The healthcare background
The tapeworm Taenia solium
Taenia solium, otherwise known as pork tapeworm, is a parasite with potentially serious health effects in humans. It infects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe brain diseases, blindness, epilepsy, and death. Countries where pork production and consumption are coupled with poor hygiene are the worst affected, including large areas of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South- and East-Asia, where over 14% of people have experienced an infection at some point [1]. However, a clear picture of how many people are currently infected by T. solium does not exist, due to the current difficulty in making a diagnosis.
Diagnosis: Difficult and Expensive
One of the most common diagnostic methods currently available is called enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB rES33). It is not only relatively expensive and requires a specialised laboratory setup, but it can only determine whether someone has had the infection at some point in their life, not whether they are currently carrying the parasite. Another method available involves checking faeces for tapeworm eggs under a microscope, which on top of requiring expensive equipment is relatively unreliable [2].
The bioinformatics behind our switch design
In silico design
Taenia solium, otherwise known as pork tapeworm, is a parasite with potentially serious health effects in humans. It infects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe brain diseases, blindness, epilepsy, and death. Countries where where pork production and consumption are coupled with poor hygiene are the worst affected, including large areas of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South- and East-Asia, where over 14% of people have experienced an infection at some point [1]. However, a clear picture of how many people are currently infected by T. solium does not exist, due to the current difficulty in making a diagnosis.
The switch synthesis
Extension PCR
Taenia solium, otherwise known as pork tapeworm, is a parasite with potentially serious health effects in humans. It infects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe brain diseases, blindness, epilepsy, and death. Countries where where pork production and consumption are coupled with poor hygiene are the worst affected, including large areas of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South- and East-Asia, where over 14% of people have experienced an infection at some point [1]. However, a clear picture of how many people are currently infected by T. solium does not exist, due to the current difficulty in making a diagnosis.
Nested PCR
Taenia solium, otherwise known as pork tapeworm, is a parasite with potentially serious health effects in humans. It infects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe brain diseases, blindness, epilepsy, and death. Countries where where pork production and consumption are coupled with poor hygiene are the worst affected, including large areas of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South- and East-Asia, where over 14% of people have experienced an infection at some point [1]. However, a clear picture of how many people are currently infected by T. solium does not exist, due to the current difficulty in making a diagnosis.
Colony PCR
Taenia solium, otherwise known as pork tapeworm, is a parasite with potentially serious health effects in humans. It infects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe brain diseases, blindness, epilepsy, and death. Countries where where pork production and consumption are coupled with poor hygiene are the worst affected, including large areas of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South- and East-Asia, where over 14% of people have experienced an infection at some point [1]. However, a clear picture of how many people are currently infected by T. solium does not exist, due to the current difficulty in making a diagnosis.
DNA Clean Up (via column & gel extraction)
Taenia solium, otherwise known as pork tapeworm, is a parasite with potentially serious health effects in humans. It infects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe brain diseases, blindness, epilepsy, and death. Countries where where pork production and consumption are coupled with poor hygiene are the worst affected, including large areas of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South- and East-Asia, where over 14% of people have experienced an infection at some point [1]. However, a clear picture of how many people are currently infected by T. solium does not exist, due to the current difficulty in making a diagnosis.
Gel electrophoresis
Taenia solium, otherwise known as pork tapeworm, is a parasite with potentially serious health effects in humans. It infects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe brain diseases, blindness, epilepsy, and death. Countries where where pork production and consumption are coupled with poor hygiene are the worst affected, including large areas of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South- and East-Asia, where over 14% of people have experienced an infection at some point [1]. However, a clear picture of how many people are currently infected by T. solium does not exist, due to the current difficulty in making a diagnosis.
The Idea
The Tapeworm Taenia solium
Taenia solium, otherwise known as pork tapeworm, is a parasite with potentially serious health effects in humans. It infects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe brain diseases, blindness, epilepsy, and death. Countries where where pork production and consumption are coupled with poor hygiene are the worst affected, including large areas of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South- and East-Asia, where over 14% of people have experienced an infection at some point [1]. However, a clear picture of how many people are currently infected by T. solium does not exist, due to the current difficulty in making a diagnosis.
The test will be based on a newly developed method called toehold switch sensors. This method has already been successfully applied to the diagnosis of the Zika virus [3]. We are therefore convinced that toehold switch sensors will also be useful in detecting T. solium. In order to develop our test, we first need to achieve two things: The test will be based on a newly developed method called toehold switch sensors. This method has already been successfully applied to the diagnosis of the Zika virus [3]. We are therefore convinced that toehold switch sensors will also be useful in detecting T. solium. In order to develop our test, we first need to achieve two things:
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The Experiments
Production of Toehold Switch Sensors
Taenia solium, otherwise known as pork tapeworm, is a parasite with potentially serious health effects in humans. It infects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe brain diseases, blindness, epilepsy, and death. Countries where where pork production and consumption are coupled with poor hygiene are the worst affected, including large areas of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South- and East-Asia, where over 14% of people have experienced an infection at some point [1]. However, a clear picture of how many people are currently infected by T. solium does not exist, due to the current difficulty in making a diagnosis.
Toehold Switch Sensor Test
Taenia solium, otherwise known as pork tapeworm, is a parasite with potentially serious health effects in humans. It infects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe brain diseases, blindness, epilepsy, and death. Countries where where pork production and consumption are coupled with poor hygiene are the worst affected, including large areas of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South- and East-Asia, where over 14% of people have experienced an infection at some point [1]. However, a clear picture of how many people are currently infected by T. solium does not exist, due to the current difficulty in making a diagnosis.
Application
Überschrift
The synthetic biology experiments described here are particularly important for participation in the iGEM competition. Simultaneously, a second team will work on the recovery of T. solium-RNA from patient stool samples in order to make our test applicable for medical purposes. We are currently forming the necessary partnerships for this goal: A working group in Nairobi has already committed to providing us with relevant material. However, these experiments will be conducted in a properly equipped laboratory, independent from the previously described experiments.