Project Goals
Our main project goals include the design of our cargo bay along with experimental exploration into the mechanisms by which our capture system carries out its intended functions. Our aim for BIOMOD centred around laying down the foundational proof of concepts of our cargo bay design prior to further modifications to enable the capture of our specific molecules of interest, nanoplastics. Ideally in the future we would be able to deploy this system for in vivo applications to remove nanoplastics from the bloodstream.
Criteria For Success
01
DNA Cargo Bay Design​
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Design barrel with different tether lengths
Design strands to allow the switching of cargo bay configurations via the hinges
Add handles to the design for targeting of molecules
Improve our initial cargo bay design
Design DNA handles using aptamers that bind nanoplastics
02
Structural Characterisation
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Optimise folding conditions for DNA barrel
Indicate cargo bay version 1 correctly folds
Confirm folding of cargo bay version 1 via TEM imaging
Show cargo bay version 1 can exist in different states
Investigate the effects of blunt ends vs poly T at hinges
Indicate our cargo bay version 2 correctly folds
Confirm folding of cargo bay version 2 via TEM imaging
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03
Functional Characterisation
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Can we selectively bind target molecules?
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Show that particles larger than the aperture cannot passively diffuse into the barrel when closed
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Are the hinges functional?
Determine if the different tether lengths impact functionality
Can we selectively bind nanoplastics?
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