Key Links (For MIT/Harvard): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/190gXDB_T9lq6wPN_0yLEAU66tPPJehVL1PH5dQZyFAU/edit?gid=70407915#gid=70407915
In my project, my goal is to build a fabric-based biosensor that visualize zinc and pH using freeze-dried cell-free reactions, and embed the reactions into textiles through freeze-drying for visible output upon rehydration.
In this step, I am assembling the biosensor plasmid by conducting in-silico Gibson Assembly in Benchling.
This page features the step 1 of the process
Here I featured 2 zinc biosensor designs, the first one using LacZ as the reporter, and the second one using GFP as the reporter. I also featured a pH biosensor with GFP reporter as a backup, because the mechanism is simpler, and I worry that the zinc biosensor might not work.
I chose to test the LacZ reporter to obtain real-time color feedback under normal environmental conditions, suitable for my broader vision of wearable adaptations. While LacZ has proven effective in several studies, GFP remains a more stable and well-studied safe choice.
the plasmid is composed of 3 parts:
