Team:Warwick/Project

Theory by TEMPLATED

The Brainstorm

Planning our project

The Leptospirosis Project

Our Leptospirosis detector.

Metal Aptamers Project

Detecting Heavy Metals.

Leptospirosis Plasmid

Leptospirosis Plasmid

Leptospirosis Plasmid

Metal Plasmid

Brainstorming

Praesent placerat magna

There is no global challenge worth greater investment than improving quality of life. During initial discussions, we identified a wide range of problems that we felt warranted further scientific development: increasing crop yields; sewage filtration; reclamation of rare earth metals. Upon evaluation, the team decided that synthesizing a modular biosensor detection kit would be most influential, due to the potential application to a wide range of diseases and environmental health issues. This affordable, accessible system could tackle multiple issues over a large demographic, making the venture truly worthwhile. Lyme disease, although not at the forefront of discussion, was the inceptive focus of the investigation, as current detection methods can only be applied after debilitating symptoms have manifested. However, upon reviewing data gathered from primary research and conferring with Lyme disease experts, we determined that diagnosis of another spirochetal disease would be more appropriate for our device. When surveying members of the public in Lyme disease hotspots, the results showed a distinct lack of knowledge of both symptoms and prevalence, but more importantly a distrust in self-testing. Furthermore, Dr Tim Brooks, head of Lyme Disease UK at Public Health England, identified a very significant issue with implementing our technology to diagnose Lyme disease directly from blood samples. Because of this, our previously secondary focus, leptospirosis, became the primary target for our diagnosis tool. We are developing our device as a frontline diagnosis kit for leptospirosis infection in developing countries. The adaptable nature of the bio-detector could allow replacement of the expensive antibody-reliant detection systems currently used. We also aim to modify this technology such that it can be used to monitor toxic lead and mercury levels in water supplies. Our detection system for infectious agents and environmental pollutants will be based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology, relying on conformational changes in an RNA-based sensor that will trigger transcriptional regulation by a dCas9 protein. We plan to produce a modular gene circuit that can detect the presence of either RNA from an infectious agent or metallic ion and output a fluorescent signal. The RNA sensor will be a modified sgRNA containing a motif binding either Borrelia/Leptospira RNA or lead/mercury aptamers. This binding will cause a conformational change such that the dCas9 enzyme may bind upstream of the transcriptional start site of a fluorescent reporter gene inducing transcription. Afterwards, the sensor will be freeze-dried onto a paper scaffold for ease of use. We hope to create a paper based sensor that will be able to be used in a low-tech, out-of-lab, environment. We hope this will make it available to less economically developed countries as a frontline diagnostic tool and make a real impact in the fight against infectious diseases and pollution.