Research Interests:

Tissue Engineering; Biology of Epithelia; Biomaterials; Cell Biology; Molecular Biology; Gene Regulation; Stem Cells; Human Medical Genetics

Education:

B.A. 1982 Major: Biology; Wellesley College, Wellesley MA

Ph.D. 1988 Program in Cell and Molecular Biology; Duke University, Durham, NC

About Dr. Susan Bernacki:

Courses:

BME/BEC483-Tissue Engineering Technologies: In this half-semester laboratory module, students will gain practical experience with two key elements of tissue engineering: tissue building and angiogenesis. Using advanced culture techniques, students will construct a complex living tissue that closely resembles its natural counterpart, then assess its ability to support ingrowth of capillaries (angiogenesis). The effects of different biomaterials and angiogenic factors will be evaluated. The engineered tissue will be embedded, sectioned and stained for histological analysis. (offered to graduate students as BME590 Special Topics)

BME484-Tissue Engineering Fundamentals: This course covers essential concepts of organ and tissue design and engineering using living components, including cell-based systems and cells/tissues in combination with biomaterials, synthetic materials and/or devices. Topics include: In vivo tissue structure and function; Isolation and culture of primary cells and stem cells; Principles of cellular differentiation; Mass transport processes in cell culture systems; Design, production and seeding of scaffolds for 3D culture; Design of bioreactors to support high-density cell growth; State-of-the-art engineered tissue systems; Clinical translation; and Ethics. (offered to graduate students as BME590 Special Topics)

Dr. Bernacki is operations manager for the Cell Mechanics Laboratory , 1212 Burlington Laboratories, and the Tissue Engineering Laboratory, 3240 College of Textiles.

Recent Publications:

1. Journal Articles
   
   McCullen, S. D., Zhu, Y., Bernacki, S. H., Narayan, R. J., Pourdeyhimi, B., Gorga, R. E. and Loboa, E. G. (2009). Electrospun composite poly(l-lactic acid)/tricalcium phosphate scaffolds induce proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells. Biomedical Materials 4, 035002.
   
   Hanson, A. D., Marvel, S. W., Bernacki, S. H., Banes, A. J., van Aalst, J. and Loboa, E. G. (2009). Osteogenic effects of rest inserted and continuous cyclic tensile strain on hASC lines with disparate osteodifferentiation capabilities. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 37, 955-965.
   
   van Aalst, J. A., Reed, C. R., Han, L., Andrady, T., Hromadka, M., Bernacki, S., Kolappa, K., Collins, J. B. and Loboa, E. G. (2008). Cellular incorporation into electrospun nanofibers: Retained viability, proliferation, and function in fibroblasts. Ann. Plast. Surg. 60, 577-583.
   
   McCullen, S. D., Stevens, D. R., Roberts, W. A., Clarke, L. I., Bernacki, S. H., Gorga, R. E. and Loboa, E. G. (2007). Characterization of electrospun nanocomposite scaffolds and biocompatibility with adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells. Int J Nanomedicine 2, 253-263.
   
   Wall, M. E., Bernacki, S. H. and Loboa, E. G. (2007). Effects of serial passaging on the adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential of adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells. Tissue Eng. 13, 1291-1298.
   
   Finger, A. R., Sargent, C. Y., Dulaney, K. O., Bernacki, S. H. and Loboa, E. G. (2007). Differential effects on messenger ribonucleic acid expression by bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells seeded in agarose constructs due to ramped and steady applications of cyclic hydrostatic pressure. Tissue Eng. 13, 1151-1158.
   
   Sumanasinghe, R. D., Bernacki, S. H. and Loboa, E. G. (2006). Osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells in collagen matrices: Effect of uniaxial cyclic tensile strain on bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2) mRNA expression. Tissue Eng. 12, 3459-3465.
   
   Bernacki, S. H., Beck, J. C., Stankovic, A. K., Williams, L. O., Amos, J., Snow-Bailey, K., Farkas, D. H., Friez, M. J., Hantash, F. M., Matteson, K. J., Monaghan, K.G., Muralidharan, K., Pratt, V. M., Prior, T. W., Richie, K. L., Levin, B. C., Rohlfs, E.M., Schaefer, F. V., Shrimpton, A. V., Spector, E. B., Stolle, C. A., Strom, C. M., Thibodeau, S. N., Cole, E. C., B.K. Goodman, B. K., and Stenzel, T. T. (2005). Genetically characterized positive control cell lines derived from residual clinical blood samples. Clin. Chem. 51, 2013-2024.
   
