Fatigue and over-training syndrome in athletes
Prof. Mickey Scheinowitz
Department of Biomedical Engineering & Sylvan Adams Sports Institute, School of Public Health, Tel Aviv University
 

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Meeting ID: 833 0778 6741

Excessive training combined with inadequate recovery time could potentially result in overtraining syndrome (OTS), which is characterized by underperformance and fatigue. There are several methods in assessing overtraining though most if not all of them are retrospective.
In our lab we are interested in assessing acute fatigue as well as chronic condition of over-training, though, prospectively, while the situation emerges. For this purpose, we are measuring the electromechanical properties of skeletal muscles using electromyograph (EMG) electrodes during progressive exercise. In addition, we are looking at multi-variables that can contribute to over-training such as sleeping time and quality (as a measure of recovery), laboratory exercise performance (as a goal for the determination of training intensity), field training data (as a measure of the difference between training intensity goal to that actually performed), as part of a newly developed prediction models and algorithm. 
Lastly, we are investigating the role of gut microbiome families of bacteria as potentially contributing to performance enhancement and delaying fatigue via buffering mechanism of lactic acid which is generated during high intensity, prolonged exercise by the working muscles.
The presentation will cover the research performed by our graduate students toward better understanding this complex phenomenon of fatigue and over-training in athletes. 

FROM LAB-ON-A-CHIP TO LAB-ON-A-PARTICLE ELECTRICALLY-POWERED PLATFORMS FOR SINGLE CELL ANALYSIS, TARGETED DELIVERY AND BIOSENSING
Prof. Gilad Yossifon
gilad.yossifon@gmail.com, https://mnfl.technion.ac.il/

Current affiliation: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Micro- and Nanofluidics Laboratory, Technion – I.I.T
Future affiliation --- Starting October 2021 --- School of Mechanical Engineering, µ/Nano- Fluidics and Robots Laboratory, University of Tel-Aviv

Towards lab-on-a-particle platforms we suggest using mobile active (self-propelling) particles (also known as “micro-motors” and “micro-robots”) to revolutionize diagnostic testing and sample analysis; with advantages of the traditional lab-on-a-chip (e.g. portability, efficiency) but overcoming current challenges (e.g. complexity, predetermined design, fluid control). Our novel generic active particles, acting as a mobile floating microelectrode, uses a single externally applied electric field to selectively trap, transport and deliver user-specified payload(s) and hence act as an active cargo carriers. Our unified solution is simpler and more robust than current systems where carrier propulsion and cargo manipulation are controlled by separate mechanisms. Moreover, current cargo loading requires specific and predefined targets and release of the cargo (if possible) is complicated. Our recent work [1] demonstrated that using dielectrophoresis (DEP), a frequency-dependent mechanism can selectively load and release the transported cargo. This offers a label-free method to generically, selectively and dynamically manipulate (load and release) a broad range of organic/inorganic matter [2]. Adding directed motion via magnetic stirring enables to develop these active particles into in-vitro assays with single cell precision. Such micromotors were recently used for biosensing [3] as well as purification of targeted organelles of interest from a mixed biological sample [4]. Besides the local electric field gradient intensification essential for DEP, an important novelty of our mobile microelectrodes is also the strong local electric field intensification induced by the active particle. This property was recently exploited by us [5] to demonstrate a novel method of local and targeted (i.e. only those cells that are in contact with the active particle) electroporation of bacteria, mammalian cells as well as electro-deformation of a selectively trapped nucleus [4] acting as a promising label-free biomechanical marker.

[1] A. Boymelgreen, T. Balli, T. Miloh and G. Yossifon, Nature Communications 9:760 (2018).
[2] X. Huo, Y. Wu, A. Boymelgreen and G. Yossifon, Langmuir 36, 6963−6970 (2020).
[3] S. Park and G. Yossifon, ACS Sensors 5, 4, 936–942 (2020).
[4] Y. Wu, A. Fu and G. Yossifon, Small 1906682, 1-12 (2020).
[5] Y. Wu, A. Fu, and G. Yossifon, Science Advances 6, 1-11 (2020).