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| | <button class="tablinks" onclick="openTab(event, 'iGEM NYU Abu Dhabi 2016')">iGEM NYU Abu Dhabi 2016</button> | | <button class="tablinks" onclick="openTab(event, 'iGEM NYU Abu Dhabi 2016')">iGEM NYU Abu Dhabi 2016</button> |
| − | <button class="tablinks" onclick="openTab(event, 'Results')">Results</button>
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| | In many developing countries, people depend on reasonably priced and conveniently available street food. However, lack of action taken by governments to regulate street food vendors has led to the prevalence of severe street food-related illnesses. One of the primary microbial contaminants in street food is E. coli O157:H7, which acts by secreting the Shiga-like toxin (SLT). Currently, there is no detection method for SLT outside of a lab setting, thus putting the consumers of foods at risk. Our project aims to develop a device that would be used by street vendors and restaurant owners to verify the safety of their products. Through our device, we exploit the binding of Gb3 to subunit B of the Shiga toxin, and compare the migration pattern of the bound Gb3-subunit B complex to a non bound subunit B. A shift in the migration pattern on a PAGE gel will occur when Gb3 is bound, indicating the presence of the toxin in the food sample. If no shift occurs in the SLT migration pattern, this implies the absence of the toxin within the sample, and reflects the safety status of the food. | | In many developing countries, people depend on reasonably priced and conveniently available street food. However, lack of action taken by governments to regulate street food vendors has led to the prevalence of severe street food-related illnesses. One of the primary microbial contaminants in street food is E. coli O157:H7, which acts by secreting the Shiga-like toxin (SLT). Currently, there is no detection method for SLT outside of a lab setting, thus putting the consumers of foods at risk. Our project aims to develop a device that would be used by street vendors and restaurant owners to verify the safety of their products. Through our device, we exploit the binding of Gb3 to subunit B of the Shiga toxin, and compare the migration pattern of the bound Gb3-subunit B complex to a non bound subunit B. A shift in the migration pattern on a PAGE gel will occur when Gb3 is bound, indicating the presence of the toxin in the food sample. If no shift occurs in the SLT migration pattern, this implies the absence of the toxin within the sample, and reflects the safety status of the food. |
| | </p> | | </p> |
| − | <h2 class="section-header">Our changes</h2> | + | <h2 class="section-header">Our improvements</h2> |
| | <p class="section-content"> | | <p class="section-content"> |
| | Shiga toxin is an exotoxin that consists of two subunits. Subunit B binds to Gb3 receptor expressed in the surface of target cells and permits the entry of subunit A, which inhibits protein synthesis.[2] 2016 Team NYU Abu Dhabi exploited the binding of Gb3 to subunit | | Shiga toxin is an exotoxin that consists of two subunits. Subunit B binds to Gb3 receptor expressed in the surface of target cells and permits the entry of subunit A, which inhibits protein synthesis.[2] 2016 Team NYU Abu Dhabi exploited the binding of Gb3 to subunit |
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| − | <article>
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| − | <h2 class="section-header">Results</h2>
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| − | <p class="section-content">
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| − | The LAMP technique was shown to be more sensitive than conventional PCR techniques without the need for a heat lysis or centrifugation
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| − | steps. The reaction generated fluorescent products after excitation with blue LEDs after 20 minutes. Our
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| − | system achieves detection limits to add here without the need for laboratory equipment. The device is estimated
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| − | to cost approximately $50 USD. This device offers a power, rapid method for pathogen detection for future
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| − | point-of-care diagnostic applications. After running the gels, it was noticed that larger volume
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| − | (25μl) gave better sensitivity, however, due to low availability of reagents 12.5μl instead of 25μl was used.
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| − | Testing with 12.5μl showed it achieved limited detection of 10
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| − | <sup>6</sup> cells/ml, which is the FDA minimum infections dose for healthy adult human. Therefore, even with
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| − | a smaller amount of reagents the detection was sensitive enough to detect harmful dose of the toxin.
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| − | </p>
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| − | </article>
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| − | </div>
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| | <p class="section-content"> | | <p class="section-content"> |
