Projects
Final projects:
- Abstract Dengue rapid tests targeting NS1 protein perform inconsistently across infection stages, delaying diagnosis in the low-resource settings where the disease hits hardest. This project develops a cell-free, aptamer-based biosensor that targets EDIII — a more immunogenically distinct domain of the dengue E protein — to achieve more reliable, stage-independent detection without cold chain or laboratory infrastructure. The core system couples three integrated modules: a capture antibody and aptamer selected to bind non-competing EDIII epitopes, confirmed via protein–protein interaction modeling; an aptamer–blocker–theophylline construct engineered for low leak and EDIII-triggered release; and a cell-free circuit linked through a theophylline riboswitch to drive LacZ expression as the final colorimetric signal. Aim 2 translates this system into a portable rapid test format. Aim 3 validates diagnostic performance and expands applicability across serotypes and sample matrices
- Computational Engineering of the MS2 Lysis Protein to Improve Stability, Titers, and Toxicity After reviewing the provided literature on the MS2 lysis protein (L) and discussing the project aims, our group has decided to focus on three interconnected goals: Goal 1: Increase the stability of the L protein As the “easiest” goal, it is the most computationally tractable. A stabilized protein is less prone to degradation and misfolding, which could directly lead to higher functional titers and serve as a robust starting point for any subsequent engineering.