While detection is the first step, characterization and quantification are equally important to reliably assess the danger of an infection.
Popaye is devised based upon a SynBio approach comprising of a two-dimensional biosensor and a measurement device . The two-dimensional biosensor (Figure 1) is designed to recognize quorum sensing molecules secreted by the pathogen cells and generate a distinct fluorescence signal.
Figure 2 Measurement device based on counting of visual signal density
By embracing the open hardware approach and using both low- and high-level components such as Arduino microcontrollers and systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) as Raspberry Pi, we maximize the measurement device’s versatility.
The visual signals generated by the biosensor will be captured by a camera (Figure 2) and analyzed by our measurement software, ‘Measurarty’. The software uses modern region- and graph-cut-based evaluation methods to analyze the data efficiently.
The device will be finally tailored to perfectly fit the needs of end users, for example by minimizing the need for electricity.
Direct Applications
Detection and identification of pathogens with Cellock Holmes is crucial in different scenarios such as
Hospitals
R&D labs
Nursing homes
Food & water industry
The cost-efficiency allows for a standardized method to uncouple low-budget institutions from the need for expensive equipment and highly trained personnel.
Furthermore, we would like to conduct an economic review of our project and, depending on the outcome, a business strategy based on the improvement and distribution of hardware and biological component kits.
Social and cooperation opportunities
The open hardware components can be easily accessed and assembled and thus stimulate fair distribution of the entire technology involved in this project. For device construction, reusable parts will be employed wherever possible in order to reduce the environmental footprint.
Due to the modularity of our hardware components, we aim to create additional devices for self-assembly and use in the lab. We also intend to bring open hardware and software development much closer to synthetic biology, and consider several cooperation opportunities with other iGEM teams and industry partners.
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