The goal of our project was to create a safe, simple, affordable and time-effective way to test for unsafe amounts of arsenic in the environment.
The first part of this issue was solved by the cost and time-efficiency of the test tickets themselves, but these would not be as effective if there were not an efficient means for a tester to view the results in an equally safe, cheap, and time-effective manner. Our answer to this question was the VK3 (VOC kit 3) reader and imaging system.
Originally developed by the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center, the imager itself is comprised of simple electronic components controlled at the root by a Raspberry Pi computer board and encased in a 3D printed plastic case. Testing for GFP expression requires the use of a UV light source. To safely and effectively image our tickets while eliminating exposure to UV light, the Cadets2Vets team constructed a simple prototype imaging chamber out of spare wood parts and UV light-emitting LEDs of our desired wavelength. We were then able to easily slide the ECBC VK3 imager into the imaging chamber, turn on the UV LEDs, and then image our tickets, testing for GFP expression.
Our current price for each unit is about $50, a cost that can easily be shared within a community. Our team hopes that the use of different components and production methods will reduce this price further.
Our end goal for the VK3 imager is to make an entirely independent unit capable of imaging and analyzing tickets for the expression of not only GFP, but also other types of indication processes, using cost-effective parts able to fit into your pocket.
