Key Findings
Presented here are some of the key moments of our Biomod journey.
Take a look and read what you find interesting!
Cargobay Version 1 Synthesis
Key insights from these sets of experiments were that we, unexpectedly, did not see a difference in gel bands based on the different states the Cargo Bay design was in (ie locked, closed, and loose). We concluded that this may lead back to the large difference in mass between the unused scaffold and the barrel, which led to Cargo Bay Version 2.
Capturing Target Molecules
We had some success in our cargo bay demonstrating the ability to specifically target molecules which was exhibited through the capture of Cy3 fluorophores although we were unable to assuredly showcase the capture of AuNPs. However, throughout this investigation we were able to optimise the preparation of AuNPs to minimise aggregation and optimise the yield in addition to enhancing the visualisation of AuNPs by functionalising them with Cy5 fluorophores for subsequent experiments.
Functionality of the Hinges
Our cargo bay proved to act just like its space shuttle counterpart being able to open its cargo bay doors, switching from its closed configuration to an open configuration. It was exciting to see the addition of our specifically designed invader strands carry out their intended function so successfully. This experiment also highlighted our improvement in the ability to visualise the capture of AuNPs.