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Cellular Lead Sensor
About 40% of the world does not have access to clean water. Lead is a major contaminant worldwide. In the US alone, over 1 million children ages 1 through 5 have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Current lead detection systems are expensive and require lab analysis. Home lead testing kits are inaccurate and only detect lead at very high levels. We have created a genetic circuit in E Coli that responds to lead. The promoter and lead binding protein we use are ten times more selective for lead than for other similar heavy metals. We have also incorporated a genetic amplifier into our circuit to allow us to detect fairly low concentrations of lead.
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Tristable Switch
The Tri-Stable Toggle Switch represents a continuation on the theme of the Toggle Switch begun by Gardner, et al to produce stable outputs in response to transient inputs. Applications such as a memory circuit and a drug delivery system are a few suggestions, but perhaps the most promising innovation lies in the design process. Our novel approach to the Tri-Stable Switch development is founded on quantitative principles, pioneering a technique to remove the guesswork from designing and debugging biological systems.
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