   Bernacki, S. H., Beck, J. C., Muralidharan, K., Schaefer, F. V., Shrimpton, A. E., Richie, K. L., Levin, B. C., Pont-Kingdon, G. and Stenzel, T. T. (2005). Characterization of publicly available lymphoblastoid cell lines for disease-associated mutations in 11 genes. Clin. Chem. 51, 2156-2159.
   
   Chen, B., O’Connell, C. D., Boone, D. J., Amos, J. A., Beck, J. C., Chan, M. M., Farkas, D. H., Lebo, R. V., Richards, C. S., Roa, B. B., Silverman, L. M., Barton, D. E., Bejjani, B. A., Belloni, D. R., Bernacki, S. H., Caggana, M., Charache, P., Dequeker, E., Ferreira-Gonzalez, A., Friedman, K. J., Greene, C. L., Grody, W. W., Highsmith, W. E., Jr., Hinkel, C. S., Kalman, L. V., Lubin, I. M., Lyon, E., Payne, D. A., Pratt, V. M., Rohlfs, E., Rundell, C. A., Schneider, E., Willey, A. M., Williams, L. O., Willey, J. C., Winn-Deen, E. S., Wolff, D. J. (2005). Developing a sustainable process to provide quality control materials for genetic testing. Genet Med 7, 534-549.
   
   Bernacki, S. H., Farkas, D. H., Shi, W., Chan, V., Liu, Y., Beck, J. C., Bailey, K. S., Pratt, V. M., Monaghan, K. G., Matteson, K. J., Schaefer, F. V., Friez, M., Shrimpton, A. E. and Stenzel, T. T. (2003). Bioelectronic sensor technology for detection of cystic fibrosis and hereditary hemochromatosis mutations. Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. 127, 1565-1572.
   
   Bernacki, S. H., Stankovic, A. K., Williams, L. O., Beck, J. C., Herndon, J. E., Snow-Bailey, K., Prior, T. W., Matteson, K. J., Wasserman, L. M., Cole, E. C. and Stenzel, T. T. (2003). Establishment of stably ebv-transformed cell lines from residual clinical blood samples for use in performance evaluation and quality assurance in molecular genetic testing. J. Mol. Diagn. 5, 227-230.
   
   Brown, N. M., Bernacki, S., Pratt, V. M. and Stenzel, T. T. (2001). Fluorescent, multiplexed, automated, primer-extension assay for 3120+1g-->a and i148t mutations in cystic fibrosis. Clinical Chemistry 47, 2053-2055.
   
   Bernacki, S. H., Nelson, A. L., Abdullah, L., Sheehan, J. K., Harris, A., Davis, C. W. and Randell, S. H. (1999). Mucin gene expression during differentiation of human airway epithelia in vitro. Muc4 and muc5b are strongly induced. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 20, 595-604.
   
   Bernacki, S. H., Medvedev, A., Holloway, G., Dawson, M., Lotan, R. and Jetten, A. M. (1998). Suppression of relaxin gene expression by retinoids in squamous differentiated rabbit tracheal epithelial cells. Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 138, 115-125.
   
   Saunders, N. A., Bernacki, S. H., Vollberg, T. M. and Jetten, A. M. (1993). Regulation of transglutaminase type I expression in squamous differentiating rabbit tracheal epithelial cells and human epidermal keratinocytes: Effects of retinoic acid and phorbol esters. Mol. Endocrinol. 7, 387-398.
   
   Bernacki, S. H., Nervi, C., Vollberg, T. M. and Jetten, A. M. (1992). Homeobox 1.3 expression: Induction by retinoic acid in human bronchial fibroblasts. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 7, 3-9.
   
   Jetten, A. M., Bernacki, S. H., Floyd, E. E., Saunders, N. A., Pieniazek, J. and Lotan, R. (1992). Expression of a preprorelaxin-like gene during squamous differentiation of rabbit tracheobronchial epithelial cells and its suppression by retinoic acid. Cell Growth Differ. 3, 549-556.
   
   Marvin, K. W., George, M. D., Fujimoto, W., Saunders, N. A., Bernacki, S. H. and Jetten, A. M. (1992). Cornifin, a cross-linked envelope precursor in keratinocytes that is down-regulated by retinoids. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 89, 11026-11030.
   
   Diliberto, P. A., Bernacki, S. H. and Herman, B. (1990). Interrelationships of platelet-derived growth factor isoform-induced changes in c-fos expression, intracellular free calcium, and mitogenesis. J. Cell. Biochem. 44, 39-53.
   
   Bernacki, S. H. and McClay, D. R. (1989). Embryonic cellular organization: Differential restriction of fates as revealed by cell aggregates and lineage markers. J. Exp. Zool. 251, 203-216.
   
   Nelson, S. H. and McClay, D. R. (1988). Cell polarity in sea urchin embryos: Reorientation of cells occurs quickly in aggregates. Developmental Biology 127, 235-247.
   
