https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/emmanuel-cardenas-barcelo/index.htmlAbout me I am a biomedical engineer from Barranquilla, Colombia. I design accessible biomedical devices for resource-constrained settings—focusing particularly on prosthetics and rehabilitation—by combining embedded electronics, 3D printing, CAD (SolidWorks and Onshape), and signal processing. My work is grounded in a background in biology, which has led me to view the body through its biological processes rather than solely through mechanics. Beyond technical work, I find alternative perspectives on design in art and video games, which ultimately enrich my own practice. I am joining HTGAA eager to learn how to biologically fabricate the solutions I have previously achieved using only electronics and standard materials.Hugoenhttps://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/emmanuel-cardenas-barcelo/week-01-hw-project-ideas/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/emmanuel-cardenas-barcelo/week-01-hw-project-ideas/index.htmlEmmanuel Cárdenas Barceló Barranquilla, Colombia Emmanel2003cardenas@gmail.com September 22, 2026 What do you want to biomanufacture and why? One of the things that concerns me most within the scientific field is experimentation involving animals. For this reason, I would like to develop an alternative that maintains the precision of experimental results without compromising animal welfare. To achieve this, the best option would be to develop organ-on-a-chip platforms capable of replicating and evaluating the same types of tests that are commonly performed in animals (Huh et al., 2010).https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/emmanuel-cardenas-barcelo/week-02-hw-dna-design/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/emmanuel-cardenas-barcelo/week-02-hw-dna-design/index.htmlSynthetic Vascularization Encoded by PDGF-BB for Bioprinted Liver Tissue Emmanuel Cárdenas Barceló Barranquilla, Colombia emmanuel2003cardenas@gmail.com Part 1: Define your expression target What molecule are you expressing? Given the needs of the product, the molecule best aligned for expression is PDGF-BB (Platelet-Derived Growth Factor BB), a secreted growth factor that in my system will be produced by the endothelial cells lining the vascular channel. Its role is to recruit pericytes to the abluminal surface of the newly formed endothelium, a step needed to prevent vessel regression and local hemorrhage inside the printed channel (Zhang et al., 2021). Another option for this work is VEGF-A (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A), the factor that triggers the initial stage of the vascular cascade by activating endothelial cells to migrate, proliferate and form the lumen inside the printed channel (Son et al., 2025; Cai et al., 2025). Although it was a viable option, I prioritized PDGF-BB over VEGF-A because sustained overexpression of VEGF-A has been reported to cause leaky and unstable vessels (Son et al., 2025), whereas PDGF-BB acts specifically in the pericyte recruitment and adhesion stage that my design needs to accelerate.https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/emmanuel-cardenas-barcelo/final-project/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/emmanuel-cardenas-barcelo/final-project/index.html