Team:JNFLS China/Integrated Practices
Towards Better- Integrated Human Practice
Alzheimer Disease (AD): What? How? – Interview with clinical neurology physicians
What is the influence of AD? How can we diagnosis Alzheimer?
Two questions were answered from our interview with doctor working at Qilu hospital. Based on the information we got from interview with neurology doctors working for different hospitals, we discussed and analyzed the current situation of Alzheimer diagnosis and the influence of AD to people’s life. Diagnosis currently used clinically is expensive, painful, not easily accessible and not well accepted by publics. Physicians usually diagnose by guess, according to the symptoms that patients exhibited. Attempted to solve this situation, costs, policy and public acceptance were all taken into consideration.
Prospective groups we want to aim at and the possibilities for our project to be a useful tool was evaluated (Fig. 1).
More about our interviews: click to Silver Medal for HP page
After analysis, we proposed our first design of synthetic system Device 1.0 help to diagnosis make use of RNA interaction.
More details about our systems: click to design page
From bench to life: How far we need to go?
Can the old themselves understand the results?
“User” can always tell you things unexpected as designers can reach. Talking with old in Tiansi Nursing Home prompted the birth of our “not-gate” design (Fig. 2):
Fluorescence signal can be recognized as the sign of Alzheimer now, instead of a signal telling “safe”, which is contrary to common sense. That is a more straightforward results for publics, as well as our olds, apparently (Fig. 3).
Do they willing to accept this test on regular basis?
Ethics and acceptance of our ideas is another part we want to communicate to the olds, and their family.
Take glucometer as our expected final “product”, which is easily accessible and not that painful as traditional diagnosis method, it is well accepted by them.
All genetically modified microbe would be well defined by stick to the replacement pad and not accessible to the person used it, potential gene pollution can be prevented and safety of our machine can be guaranteed.
More about our visiting: click to gold medal
Re-discussion with Our PI: Born of Device 3.0
After all these activities, with the more mature thought about where our design would be used, we discussed with our PI, Professor Tian again to find out if there any technique problems may hindered our actual application. Therefore, Professor Tian guided us to design the version 3.0 of our system to achieve easier observation of our results.
Detailed information at: https://2016.igem.org/Team:JNFLS_China/Design
Design to Life: How difficult it can be?- Collaboration
Think as real scientists, offer accurate detection feedback through continually perfection of our project, is another important aspect for our project- though the results come back from our kit is understandable, window period caused by nature of protein synthesis remains a problem needed to be improved. click to collaboration
Final Picture: Make it real! – Exhibitions
Publics recognition for AD & synthetic biology- Exhibitions/ surveys at Shandong Science & Technology Museum With the purpose to investigate the public acknowledgements of Alzheimer and introduce to the public with how synthetic biology and our project can help life to be better, exhibitions with surveys were held at Shandong Science & Technology Museum. Awareness of Alzheimer remains a problem in our hometown, however, they’d willing to receive our prospective equipment and synthetic biology as a detection method if it is accessible.
We also reevaluated the chance that our project can come into real with statistic data we gained during this activity. More about our exhibition & reevaluation: click to gold medal
Future Power for Science- Exhibitions in Jinan Foreign Language School
Introduction of our project and synthetic biology to high school would surely inspired interesting for teenagers, who has potential to be the future scientist in this field and contribute to progression of discipline.
iGEM club has been established in Jinan Foreign Languang School.
More about our exhibition & iGEM club plan: click to silver medal
