Cotter, Trevor2014-10-022014-10-022014-10-02https://hdl.handle.net/11299/166541Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) grown in multiple culture media were altered after being subjected to a stretching protocol. hiPSC maintenance media and Gray’s media were used during the 6 day stretching protocol of 0.1 Hz with 5% circular elongation. While the final state of their development remains a mystery, qPCR using pluripotent, endoderm, and lung markers confirmed that the cells had transitioned from hiPSCs but had not been differentiated into one of these other cell lines. Further investigation must be performed to determine the cells’ new identity. Variables that could be modified in the future include cultureware coating, media used, and stretching protocols.en-USMagna Cum LaudeBiomedical EngineeringCollege of Science and EngineeringThesis or Dissertation