Week 10 HW — Imaging and Measurement

Week — Waters & Measurement (Conceptual Submission)

Measurement Strategy for Final Project

For my final project, which explores bio-responsive materials and spatial feedback systems, I approach measurement as a multi-layered process.

Rather than focusing on a single metric, I aim to evaluate:

  • Biological function (is the system expressing the intended protein or pigment?)
  • Material expression (does this biological activity translate into visible color or spatial change?)
  • Environmental response (does the system react to specific inputs such as tempeture, metabolites, or stress signals?)

To do this, I would use a combination of techniques:

  • Optical measurement (pigment-based color analysis measured by colormetrics)
  • DNA sequencing to verify constructs
  • Gel electrophoresis to confirm expression
  • Mass spectrometry to validate protein identity and molecular weight

This layered approach ensures that the system is not only biologically correct, but also meaningful at the material and spatial level.

Waters Lab — Conceptual Understanding

The Waters lab focuses on using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to determine the molecular weight and structural states of proteins such as eGFP.

From a conceptual standpoint, the key idea is that:

  • proteins can exist in different charge states in mass spectrometry
  • each peak corresponds to the same molecule with a different number of charges
  • by comparing adjacent peaks, it is possible to calculate the true molecular weight of the protein

Even without performing the full numerical calculation, this demonstrates how experimental data can be used to validate whether a protein has been correctly expressed and whether it matches its expected structure.

Reflection

For my project, mass spectrometry represents a way of connecting invisible molecular processes to measurable data.

However, my primary interest lies in translating these molecular processes into visible and spatial outputs, such as color, material change, or environmental response.

In this sense, measurement is not only about verification, but also about understanding how biological systems can become part of a designed experience.