   Selected Refereed Conference Proceedings and Abstracts
   
   Puetzer JL, Finger AR, Bernacki SH, Loboa EG (Feb 2009). Chondrogenic effects of cyclic hydrostatic pressure on human adipose derived stem cells in 3-D agarose constructs. Proceedings of the 55th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Las Vegas, NV.
   
   Charoenpanich A, Puvanesarajah V, Goicoechea G, Bernacki SH, Otey CA, van Aalst JA, Loboa EG (Nov 2008). Palladin Expression of Human Adipose-Derived Adult Stem Cells in 3D Collagen Gel Culture. 10th Annual North Carolina Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (NCTERM) Conference, Raleigh, NC.
   
   Puetzer JL, Finger AR, Bernacki SH, van Aalst J, Loboa EG (Nov 2008). Effects of Cyclic Hydrostatic Pressure on Human Adipose and Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cells in 3-D Agarose Constructs. 10th Annual North Carolina Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (NCTERM) Conference, Raleigh, NC.
   
   Hanson AD, Marvel SW, Bernacki SH, Banes AJ, Loboa EG (March 2008). Mechanical Loading of Adipose-Derived Adult Stem Cells Enhances Osteogenesis. Proceedings of the 54th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society. San Francisco, CA.
   
   Puetzer JL, Finger AR, Bernacki SH, Loboa EG (March 2008). Effects of cyclic hydrostatic pressure on chondrogenesis of human adipose-derived adult stem cells. 2008 Annual Meeting, Institute of Biological Engineering. Chapel Hill, NC.
   
   Hromadka M, Collins JB, Andrady T, Han L, Kolappa KK, Bernacki S, Loboa EG, van Aalst JA (June 2007). Fibroblast Incorporation into Nanofiber Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering. Annual Meeting of Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, Westin, FL.
   
   Wall ME, Bernacki SH, Loboa EG (Dec 2006). Growth and differentiation potential of adipose-derived hMSCs after subculture. American Society for Cell Biology 46th Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA.
   
   Sumanasinghe RD, Bernacki SH, Loboa EG (September 2005). Effect of mechanical stimulation on osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in 3D matrices. 2005 Biomedical Engineering Society meeting. Baltimore, MD.
   
   Finger AR, Bernacki SH, Loboa EG (September 2005). Application of Cyclic Hydrostatic Pressure to Promote Chondrogenesis in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells. 2005 Biomedical Engineering Society meeting. Baltimore, MD
   
   Sumanasinghe, RD, Bernacki, SH, Loboa, EG (February 2005). Tensile strain induced osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in linear 3D matrices in vitro: effects of cell density, media, & duration of strain. 51st Annual Meeting, Orthopaedic Research Society. Washington, DC.
   
   Yeago, CA, Dulaney, KO, Bernacki, SH, Loboa, EG (p. 964, February 2005). Both ramp and steady applications of cyclic hydrostatic pressure cause a positive chondrogenic response in human mesenchymal stem cells in agarose constructs. Transactions of the 51st Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society. Washington DC.
   
   Sumanasinghe, RD, Bernacki, SH, King, MW, Loboa, EG (April 2005). Human mesenchymal stem cell seeded 3D collagen matrices for bone tissue engineering: effects of uniaxial cyclic tensile strain, cell density and media conditions on matrix contraction. 30th Annual Meeting of the Society for Biomaterials. Memphis, TN.
   
   Sumanasinghe, RD, Bernacki, SH, Loboa, EG (June 2005). Effects of uniaxial cyclic tensile strain on osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. ASME 2005 Summer Bioengineering Conference. Vail, CO.
   
    
   Book Chapters
   
   Bernacki, S. H., Wall, M. E. and Loboa, E. G. (2008). Isolation of human mesenchymal stem cells from bone and adipose tissue. Methods Cell Biol. 86, 257-278.
   
   Jetten, A. M., Vollberg, T. M, Nervi, C., Saunders, N. A., Bernacki, S. H. and Marvin, K. (1992) Retinoic acid receptors and the regulation of gene expression in tracheobronchial epithelial cells. in Livrea and Parker, eds.: Retinoids: Progress in Research and Clinical Applications Marcel Dekker Inc., pp. 223-235.
   
   Bernacki, S. H., Wray, B. E., Kusmik, W. and Herman, B. (1990) Alterations in [Ca++]i and mitogenesis in BALB/c-3T3 fibroblasts following stimulation with PDGF isoforms. in Herman, B. and K.A. Jacobson, eds.: Optical Microscopy for Biology New York: Wiley-Liss, Inc. pp. 307-322.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
   

Date of Last Modification: 8/4/2009

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