microfluidics, and microsystems effort on the Wyss. I’m additionally chargeable for the microfabrication room and efforts, and work carefully with Pawan Jolly, who’s the lead on sensors. That entails however isn’t restricted to analysis venture 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 all my largest pursuits for the time being is to construct up the Girls’s Well being Catalyst. In a spot just like the Wyss that’s taking a look at unmet wants, it’s pure that we’ve got numerous tasks already in our pipeline devoted to girls’s well being as a result of therapeutics and diagnostics particularly aimed toward girls’s well being points are one of many largest unmet medical wants on the planet. All this work is being finished inside our present Focus Areas. Lots of our researchers are extremely devoted to rising our data and discovering real-world options.

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

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

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

I’ve a various group of researchers on my workforce together with biologists, biotechnologists, biomedical engineers, and mechanical engineers who have a look at challenges very otherwise, 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 facet and translating that acquired data 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 facet and translating that acquired data 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 take heed to the scientists about how the elemental biology works of their system and use my expertise in sensor improvement, microsystems, and growing point-of-care units to talk to extra virtually minded engineers about methods to construct the system, discovering a typical language between the 2. Then, we have to talk why this system is beneficial to a enterprise viewers with a view 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 record was the Wyss Institute. I beloved 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 bought 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 once 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 in the present day?

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 totally different folks, convey numerous viewpoints and expertise collectively, actually take heed to the place the issues are, and discover options. I believe typically, particularly earlier in your profession, it’s straightforward to assume that your concept is good, however on the finish of the day, it may be a fantastic expertise that’s laborious to translate right into a product. I’ve discovered that you might want to take your ego out of it, hear, and discover one of the best ways ahead, even when it isn’t your method. Having a crucial mass of latest data round you means you’ll all the time be on the forefront; you simply must be open to making an attempt new issues and making the sum of the elements higher than the person items.

What’s your largest piece of recommendation for an instructional scientist seeking to translate their expertise?

“Keep a degree of curiosity and marvel. Be ready to maintain on enhancing and studying.”

– Adama Sesay

Keep a degree of curiosity and marvel. 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 area?

Should you had requested me what I needed to be once I was a child, I might all the time say a health care provider, an architect, or a firefighter. A physician as a result of I actually favored science and I didn’t know there was anything on the market aside from that. My mother and father have been within the medical area, so I assumed that was it. An architect as a result of I favored artwork, and I like buildings. I assumed structure was the sensible method to apply that. I used to be unaware there was a career referred to as an engineer. And a firefighter as a result of I get pleasure from being energetic and I assumed 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 method to a profession in translational analysis centered on sensors and microsystems. Should you actually get pleasure from what you do, it doesn’t really feel like a job.

What continues to encourage you?

Making a distinction and dealing with a fantastic workforce in a tremendous work atmosphere. I believe that figuring out that the folks I’m working alongside are actually having an impression, even when they’re not on my venture immediately, may 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 figuring out that the folks I’m working alongside are actually having an impression, even when they’re not on my venture immediately, may 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 prefer to spend your time?

I like curler skating. I began enjoying my clarinet once more, which I used to do once I was a youngster, and that’s given me loads of pleasure. I additionally like watching movies. My favourite latest movies have been Every little thing, In all places, All at As soon as and The Lady King. Every little thing, In all places, All at As soon as manages to be mild whereas additionally touching some fairly thought-provoking ideas. I like the varieties 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 puzzled about it. Though a few of these discussions may be uncomfortable, at the least 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 the 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 based mostly 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 yr we will begin engaged on the curriculum for the college. We’re placing loads of work into this, however we expect it’s an effective way to honor our mom’s legacy and allow girls to get out of poverty and turn into future entrepreneurs.

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

It feels nice to be a part of such a dynamic atmosphere. I believe as an engineer and a expertise switch specialist, it’s the most effective of all worlds. I’m fortunate sufficient to have labored at some distinctive institutes in some wonderful nations, however the Wyss is sort of particular in that we’ve got a crucial mass of world-class, high-impact tasks ripe for translation. I’m in my fifth yr now and it’s been a fantastic experience thus far. I’m trying ahead to what comes subsequent.