Difference between revisions of "Team:USMA-West Point/Description"
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2017/2/25/ArmyWestPoint--overhead.png" style="width:404px;height:328px > <body> <h1>Description</h1> <p> The International Genetically Engineered Machine (IGEM) foundation encourages work inside and outside the lab to create sophisticated projects using standard biological parts. This project for the IGEM competition is geared towards creating a system that detects chemicals by way of scent for potential health and military use. We propose to develop a controlled environment where neurons with enhanced olfactory receptors can be exposed to certain olfactants and a voltage signal can be read from them. In order to achieve this, we obtained a multi electrode array to seat the neurons and read a signal, and designed a bioreactor and perfusion system to expose the neurons to media and olfactants while maintaining a closed system. A program was developed to convert the signal output by the neurons into a digital voltage signal. From this signal, we determined how the neurons react when exposed to certain odorants. This data is important to the progression of this project by helping develop an easy, inexpensive method for neuronal research and establishing more information about the constraints of neurons and olfactory receptors. </p> <h1>Why We Chose this Project</h1> <p> Our group decided to pursue this project because... </p> </body> </div> <div class="column half_size" > | <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2017/2/25/ArmyWestPoint--overhead.png" style="width:404px;height:328px > <body> <h1>Description</h1> <p> The International Genetically Engineered Machine (IGEM) foundation encourages work inside and outside the lab to create sophisticated projects using standard biological parts. This project for the IGEM competition is geared towards creating a system that detects chemicals by way of scent for potential health and military use. We propose to develop a controlled environment where neurons with enhanced olfactory receptors can be exposed to certain olfactants and a voltage signal can be read from them. In order to achieve this, we obtained a multi electrode array to seat the neurons and read a signal, and designed a bioreactor and perfusion system to expose the neurons to media and olfactants while maintaining a closed system. A program was developed to convert the signal output by the neurons into a digital voltage signal. From this signal, we determined how the neurons react when exposed to certain odorants. This data is important to the progression of this project by helping develop an easy, inexpensive method for neuronal research and establishing more information about the constraints of neurons and olfactory receptors. </p> <h1>Why We Chose this Project</h1> <p> Our group decided to pursue this project because... </p> </body> </div> <div class="column half_size" > | ||
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| + | <h1>eNOSE - "Detecting the Undetectable"</h1> | ||
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| − | + | This project for the IGEM | |
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competition is geared towards creating a system that detects chemicals by way of scent for potential | competition is geared towards creating a system that detects chemicals by way of scent for potential | ||
| − | health and military use. | + | health and military use. Current state-of-the-art inorganic hardware sensors for biological and chemical agent detection are highly tailored for specific chemicals and find difficulty when used to detect compounds outside of a highly defined analyte set. Olfactory receptors are G Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) that discriminate thousands of odorants based on genetic sequences that in the presence of a ligand cause cells to generate an electric potential that is measurable using microelectrode arrays (MEAs). Here, we modify HT-22 cells by adding individual olfactory receptors plasmids via nucleofection. A bioreactor was designed with a peristaltic pump system allowing for media to flow across a MEA cultured with neurons which enables the controlled addition of liquid samples for action potential measurement. Analysis of modified neurons serve as a representative model for exploiting the sensitivity and selectivity of native olfactory systems to be used as rapid detection systems for applications in security and medical & health capacities. |
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| − | < | + | <h2>Our Purpose</h2> |
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| − | USMA West Point's "eNOSE" was designed with the purpose of | + | USMA West Point's "eNOSE" was designed with the purpose of detecting improvised explosive devices (IED's), a threat to the present-day warfighter in Iraq and Afghanistan. Alternatives are bomb sniffing dogs and ground penetrating radar, but many small inconsistencies cause these options to be somewhat unreliable. "eNOSE" is a biosensor that uses the same biological machinery as a dog, but without the same inconsistencies. The device uses olfaction, or the sense of smell, to detect odorants in a highly specific manner. "eNOSE" is here to change the battlefield - it is here to "detect the undetectable." </p> |
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Revision as of 00:09, 9 October 2017
USMA-West_Point
eNOSE - "Detecting the Undetectable"
Description
This project for the IGEM competition is geared towards creating a system that detects chemicals by way of scent for potential health and military use. Current state-of-the-art inorganic hardware sensors for biological and chemical agent detection are highly tailored for specific chemicals and find difficulty when used to detect compounds outside of a highly defined analyte set. Olfactory receptors are G Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) that discriminate thousands of odorants based on genetic sequences that in the presence of a ligand cause cells to generate an electric potential that is measurable using microelectrode arrays (MEAs). Here, we modify HT-22 cells by adding individual olfactory receptors plasmids via nucleofection. A bioreactor was designed with a peristaltic pump system allowing for media to flow across a MEA cultured with neurons which enables the controlled addition of liquid samples for action potential measurement. Analysis of modified neurons serve as a representative model for exploiting the sensitivity and selectivity of native olfactory systems to be used as rapid detection systems for applications in security and medical & health capacities.
Our Purpose
USMA West Point's "eNOSE" was designed with the purpose of detecting improvised explosive devices (IED's), a threat to the present-day warfighter in Iraq and Afghanistan. Alternatives are bomb sniffing dogs and ground penetrating radar, but many small inconsistencies cause these options to be somewhat unreliable. "eNOSE" is a biosensor that uses the same biological machinery as a dog, but without the same inconsistencies. The device uses olfaction, or the sense of smell, to detect odorants in a highly specific manner. "eNOSE" is here to change the battlefield - it is here to "detect the undetectable."
References
- Niimura, Y., Matsui, A. & Touhara, K. Extreme expansion of the olfactory receptor gene repertoire in African elephants and evolutionary dynamics of orthologous gene groups in 13 placental mammals. 1-14 (2014). doi:10.1101/gr.169532.113.24
- iGEM teams are encouraged to record references you use during the course of your research. They should be posted somewhere on your wiki so that judges and other visitors can see how you thought about your project and what works inspired you.
Inspiration
See how other teams have described and presented their projects:
