Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
Calcium (Ca²⁺) signaling plays a critical role in insulin secretion from pancreatic βcells. Photo-biomodulation (PBM) of red or near-infrared wavelengths is applied to enhance cellular metabolism and Ca²⁺ activity in pancreatic cells. This study aims to rigorously analyze how PBM influences calcium dynamics in pancreatic cells by applying the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), converting Ca²⁺ spiking patterns to the frequency domain to determine dominant oscillatory behaviors. Using a calcium-binding fluorophore, Ca²⁺ activity was acquired before and after PBM at 810 nm, processed with a machine learning algorithm, and further analyzed in MATLAB using FFT to assess changes in calcium signal frequency and amplitude. v Preliminary results suggest PBM increases calcium activity and spiking patterns, indicating potential modulation of insulin secretion. Analysis of the calcium fluorescence intensity revealed increased activity following PBM exposure, suggesting enhanced intracellular calcium oscillations. FFT analysis showed that the dominant frequency of Calcium spikes was approximately 0.033 Hz, corresponding to oscillations occurring every 30 seconds. After PBM, a greater proportion of cells exhibited calcium activity at this frequency, accompanied by increased signal amplitude. This study compares calcium dynamics before and after PBM to characterize its effect on β-cell signaling and function, providing insights into potential non-invasive strategies for diabetes management
Disciplines
Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering | Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Engineering
Publication Date
2025
Language
English
Faculty Mentor of Honors Project
Michael Cho
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Kunwar, Abhidha, "Signal Analysis Of Calcium Dynamics In Pancreatic Cells" (2025). 2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects. 20.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/honors_fall2025/20
Comments
This project was supported in part by the Alfred R. and Janet H. Potvin Endowment. I am especially grateful to Dr. Kelli Fowlds and Dr. Michael Cho for their exceptional mentorship, guidance, and unwavering support throughout this work. I also sincerely thank Dr. Caleb Liebman for his valuable assistance.