As the first high school team of BGI-college, we endeavour to apply the cell-free system to a semi-quantitative test paper with the reaction site in the shape of a pearl-necklace whose results can be observed by human to measure the concentration of target molecules in the sample within a certain range. This mechanism integrated with biosensors for target molecules enabled the testing of the concentration of hormones, glucose, fatty acid or nitrates in clinical samples of plasma, urine or saliva. Quantitative results can be shown by the output of a variety of proteins.(light emission of GFP or the changing of colour initiated by LacZ,etc.). The high portability of the test paper and the small duration of the testing process of clinical samples, should the test paper be successfully manufactured, shall relieve millions of patients of comprehensive time-consuming and perhaps agonising medical inspections—these could be carried out at home! The test paper system, presumably, transcends mainstream medical inspections of clinical samples in means of efficiency and convenience.

Our idea originated from comprehensive discussions that eliminated the alternatives of acetochlor test papers which already exists in the market at a feasible price and the cholinesterase injection plan for protection of nerve system against Sarin gas as the project relied upon the injected medicine’s access through the Brain-Blood Barriers——an unsolvable dilemma. We procured research that followed which can be traced all the way back to November 2015. It was by chance that we came across the article Detection of pathological biomarkers in human clinical samples via amplifying genetic switches and logic gates written by Alexis Courbet, Drew Endy, Eric Renard, Franck Molina, and Jérôme Bonnet along with Keith Pardee’s articles on paper-based synthetic gene networks. The two articles outlined the feasibility of a paper-based cell-free system for inspection of clinical samples targeting at specific molecules as we grappled what they meant to us, and became the very foundation of our project. In late April, the designing of our plasmids was initiated via comprehensive methods, which, upon finishing even as we post this passage, has gone through three phases. Upon the biosensor’s contact with the target molecule, the genetic circuit will produce an output with the fluorescence of a GFP.

Our goals go as follows. The very foundation of our targets is to apply our cell-free system, the system of cell environment simulation which consists of cell-extract and substrate that enables DNA expression in vitro to a mature test paper module. Laboratory sample and clinical sample tests will be carried out to assess the effectiveness of the coalition. To make that happen, we will test the feasibility of our test paper prototype with pearl necklace-shaped reaction region and enhance its operability through modelling until a semi-quantitative test-paper system is built up. Should that succeed, we will expand the project into the designing, testing and, if possible, manufacturing of a test paper reader: To assemble a test paper reader according to existing blueprints and express the measurements via reporter proteins from single apertures.

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4.1.1 Materials used

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4.1.2 Protection

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4.1.3 Disposal

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4.2.1 Risks to the safety and health of team members, or other people working in the lab

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4.2.2 Risks to the safety and health of the general public (if any biological materials escaped from our lab)

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4.2.3 Risks to the environment (from waste disposal, or from materials escaping from our lab)

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4.2.4 Risks to security through malicious misuse by individuals, groups, or countries

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4.2.5 What new risks might arise from our project's growth?

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