Engineering and Computational Tools for Salivary Biomedicine

Author: Kil, Yeokyoung (Anne)

Year: 2025

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Pachter, Lior S.

Committee Members: Gao, Wei; Burdick, Joel Wakeman; Wyllie, Anne L; Pachter, Lior S.

Option: Medical Engineering

DOI: 10.7907/8wdh-5v36

Abstract

Saliva is emerging as a powerful biofluid for noninvasive diagnostics, offering a window into human health through its diverse biomolecular composition. This dissertation advances the field of salivary biomedicine by addressing critical challenges in saliva collection, processing, and analysis. First, a comparative analysis of five saliva collection devices highlighted key usability factors, informing the development of SalivaStraw--a novel device designed to improve collection efficiency and minimize leakage. Next, colosseum, a low-cost, open-source fraction collector, was designed and developed to facilitate scalable saliva processing and improve biomarker isolation. Finally, a computational framework leveraging spline regression was applied to longitudinal salivary transcriptomic data, enabling the identification of temporally regulated genes and underscoring saliva’s potential for dynamic health monitoring. Collectively, this work contributes new tools and methodologies that strengthen the foundation of saliva-based diagnostics, broadening its applications in precision medicine and beyond.

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