Difference between revisions of "Team:Michigan/Design"

Line 63: Line 63:
 
           <div class="col-md-12">
 
           <div class="col-md-12">
 
             <p style="text-align:center; font-size:20px;"><font face="verdana">  
 
             <p style="text-align:center; font-size:20px;"><font face="verdana">  
−
               Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide according the World Health Organization (source: http://www.who.int/gho/tb/en/), despite the fact that it is curable and treatments are often completely paid for by the government. Even so, 1.4 million died from TB in 2014 (source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/). Access to treatment isn't the problem. The problem is patients with TB are not being diagnosed until it is too late, since current methods are either cheap but only 50% sensitive, or are accurate but, prohibitively expensive or require access to advanced medical facilities.
+
               Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide according the World Health Organization (source: http://www.who.int/gho/tb/en/), despite the availability of treatments which are often completely paid for by the government. Even so, 1.4 million died from TB in 2014 (source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/). The problem is patients with TB are not being diagnosed until it is too late. Current methods are either cheap but unreliable, or are accurate but prohibitively expensive, or require access to advanced medical facilities.
 
                
 
                
−
               <br><br>Our team decided to tackle this problem by developing a genetic switch that could detect TB biomarkers with less hassle than ELIZA and other similar methods of protein detection. In the regions where TB is most prevalent, namely africa and sub-continental asia, access to labs and lab equipment is difficult. Our genetic switch is designed to be incorporated into a paper-based test strip that could be easily self administered for screening purposes with no specialized equipment.  
+
               <br><br>Our team decided to tackle this problem by developing a genetic switch that could detect TB biomarkers that did not require lab equipment or labor necessary for protein detection assays such as ELIZAs. By incorporating our genetic switch in a paper strip that could be easily self administered with no specialized equipment, we would be able to provide a low-cost detection system to regions where TB is most prevalent, namely Africa and sub-continental Asia, where access to labs and lab equipment is difficult.  
  
−
               <br><br>Our switch design this year relies on two unique aptamers that both bind to the target protein. For the purpose of our experiments, this target was thrombin because it is readily available and has been thoroughly characterized. However, we anticipate converting the target protein to a TB biomarker such as CFP-10 which is highlighted in "IFN-γ/TNF-α ratio in response to immuno proteomically identified human T-cell antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis - The most suitable surrogate biomarker for latent TB infection." (Prabhavathi et al.) would not be very difficult. These two aptamers have been designed with sequences that enable the free-floating tails to ligate with each other through proximity dependent ligation. When the aptamers bind to the target protein and ligate together, they allow expression of the lacZ alpha fragment, which enables free floating lacZ to convert Xgal to 5,5'-dibromo-4,4'-dichloro-indigo and cause a blue colorimetric output.
+
               <br><br>Our switch design this year relies on two unique aptamers that both bind to the target protein. These two aptamers have been designed with sequences that enable the free-floating tails to ligate with each other through proximity dependent ligation. When the aptamers bind to the target protein and ligate together, they allow expression of the lacZ alpha fragment, which enables free floating lacZ to convert Xgal to 5,5'-dibromo-4,4'-dichloro-indigo and cause a blue colorimetric output.
 +
 
 +
<br><br> For our proof of concept we utilized thrombin due to its availability and it's through charaterization. However, we expect converting the target protein to a TB biomarker such as CFP-10, which is highlighted in "IFN-γ/TNF-α ratio in response to immuno proteomically identified human T-cell antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis - The most suitable surrogate biomarker for latent TB infection." (Prabhavathi et al.) would not be very difficult.  
  
 
               <br><br>When this system is freeze dried onto the paper test strip it can last up to a year with no refrigeration (Pardee, Green, et al.). To use, a consumer need only rehydrate with a sputum sample and watch for the color to change.
 
               <br><br>When this system is freeze dried onto the paper test strip it can last up to a year with no refrigeration (Pardee, Green, et al.). To use, a consumer need only rehydrate with a sputum sample and watch for the color to change.

Revision as of 21:36, 18 October 2016

Home Project Modeling Team BioBrick Human Practices Safety Awards

Project Design

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide according the World Health Organization (source: http://www.who.int/gho/tb/en/), despite the availability of treatments which are often completely paid for by the government. Even so, 1.4 million died from TB in 2014 (source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/). The problem is patients with TB are not being diagnosed until it is too late. Current methods are either cheap but unreliable, or are accurate but prohibitively expensive, or require access to advanced medical facilities.

Our team decided to tackle this problem by developing a genetic switch that could detect TB biomarkers that did not require lab equipment or labor necessary for protein detection assays such as ELIZAs. By incorporating our genetic switch in a paper strip that could be easily self administered with no specialized equipment, we would be able to provide a low-cost detection system to regions where TB is most prevalent, namely Africa and sub-continental Asia, where access to labs and lab equipment is difficult.

Our switch design this year relies on two unique aptamers that both bind to the target protein. These two aptamers have been designed with sequences that enable the free-floating tails to ligate with each other through proximity dependent ligation. When the aptamers bind to the target protein and ligate together, they allow expression of the lacZ alpha fragment, which enables free floating lacZ to convert Xgal to 5,5'-dibromo-4,4'-dichloro-indigo and cause a blue colorimetric output.

For our proof of concept we utilized thrombin due to its availability and it's through charaterization. However, we expect converting the target protein to a TB biomarker such as CFP-10, which is highlighted in "IFN-γ/TNF-α ratio in response to immuno proteomically identified human T-cell antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis - The most suitable surrogate biomarker for latent TB infection." (Prabhavathi et al.) would not be very difficult.

When this system is freeze dried onto the paper test strip it can last up to a year with no refrigeration (Pardee, Green, et al.). To use, a consumer need only rehydrate with a sputum sample and watch for the color to change.