Team:Freiburg/Testpage3
The DiaCHIP - A Versatile Detection System
Project Motivation
Serological tests are a key element in modern medicine. Especially, when it comes to the detection and identification of infectious diseases performing different blood tests is inevitable. Regardless if a patient has diffuse symptoms or if he is tested for a defined number of diseases, more than one serological test has to be performed each time. Many tests, many days of waiting and an increasing bill: with some infectious diseases every minute counts and not everyone can afford a long series of testing. Wouldn't it be great if there was a possibility to combine all tests in one single affordable device?
Detecting Antigen-Antibody Interactions
The DiaCHIP is an innovative tool to screen for a broad range of antibodies present in serum.
Antibodies can be an indicator for an immune response towards an infection or a successful vaccination.
Antibodies also play a role in the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases.
Especially the ability to differentiate between life threatening diseases and a mild infection within a short time bears the potential to save lives.
Spotting diseases by detecting correspondent antibodies in a patient's serum is an established method in modern diagnostics. The DiaCHIP makes it possible to screen for multiple specific antibodies simply using a drop of blood.
The Concept
The key feature of the DiaCHIP concept is the combination of on-demand protein synthesis and a novel method for label-free detection packed into one device. The idea is to overcome challenges commonly found in protein array production and preservation. In addition, results can be obtained in a time- and cost-efficient manner; with a device simple enough to be rebuilt by future iGEM teams.
